How do you feel when you play a game? Happy? Sad? Angry? Games have the ability to make us feel these things, and often times these feelings are as real as they come. Games that make you truly feel something for another character are the ones that stick with us forever; they have a lasting impact on us as players and as people. For me, the feelings of empathy, admiration and love have been the most impactful.
“Clementine will remember that.”
The first time I read those words, a wave of dread instantly overcame me. It was like my decision had put me on a path down a forked road, unable to go back and retread my steps. My decision was final and the story pressed on, solidifying a future I had yet to discover. It wasn’t until Episode 3 of Telltale’s The Walking Dead did I realize that all my choices were inevitably leading to one, maybe two, endings. This “storytelling” genre of games is a growing one, and one I thoroughly enjoy, but for all the growth the genre has had over the years, there are still developers out there that have played it too safe and made their “stories” tired and predictable in the process. Continue reading