Choice and consequence. That is the best way that I can describe this episode. You truly learn the consequences of your actions. You truly get to see how far that your choices can take you, and the price that gets paid. What’s more, forces around what is happening in this game are lining up against you. It gets so much more intense! This game gets more awesome, the more I learn of the story. That said, I feel kind of terrible for how things turned out, because it was me who did this, and I couldn’t do anything different. No matter what you do, you make the choice and have to own it. This was so messed. Let’s talk about it.
The plot of this episode picks up after Episode 2. Depending on what happened, you are either a savior or a person who watched something awful happen. Now, the race is on to figure out what happened to Rachel Amber and Kate Marsh. Also, you learn more about your ability to manipulate time. Including being able to go even further back, and change even bigger things. But dark forces are growing around Max Caulfield, as her powers are showing signs that even bigger things are ahead.
Before I talk about this game, I will say that glitches were a real issue for me, this time around. Not sure why, but this was more than a little annoying. I found myself getting annoyed at them, sometimes. It wasn’t game-breaking, but it was a little frustrating. Hopefully, if it isn’t just me having this issue, we get some patches or something for it. Most of the early glitches were centered around light sources. Lamps and stuff. They all got blacked out by big black boxes. Annoying. If any of you are having that issue,, let me know in the Comments section, so the devs can know that this is a problem. I’ll send this their way.
That said, let’s talk about this episode. This episode got so much right. For as much as I am torn up about how things ended, it was one hell of a trip to get there. The characters got a lot more developed. Max and Chloe’s relationship got a lot better here. The cool thing is about where they go is that it’s up to you. I like that. Their closeness can be controlled by you. The omniscient overseer. I stand by what I said in an SION post, where I talked about how your character isn’t Max. You are an omniscient being, controlling her. It makes how this story ends that much harder, because I (and you will too) thought that I had done the right thing. I was certain that this was what I was supposed to do.. But it wasn’t. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was so hard. Still, the episode got the pace right, the characters right, the setting right. It just got everything right.
Now, of course, the lip syncing is off. Whatever. At this point, I hardly even notice it. Now, it’s kind of like a cute quirk. The graphics also get silly at point. Like the water effects. And the flashlight effects. Though, with the flashlight, that might have been glitches. For real, peeps, if you are having these problems, let me know. This might be something that the developers missed.
However, as I said at the beginning, it all comes back to choice and consequence. But, how it all ends shows you that the choices that you make for all the right reasons can be a total disaster. Especially when you realize what you have become in the process. This really forced it on the player. Because, if you have any investment in the story at all, you are going to want to do what you do to get there. It feels right. The worst part is, you can’t change it. No matter what you do, you can’t change the outcome. That hurts worst of all. Sure, in the process, you discover a cool time power, but still.
This episode was so much better than the last one. The last one faltered a bit, but it found its footing again. I am pretty damn stoked to see what happens next. In fact, the wait is going to be the hardest part. Were it not for the glitches, this episode would have been higher, but what can you do?
*Update: an update has been posted for Episode 3. Download it, and it will cure your glitch problems. Which means that I have to amend my score. Sigh, a reviewers work is never done.*
Final Verdict
9 out of 10
Peace out,
Maverick
Lucien Maverick's Den 