Taylor Bauer

In 2013, The Wolf Among Us arrived at the heart of Telltale’s power. Now, more than 13 years later, Telltale is very different. After a brief closure and bankruptcy in 2018, the studio reemerged and has since been largely dormant. Luckily for us, their grand return is one of their best projects and a triumph of narrative-driven game design. While it’s great to head back into Fabletown, some elements of this remaster feel underwhelming given the wait.

We all know what’s coming in November: the return of Metacritic’s best game of all time, and the long-awaited arrival of the newest criminal life simulator. I don’t have to report to anyone, even half-aware of video game news, that Grand Theft Auto VI and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are coming out in November. That said, our hype blinders have left us too focused on those two titles, overshadowing a few other exciting releases.

The games industry is undergoing major shifts in how it manages profits, development costs, and staff. In short, companies expect to make more money now, spend less, and feel less beholden to the team members who create the games they sell. It’s a bleak time for folks working in games, and you have to wonder when the breaking point arrives. One recent example is Gears of War E-Day, a game I really enjoyed, but apparently cost nearly half a billion dollars to develop.