The Council - Episode 3: Ripples

Quite fascinating.

My initial reaction was that the series may have just gone off the rails, but I've come to accept that The Council requires a healthy suspension of disbelief to extract maximum enjoyment. Beyond the myriad of revelations and confrontations, Ripples forces the player to make what may be the most important choice of the series to date. I really don't know what to expect next from The Council, and that just may be its most alluring quality.

After the awful showing of Episode 2, I had absolutely no expectations going into this one. But hey, I came away relatively pleased and somewhat looking forward to what is to come next. The underlying issues that have plagued every episode thus far still persist here, but at least The Council is finally utilizing its strengths in the best way possible, despite its flaws.

After a disappointing second salvo, The Council episode 3, “Ripples,” rebounds with full gusto. Bringing a narrative and gameplay balance, players are given a better picture at what the series aims to accomplish and keeps them hooked onto what happens next.

Ripples can be a divisive episode for some. The big reveal doesn't seem so grand, and the switch from somewhat realistic to something more fantastic can be jarring. Some of the events show that the game isn't playing around when it comes to having choices matter, and there is some intrigue in regards to where things will go next. Let's hope the game performance doesn't regress further.

The third episode is an excellent example of clever story writing, but visiting the same locations over and over again is too boring.

Hopefully my complaints can be resolved in the next episode, but Ripples was not as enjoyable as I was hoping after the first two episodes of The Council.