Most of the time, I stick to adventure and role-playing games, so a comic book/mystery/drama game is not typically what I would choose. However, “The Wolf Among Us” caught my eye, and on a whim I decided to try it. After completing three episodes in a binge play, I was pleasantly surprised.

“The Wolf Among Us” was created by Telltale Games, which made the ever-so-popular “The Walking Dead” interactive game. This has the same comic book theme, since “The Wolf Among Us” was made as a prequel to Bill Willingham’s comic Fables.

The main character, Bigby Wolf (who was the Big Bad Wolf), is the sheriff of Fabletown, located in downtown New York. Many Fable characters live in secret among normal people, whom they refer to as Mundies (short for Mundanes), trying to escape their former fairytale life. Some of the special Fables who appear as animals have to purchase a magic referred to as Glamour to maintain a human appearance, or risk being sent to The Farm.

Bigby Wolf spends his days making sure conflicts between Fables stay calm and out of the Mundies’ life. For years, there hasn’t been any major conflict, but when the game starts, he is quick to find there is a serial killer going after Fables. The game deals with quick time events, and every decision you make will affect you later on.

The concept is phenomenal. In one night I binge-played more than half the game. In the fighting scenes, I have never felt so stressed and scared for my life. Being new to the Xbox fan base, I found myself messing up more than I’d like to admit and having to witness Bigby die over and over. I was struck with anxiety and paranoia that at any given moment I was going to be attacked at random. Because it happens. A lot.

The soundtrack fits the mood of every scene perfectly. The suspense keeps you playing. I could tell the game was playing on my emotions and messing with my mind at every turn; one moment I had the advantage over an enemy, and suddenly he had the advantage because I wasn’t “clicking A enough.” Out of nowhere, a character I had started to like would be dead at my front doorstep.

This game overall is solid. It leaves you with enough suspense and cliffhangers that you are hungry for more. Telltale Games has definitely upheld their reputation for great comic book dramas. However, one thing that bothered me was how some of the actions you can choose for your character aren’t what you think they are. For example, one option was “Give Glass,” so I assumed I was going to buy this sad slum a drink. Instead, I ended up smashing a glass over his head. I screamed and shut off the Xbox, furious, then I reset an entire chapter just so I could have another chance to be nice to him. Whenever I select an option that I thought would comfort a non-player character, I ended up yelling at them for being a baby!

I highly recommend this game for anyone, regardless of your personal preferences. It is very well paced, and every chapter leaves you wanting more. While it has a few quirks, the game is lively and keeps you on your toes. Telltale Games has stepped up their game. I look forward to playing any other titles by them.