How far would you go #ForClementine?
The Walking Dead episodes have driven gamers through some of the toughest choices imaginable, some truly emotional and heartbreaking moments that surpass anything in the genre for years, if not of all time. It all comes down to the finale, “No Time Left” and Lee’s last chance to find redemption in saving Clementine, the girl he’s been looking after since the first episode. I found myself just as angry as Lee when Clem was kidnapped at the end of Episode 4 and wanted to hunt down the bastard myself and gut him like a fish, but in true Walking Dead style…it isn’t quite as simple as that…
The choices you’ve made throughout the game will come and bite you in the arse in some way, even if you didn’t mean to, the episode is a little shorter than the past ones but is no less impactful and emotional. Your first choice is to decide wherever to let your surviving team cut off Lee’s arm in the hope it’ll stop the bite from turning him, but it might kill him at the same time. I personally chose to get my arm hacked off and it was one of the most awkward moments in my gaming life as I really felt like it was my arm was being cut through, Lee’s really grown on me as a character and because I’ve made so many choices I feel partly responsible for his fate in more ways than I ever did with anyone else.
Apart from trying to rescue Clementine, the survivors need to get across town and there are plenty of problems standing in the way, as well as more emotional moments. I won’t spoil it for those who have yet to play the episode, but suffice to say you’ll be made of stone if you don’t feel something here. I didn’t find any points in this episode where I could die like in past episodes, but perhaps that was because I was so determined to save Clem that I never allowed myself to be ambushed by the horde.
In terms of presentation, this episode is without a doubt the best. Sure it has a few tech hitches and slowdowns, but ultimately it’s a great looking game and the voice acting is superb from start to finish. I’d recommend going through the series a few times and try mixing things up to see the different outcomes; it’s satisfying to say the least.
The Verdict
And so this series of The Walking Dead games comes to a close, but apparently its best you keep hold of your game save as it seems Telltale isn’t quite finished with the franchise yet! The series has been one rollercoaster of emotions, heartache and satisfaction. I can only wonder what the Telltale crew will do with the next season; all I know is that it will be amazing.
