The Council - Episode 1: The Mad Ones

 PC
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. Game Debate
    May 21, 2018
    95
    I lapped up all the skulking, whispering skullduggery and a few of the plot twists caught me by surprise. I can't wait for more.
  2. PLAY! Zine
    Apr 27, 2018
    85
    We have yet to see how much the choices really matter, but if you focus on storytelling and the acting, the music, and the fresh approach to these types of games – you're in for a treat. Secret society, famous historic figures on one island, a couple of big mysteries and a rather interesting way of decision making are definitely a good foundation for the beginning of this journey.
  3. PlayGround.ru
    Mar 15, 2018
    85
    If Dan Brown wrote a detective story in the style of Aghata Christie, it would be The Council.
  5. Worth Playing
    Mar 28, 2018
    80
    If the rest of the series plays out like The Council: Episode 1 – The Mad Ones, then adventure game fans are in for quite a ride. The storylines and mysteries are intriguing thus far. While there is simplicity in the puzzles, the RPG elements and deeper conversation system make the game more appealing than some other adventure titles. There's currently no timetable for future episodes of The Council, but adventure fans will enjoy this title.
  6. GameWatcher
    Mar 13, 2018
    80
    The Council is off to an excellent, intriguing and suspenseful start, and the minor issues it has didn’t really make us enjoy it any less. We’re already looking forward to Episode 2, especially after the cliffhanger conclusion which promises to ramp the action up, and that’s the best endorsement we can give.
  7. RPG Fan
    May 7, 2018
    77
    A very promising start to a series with an intriguing story, interesting setting, and a unique spin on choice-based narratives.
  8. Games Master UK
    Apr 19, 2018
    72
    An intriguing opening for a narrative series, with some of the most raddled faces we've ever seen. [May 2018, p.70]
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  9. Cubed3
    Apr 16, 2018
    70
    The Council is off to a really good start with Episode 1: The Mad Ones, with an occultism/conspiracy-heavy story that is as mysterious as it is engrossing, and a RPG skill system that works well in unison with the more traditional elements of narrative-driven gameplay. It's a rough diamond, for sure, but at least it is one that provides a fresh look on the genre, making it easy to get hungry for the next chapter.
  10. Everyeye.it
    Mar 13, 2018
    65
    An intriguing starter, but with a few too many defects.
  11. DarkZero
    Mar 23, 2018
    60
    The Mad Ones is, at times, a compelling first step on this journey. However, whilst the episode excels in offering customization it is also quite regressive. Any attempt at a compelling narrative was lost under the weight of the other systems at play. I do hope this balance is righted in future episodes. If so a special game may evolve from this rocky starting point.
  12. Destructoid
    Mar 21, 2018
    55
    There is a great blend of RPG and narrative mechanics here, it just isn't worth muddling through everything else to experience.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 40 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 40
  3. Negative: 4 out of 40
  1. Cdognkal2
    Apr 17, 2018
    7
    An interesting game to say the least, the Council combines a Telltale style narrative with an typical RPG. They don't mesh beautifully, butAn interesting game to say the least, the Council combines a Telltale style narrative with an typical RPG. They don't mesh beautifully, but they do work well enough that I could get sucked into the story and characters without feeling annoyed with the gameplay. The story itself is neither awful nor spectacular but being the first episode it's hard to judge.

    Overall I think this game is worth a try, especially if you're a fan of Telltale style games, and I'm excited to see where the story goes next    … Full Review »
  2. JaxDagger
    Mar 15, 2018
    0
    I was surprised to see so many high ratings for this game as I found it utterly droll and slow, the mechanics certainly don't feel new orI was surprised to see so many high ratings for this game as I found it utterly droll and slow, the mechanics certainly don't feel new or innovative as I was lead to believe and the character models my god i've seen better on the playstation 1, it feels rushed like minimal effort was put into the design and look of the game, character and it's world. I cannot help but feel that maybe the very positive reviews on some sites are coming from people either paid off or given the game for free simply so that the fact they didn't have to pay for it didn't influence their decision with it not coming from their own pocket. Honestly would not recommend to any fan of any genre as I am honestly flabbergasted that this game isn't around the 2 or 3 out of 10 range... some reputable sites even giving it 4 out 5..... really? laughable. I've never given a zero before but this time it is well deserved, sorry but it was just awful. I played it on both the PC and the Playstation4 and yet somehow BOTH felt like they where made about 2 decades ago.… Full Review »
  3. SuperkenGaming
    Mar 13, 2018
    6
    The Council
    off the a rough Start
    The council is a narrative focused episodic adventure game, this game will eventually have 5 episodes, but    The Council
    off the a rough Start
    The council is a narrative focused episodic adventure game, this game will eventually have 5 episodes, but at the time of this review there is only one.
    Episode 1 the mad ones took me around 2 and a half hours to complete and is a very slow start.
    The game starts in the year 1793, you play a Louis de Richet, a member of a secret society...
    You’re invited to a private island off of the shores of England, but your mother is nowhere to be found...
    You spend the game trying to get information and find her.
    In hindsight, this is a pretty intriguing story being set up...
    There’s a secret society… historical figures like my homie George Washington are around, you have these crazy that’s so raven visions where you’re looking through the eyes of different characters that will randomly hit you..
    There’s tons of mystery and historical artifacts and paintings... creepy and intriguing characters…
    it’s just the delivery of this game is so slow, that instead of feeling like you’re immersed in history...
    You feel as though you’re immersed in a history lecture...
    The game doesn’t start to get exciting until its final chapter in this episode...
    The other chapters are so sluggish and boring.
    The gameplay features pretty light adventure aspects, I enjoyed these short breaks to solve a puzzle, theyre not hard enough to make you look up a guide, but enough to make you stop and think... and stopping to think is important as every action made in this game has consequences...
    For example I was trying to decipher a code and by trying everything I could, I ruined half of a clue, so I had to do a later puzzle in the game the hard way, with logic and trial and error…
    There’s also an effort system in this game...
    Effort depletes by mental and physical choices within the game
    There’s a high focus here on psychology, it’s all about manipulation, deceit, and attention to detail…
    You’ll get points based off of actions you complete during a chapter and at that chapters end you can dump your skill points in different skills to unlock more dialog choices during a confrontation, our youll have the ability to unlock doors and boxes, or level up your skills so that your choices consume less effort,
    You have to choose carefully when to go for a statement or question that consumes a lot of your effort as it is limited in each chapter.. Though there are consumables to partially refill it…
    But some situations and confrontations might not be as important to you as others...
    so you’ll choose to let information go and save your refills for later if you need them…
    Characters also remember your choices from earlier, so you’ll have a penalty while speaking to them, making it hard to squeeze info out of them.. But things can be made easier by making observations during dialog scenes or conversations... as you can find a psychological weakness or immunity... the dutchess for example like most women is immune to logic. And the butler characters has a weakness when it comes to being questioned.
    The system here sounds pretty complicated, and it kind of is...
    it almost takes you out of the moment as you’re trying to shift conversations but thinking of consumables and how much effort you have left...
    It makes it hard to pay attention to a story that by itself is so slow at the start that it’s hard to pay attention to on its own..
    But by the end the characters started to pull me in and I’m decently excited to see where this story goes... though I’m not dying for the next episode.
    Though depending on your choices, other characters might be.
    I give the council Episode 1 the mad ones a 6/10    … Full Review »
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