Part 2: The zombie kills! The moral choices! The guilt and remorse! The repetition?
For Episode 1, check our review here.
In the second part of Telltale’s “The Walking Dead: Michonne”, your choices in the first part are either rewarded or severely punished. After the events of part I, the proverbial shit hits the fan as the player has to choose between strength in numbers, the lone killing machine, slow escape routes, dangerous shortcuts, and whether to release the rage, or keep calm and play the diplomat.
More of the Same
In my previous review, I already mentioned that the graphics, gameplay, and basic plot are simply ‘more of the same’, though we have fan-favourite Michonne to play around with. This episode is no different, although I must say that some aspects really got to me, even more so than in the first episode. Sadly, they did not involve any of my moral choices.
Consequences and Memories: Flashbacks
In part 2 of this mini-series, more light is shed on Michonne’s backstory and the traumatic experience she had to live through. Although the flashbacks are less frequent than in part 1, they are more interactive, and the player is offered the choice how to solve the ‘mystery’ of Michonne’s lost children. In a clever way, the traumatic experience is unravelled, as Michonne learns how to deal with her choices, and works through the flashbacks in order to live with what happened. Besides the flashbacks, the events of part 1 are also escalating, resulting in a moral dilemma that we have seen so many times already: kill the ‘evil’ man because he deserves it, or use him as a bargaining chip. In this way, some parts do not feel that original at all, because we have already played through them, even in the same universe!
Near the end of the episode, an event really took me by surprise, though I am unsure whether my actions had something to do with it. This is a missed chance, however, as all other moral choices are more or less going to be dealt with in the next part. Because of this, part 2 can be seen as a ‘filler’ episode, focusing more on ‘lore’ and motivation rather than moving forward with the story. It also feels shorter than the first episode, which is a shame. As a true The Walking Dead fan, I simply want more, and I don’t want to wait until the next (final) episode.
Conclusion
All in all, Episode 2 is not a bad installment. Telltale still delivers a kick-ass game that looks beautiful and plays very fluently. The soundtrack in this part is top notch too, and I can’t help but feel that this is not a simple game based in the same universe as the television series. This is actually a worthy extension to the adventures of Rick and the gang. It’s too bad, however, that certain events or scenes seem to be re-used and that most of the events that happened in the first episode do not get resolved in this part.
