Top 5 Telltale Games

by Stupid Ross

It really is a shame that TellTale games became defunct in October 2018. They have made some of the best graphic adventure stories of the past decade. When Lucas Arts decided to stop making adventure games, developers Kevin Bruner, Dan Connors and Troy Molander founded TellTale Games in 2004. For nearly 15 years they led the way for episodic adventure gaming until due to lack of investor funding caused them to call it a day. Although it’s a shame we will not see continuations of some of their great titles, we should still celebrate what they did bring to the table. So I have spent the last few months playing and replaying their back catalogue, and bringing you this definitive list. I have decided to include all seasons under the one title, as The Walking Dead has 4 seasons, and this is only a Top 5.

5. Guardians of The Galaxy (2017)

I included this in my Top 10 Marvel games because it is one of the better Marvel games out there. It is also one of the best TellTale games. Being released in 2017, it benefitted from years of trial and error on the previous titles and added new content making it feel like there was more to be involved in. Check out my blog on the Top 10 Marvel Video Games for more information.

Guardians of The Galaxy gets a Stupid Ross rating of 7/10.

4. Batman (2016, 2017)

Spawning two seasons, Batman: The TellTale Series and Batman: The Enemy Within. These games really gave us a new way to play as The Dark Knight. Being more of a detective than the ass-kicking vigilante, although there is still plenty of that. Having to balance the lives of Bruce Wayne and Batman, biting your tongue as Bruce the businessman only to take it out on enemies when dressing as The Bat. Featuring all your favourite Characters, whether good or bad, this series does justice to the world of Bob Kanes Batman. The only real let down for me was Batman’s portrayal by Troy Baker, I felt it was a little lack-lustre and made me pine for the only true Batman, Kevin Conroy. The Enemy Within being the better of the 2 seasons, they are both still excellent games, my favourite part being the option to try and prevent The Joker from becoming a villain in The Enemy Within, making a really great Joker story in the process.

Batman gets a Stupid Ross rating of 8/10.

3. Game of Thrones (2014)

Being a big fan of the show, a chance to delve into the Game of Thrones canon was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. No surprises that I loved it, every second. Getting to play as 5 different characters, all with their own story arc that tie into the games overall arc. There are lovely cameos such as Tyrion, Cersei, and the atrocious Ramsay Bolton, this helps tie the game into TV series. One of the playable characters, Mira Forrester, was added into the TV show as a background extra, which I think was fantastic, as it really brought the game into the Game of Thrones Universe.

The biggest let down about this game is that we don’t know the outcome of the story, as season 2 was cancelled due to TellTales foreclosure. It is actually heartbreaking. With so many game-changing choices to make, and as is normal with GOT, a very high death toll, this game has a great replayability factor. I have played it 3 times now and have had 3 different experiences, still aching to have the story finished. Hopefully one day we will see a new developer pick up the franchise and continue this great story.

Game of Thrones gets a Stupid Ross rating of 8.5/10.

2. The Wolf Among Us (2013)

What a bloody good game, it was really hard to make the choice between this and my number 1 slot. The Wolf Among Us is loosely based as a sequel to Bill Willingham’s Fables comic book series, published by DC Comics’ Vertigo. You play as Sheriff Bigby Wolf, The Big Bad Wolf, who is investigating the murder of a woman he just met called Faith. Bigby oversees Fabletown which is a hidden community of classic fairytale characters, such as Snow White, Beauty & Beast, Mr Toad and many more. The murder investigation unravels and more victims turn up, as with all good murder mysteries, aided by Snow White, an authority figure in Fabletown, Bigby uses his ‘skills’ to track down the murderous scum terrorising Fabletown. This was another TellTale game that suffered from their closure, as the announced series 2 was cancelled. Bigby is a great character, and you really feel for him, as he is trying to shed his former image as the house destroying, little pig eating, Red Riding Hood pestering Big Bad Wolf, but it keeps coming out as characters test his patience and push him to his limits. This really is a great game, and you should all give it a go.

The Wolf Among Us gets a Stupid Ross rating of 9/10.

Honourable Mentions
Jurassic Park
Back to The Future
Tales of Monkey Island
Sam and Max
Tales From The Borderlands

1. The Walking Dead (2012-2019)

It had to be, TellTales The Walking Dead series is just amazing. Seasons 1 and 2, being the standout seasons, are so emotively driven that even the coldest of blackhearted gamers will be reaching for the tissues. The series on a whole is based around Clementine, a young girl when the zombie apocalypse begins. Losing her parents and being rescued by season 1 protagonist Lee Everett, Lee teaches Clementine how to survive in this new world, and also being a much needed parental figure for the young frightened girl. I’m gonna do this spoiler free, as I know Rubbish-Man still hasn’t played season 2, which is my personal favourite of all 4 (6 including Michonne and 400 days spin-offs). Even if I didn’t group these games as one, season 2 would still have been my number one choice. I am a big fan of the comic book series and the TV show, despite not having watched since season 8 as I started to lose interest, the game really brings the comics to life in a way the AMC series did not. Season 2 made me so happy and so sad at the same time, it was a mixed bag of emotions, I really wish I could play it for the first time all over again. Hurry up and play it Rubbish-Man, and anyone else who hasn’t.

The Walking Dead Series gets a Stupid Ross rating of 9.5/10.

So there we go, comment with your favourite TellTale games and memories.
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