First off i would like to put some context into what i'm about to say; that is that I very rarely get emotional at any kind of game or movie (only ones i will openly cry at are the first 20 mins of UP and the last 30 mins of Schindler's list), i don't say this to be macho, i don't care about that, I say it so that when I say the ending to this game made me bawl my eyes out you understand the severity of the situation.
Through the first four episodes I was drawn to Clementine, not because she was a child (a particular hate of mine is using a child as a plot device without adding any character; see the walking dead t.v series for how not to write a child) but because she was a brilliantly written character, i wanted to save her. The bond was even stronger because my character (Lee) was able to mimic rather accurately what i was feeling about the girl, making them and by proxy us feel even more connected.
Throughout the final episode the stakes are raised, and they are raised high; the writers have done a brilliant job of adding a sense of impending finality to the story, things move very neatly and rapidly forward and there isn't any of the standing around looking for really annoying little things that happened in the previous episodes episodes. (not that they were bad, just something i picked up on)
When i finally discovered who your ipso facto nemesis is i was rather shocked, I mean I had my suspicions but i didn't really think it could have been who it was. The "antagonist" fits in very well with the entire theme of the game, it actually made me regret a lot of the decisions i made, and not because of what was happening but because i felt genuinely guilty.
Now the finale, and what i am certain is the best ending to a game ever (and ending is something or an art-form in my opinion, something only a few writers can do convincingly) Hell even my favorite books and t.v series could learn a thing or two from this. The writers use a brilliant blend of tension and fore-site that created emotions i have never felt so strongly from any interactive medium (I'm fairly sure i was less effected by any funeral I've ever been to combined). I don't want to spoil the end but if it doesn't reduce you to tears you have a heart of stone.
All in all this game is the best character driven game I have played and I would trade every shooter, rts and whatever other game-play driven game to get one of it's calibre again.
Through the first four episodes I was drawn to Clementine, not because she was a child (a particular hate of mine is using a child as a plot device without adding any character; see the walking dead t.v series for how not to write a child) but because she was a brilliantly written character, i wanted to save her. The bond was even stronger because my character (Lee) was able to mimic rather accurately what i was feeling about the girl, making them and by proxy us feel even more connected.
Throughout the final episode the stakes are raised, and they are raised high; the writers have done a brilliant job of adding a sense of impending finality to the story, things move very neatly and rapidly forward and there isn't any of the standing around looking for really annoying little things that happened in the previous episodes episodes. (not that they were bad, just something i picked up on)
When i finally discovered who your ipso facto nemesis is i was rather shocked, I mean I had my suspicions but i didn't really think it could have been who it was. The "antagonist" fits in very well with the entire theme of the game, it actually made me regret a lot of the decisions i made, and not because of what was happening but because i felt genuinely guilty.
Now the finale, and what i am certain is the best ending to a game ever (and ending is something or an art-form in my opinion, something only a few writers can do convincingly) Hell even my favorite books and t.v series could learn a thing or two from this. The writers use a brilliant blend of tension and fore-site that created emotions i have never felt so strongly from any interactive medium (I'm fairly sure i was less effected by any funeral I've ever been to combined). I don't want to spoil the end but if it doesn't reduce you to tears you have a heart of stone.
All in all this game is the best character driven game I have played and I would trade every shooter, rts and whatever other game-play driven game to get one of it's calibre again.