The Council

When I play games like this, I like to be able to explore the different options. The game basically begs you to do so by telling you about the alternative routes you've missed at the end of each chapters. BUT when you do try to replay an episode for the alternative routes... you have to sit through hours of unskippable cutscenes and dialogues that you've already seen before! You can't even save the game manually before choosing between the alternative paths. The game only has one autosave per profile. If you want to see the alternative path in a chapter, you have to replay the whole thing from the start. To make matters worse, the game doesn't make it clear which areas you can't revisit, or what events automatically block you out from other content. You know those options in all the RPGs that say "give me a moment to get ready"? They are severely lacking in this game. You walk into the wrong door, or talk to the wrong person first, then forget about exploring the rest of the content... that is, unless you want to restart the chapter and sit through all the unskippable cutscenes and dialogues again. These design choices are so baffling that I cannot recommend the game until they are changed. Unless you are the type of person who feels fine missing out on large portions of the game, or has the time and patience to sit through the same cutscenes and dialogues multiple times.

It's an amazing game, love the adventure, love the system where you can invest your skills like you please, and move fordward in different ways, depending on your type of character. The story is also great and intriguing. The main issue I got of the game is with the 2 final chapters, mostly the last one and the ending, seems a rushed ending, and that the people tells you the entire story to get to the end insted of being your character the one that finds out. The ending it's also too grandiose and feels like there's little build up for it, like I said, they have to tell you and explain it to you and everything changes with just a few lines of dialogue. I hope they release another game, but more down to earth for the ending.

The game structure itself is one I enjoy, narrative focus with rich storyline. The period setting also adds much to the game's overall appeal, with few games being set in the late 18th century. The dialogue and characters are fully developed as well. Sadly, my problems with this title have more to do with technical aspects. The sound cut out frequently during the dialogue, which broke much of the immersion that could have otherwise provided a more rich game experience. Plus, the voices did not seem particularly well cast, which also had a jarring effect. The main character's mother, in the opening scenes, sounded about a generation or two too young for the character she was portraying. The main character did not sound very period, with a strong contemporary dialect which left me wanting more. It's a decent game in its own right, with expansive options based on in-game choices, but I feel as though the technical aspects kept me from full immersion, which is critical in a game such as this. Good, but not great.

So, this game is the type of game that I love. Heavy on the store, heavy on the multiple choice dialog (like.. mass effect, witcher, skyrim, any of those games) and light on mechanics. It is all about the story and the narrative. Telltale games, even visual novels; this game is like that. So if you're going in to it with the expectation that you're going to be playing a platforming adventure like Tomb Raider, or Uncharted... you'll be disappointed. But if you're like me, and you love a narrative, choices matter, story driven game? This is amazing. I loved every second of this game, and every little twist and turn in it. It does have some puzzles, and there are multiple endings and paths to take to those endings. Enjoy.