Episodic games have quite a bit of popularity among gamers. The concept of not having a game all at once and having to wait for the next installment isn’t appealing to every gamer, but there’s an element of suspense and excitement that can’t be matched with episodic games. Among some of the most popular episodic games are Life is Strange and The Wolf Among Us. The former has had one prequel and a sequel released in episodic fashion, but the newest game, Life is Strange: True Colors, will deviate from the precedent set. The Wolf Among Us, on the other hand, has had quite a rocky development for its sequel.
The developer, Telltale Games, shut down, cancelling season two of The Wolf Among Us and other projects it was working on at the time. LCG Entertainment revived the studio and is currently working on The Wolf Among Us 2, which is being crafted from scratch with every episode developed at the same time. This differs from the predecessor because every episode was developed one at a time as opposed to all at once. With this method of development already in place, The Wolf Among Us 2 may do well to follow in Life is Strange: True Colors’ footsteps in one key way.
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Life is Strange: True Colors is a highly anticipated sequel for a variety of reasons, but one of the most exciting features is that it will be released all at once. This is the first LiS game in the history of the franchise to do this, but it’s by no means a detriment to the overall game. In fact, it’s a new feature that many fans are looking forward to taking advantage of.
The game will still be broken up into chapters, but players will have access to every chapter upon release. This system will allow players time to break between emotionally heavy scenes, as Life is Strange tends to deal with some very heavy topics, but also cater to players who like playing through games in as few sittings as possible. While the break from episodic storytelling may be a different change of pace for fans of the series, it’s not entirely unwelcome.
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The Wolf Among Us 2 was originally announced in 2019, but there haven’t been a lot of updates since. Fans know that the sequel is inevitably coming and that it will revolve around Bigby and Snow White. As mentioned before, the sequel is also being developed all at once, so it’s safe to assume that every episode will be complete at the time of launch. What remains to be seen, though, is if every episode will be released in an episodic fashion or all at once.
In a similar fashion to Life is Strange: True Colors, The Wolf Among Us 2 should make all episodes available at once when the game debuts. The episodic nature of both franchises worked well for a while, but eventually, fans tire of having to wait for so long between episodes. Additionally, if fans can presume that every episode will be complete at the time of launch, there’s no real reason to withhold the rest of the episodes until different release dates. Players have been waiting for The Wolf Among Us 2 for a long time, and this patience could potentially be rewarded all at once instead of being staggered.
The episodic release format for Life is Strange and The Wolf Among Us was exciting when the games first debuted. However, if the Life is Strange franchise has already left it behind, it might be best for The Wolf Among Us 2 to do the same.
The Wolf Among Us 2 is currently in development.