The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 - Smoke and Mirrors

 PC
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 317 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 242 out of 317
  2. Mixed: 48 out of 317
  3. Negative: 27 out of 317

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  1. Olkkiman
    Feb 6, 2014
    9
    The story is AMAZING, just like in the first episode. Only thing that i didn't like about the second episode is that it didn't really have that much action. I had much more control in the first chapter, but in this one it was mostly just following the story. At one point i was actually pretty surprised when i suddenly had to do something. otherwise it was as amazing as the first episode.
  2. GodReviews
    Feb 4, 2014
    10
    Fantastically Written. Beautiful Style of Graphics and atmosphere. Memorable, gripping moments that keep you holding on to your seat. Most importantly, it always keep you guessing. Which is always great in a mystery, intense story. That pretty much sums up this kick-ass second episode of The Wolf Among Us.
  3. RunicDragons
    Feb 4, 2014
    9
    Now, there's only one problem I have with this game. The episodes are too damn short, and the excitement is too damn high by the end of each episode. Now I have to wait for months after my next hour(s) of gameplay!

    But knowing the quality Telltale makes their games, I can almost for certain say that the wait will be worth it.
  4. MikefromAngus
    Feb 5, 2014
    7
    Second episode was non eventful, felt like a repeat of the first episode. But still, it was very entertaining. Gameplay was about an hour and 30 mins for me.
  5. periquayo
    Feb 4, 2014
    8
    I would give it a 10 if wasn't because of the length and the release date. I think every episode of Telltalle's is a bit shorter... I wouldn't mind if they release one each month... I think 2 hours of playing every month is ok, but less than that it's a bit frustrating xD.
    Having said that, the game is awesome, less remarkable choices maybe, but the story is great, and the quality    I would give it a 10 if wasn't because of the length and the release date. I think every episode of Telltalle's is a bit shorter... I wouldn't mind if they release one each month... I think 2 hours of playing every month is ok, but less than that it's a bit frustrating xD.
    Having said that, the game is awesome, less remarkable choices maybe, but the story is great, and the quality graphics, music, and dialogs are just awesome.    … Expand
  6. atatyu
    Feb 5, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It has a slower pace than the first episode but it doesn't change the fact that whole game is great. After playing the second episode i was a little disappointed but my expectations were too high. A great story but you nearly don't touch your mouse. And that cliffhanger!… Expand
  7. SkullBoy92
    Feb 4, 2014
    10
    I wait for this game yes but the main dish was tasty with delicious atmosphere sauce .
    This is the only game I bought in 2013 and its a good choice , but as always you want more.
  8. Klun
    Feb 4, 2014
    0
    9 and 10 For this episode really ?... 4 months of wait for 1 hour... Pretty much forced the good bigby in the interrogation... glitches... lag... the mediocrity of "episode games" shows his true face with this episode...

    Clear as water that the quality is not telltale standard, specially with 2 games in the same "short " period, sadly I already paid for the "season pass" a mistake    9 and 10 For this episode really ?... 4 months of wait for 1 hour... Pretty much forced the good bigby in the interrogation... glitches... lag... the mediocrity of "episode games" shows his true face with this episode...

    Clear as water that the quality is not telltale standard, specially with 2 games in the same "short " period, sadly I already paid for the "season pass" a mistake that wont happen again...    … Expand
  9. rodericrinehart
    Jul 3, 2014
    9
    Majorly impressed by this game. I think it might be better than The Walking Dead. SCORE 93/100.

    Imagine "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" (a cool book my daughter loves) put in a gritty, violent, adult world (or just HBO). There are characters from fables, fairy tales, and fantasy books all mixed together in a post-fantasy, dystopian-ish world. I am hoping this game has many    Majorly impressed by this game. I think it might be better than The Walking Dead. SCORE 93/100.

    Imagine "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" (a cool book my daughter loves) put in a gritty, violent, adult world (or just HBO). There are characters from fables, fairy tales, and fantasy books all mixed together in a post-fantasy, dystopian-ish world. I am hoping this game has many sequels. It's going to be awesome.    … Expand
  10. ReubenIsAGod
    Feb 4, 2014
    8
    Great new episode in the Fables game franchise bringing fan favorites to the screen continuing with the great story telling and believe yet gritty world of Fables, biggest downside being the fact that i have 2 wait until sometime in the next few months to continue the story.
  11. hegyitaho
    Feb 7, 2014
    6
    great story but why bother making it into a pseudo video game? i'd rather watch this as a series. QTEs are horrible as ever, you have no real say in the outcome.
  12. justachair
    Feb 5, 2014
    8
    The first episode of The Wolf Among Us was a masterpiece. A fast-paced, well executed pilot to a sure of a hell great game. The second chapter keeps the investigation going on this 80's Noir Crime Thriller, although it doesn't quite live up to the height of the first episode.
    Spoilers aside, "Smoke & Mirrors" takes place right after the shocking final events of "Faith", and first of all,    The first episode of The Wolf Among Us was a masterpiece. A fast-paced, well executed pilot to a sure of a hell great game. The second chapter keeps the investigation going on this 80's Noir Crime Thriller, although it doesn't quite live up to the height of the first episode.
    Spoilers aside, "Smoke & Mirrors" takes place right after the shocking final events of "Faith", and first of all, let me say the title they chosen is great. Nothing in this episode is what it looks like, it all hides something, and it is up to you, Bigby Wolf, to uncover those mysteries.
    The best thing about this chapter is the connection you get with your Bigby: Smoke & Mirrors serves perfectly as the definition to your character: You are either good Bigby or bad Bigby, and these leaves us in some pretty concerning moral situations, where we can risk death by following the book (or risk the investigation) or risk our reputation by being big and being bad.
    This chapter is also more dialogue-based, proving the fantastic writing of Telltale Games and its crew. While the first chapter had some quirky moments, this chapter is almost filled with dark humor and some b-ass dialogue options as always. You will start to fall in love with the world and its characters, although as you uncover the mysteries, you will find out some pretty disturbing stuff about this not-so-happily-ever-after fairytale world.
    There are problems with this chapter though. It fell flat on the incredible action sequences that the first episode had. Therefore, is more dialogue-based as said before, less violent maybe but significantly less tense. There is one, sure, but it is short, although it is a great morality questioning scene. Then, we have the decisions. Smoke & Mirrors offers different approaches to your investigation, but the mind-blowing decisions of the first chapter are gone. Instead we have none. Literally, nothing. Yes, of course you will have many dialogue options, but this is no "Faith" on that venue.
    "Smoke & Mirrors" is a short appetizer for a maybe more exciting middle episode. It sure has a thrilling shocker at the end, and graphical issues (Bad lip-syncing between the most notable), but it also has some delightful character development moments that you don't find in many games, and charming (sorta, at times it gets way over-the-top creepy) humor.    … Expand
  13. Nobilis1984
    Feb 5, 2014
    8
    A good episode but why did you wait so long?
    Telltale Games has me very well with their games and I hope not to delays due to many projects piling up.
    Unfortunately, the game time is also just 90 minutes, and the disappointed also.
  14. Caballero
    Feb 5, 2014
    8
    Well.. the story keeps you in full attention and focus.. my wife broke a dish so close to me.. and I just didn't hear it.. I just hope next episode will be a bit longer.. I really loved it..
  15. TheGruffman
    Feb 5, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excellent storytelling as usual from Telltale. However, four months to make just this episode is unacceptable. The game is brilliant though with awesome character development and a huge plot twist at the end. I honestly had no idea that Ichabod was going to be the killer, or that they were going to reveal the killer this early on. All in all, a solid episode, but definitely not worth waiting four months for.… Expand
  16. Bigern
    Feb 15, 2014
    4
    Very confusing game if you didn't play the first one first. The story starts as if it was halfway through something and I couldn't really follow it very well.
  17. adhamhany
    Jul 17, 2014
    8
    The plot becomes a bit more interesting as we delve deeper into the murder investigation. Of course, it retains the same visual style of its predecessor, which is great. Also the spooky atmosphere makes a return, which perfectly fits a murder mystery.

    On the other hand, the action scenes were some of my favorite in Episode 1, so it's a little disappointing that there isn't as many in    The plot becomes a bit more interesting as we delve deeper into the murder investigation. Of course, it retains the same visual style of its predecessor, which is great. Also the spooky atmosphere makes a return, which perfectly fits a murder mystery.

    On the other hand, the action scenes were some of my favorite in Episode 1, so it's a little disappointing that there isn't as many in this installment. It's not as intense, unfortunately.

    Overall, the detective work and uncovering of clues is interesting enough, and the plot has me excited to see this through to the end. Hopefully, there will be more fights and chases to balance the detective work.    … Expand
  18. elgringo
    Feb 7, 2014
    8
    Two words: Too short! -- Even if it's only about 20 minutes shorter than the first episode, Telltale devs still should not let theirselves get distracted by staying in time for the next episode of The Walking Dead or the upcoming Game of Thrones game. Every Telltale game deserves the same attention, other than that very fun episode to play. I'm ready for more anything of them. Good work.
  19. deadspacer47
    Feb 19, 2014
    9
    Too many strange things happen in this episode that will make you love the game more
    it maybe short but it's a great episode and i hope they focus on the next episode more and make it longer.
    i also noticed that things that should've happened in this episode as they were shown in (Next in the wolf among us) after you finish the first one did not happen and i found them repeated again in    Too many strange things happen in this episode that will make you love the game more
    it maybe short but it's a great episode and i hope they focus on the next episode more and make it longer.
    i also noticed that things that should've happened in this episode as they were shown in (Next in the wolf among us) after you finish the first one did not happen and i found them repeated again in next time in episode 3.    … Expand
  20. ChoicestGames
    Feb 23, 2014
    7
    Episode Two of the Wolf Among Us continues to deliver an entertaining, fantasy take on neo-noir with comic-style visuals. While the episode feels a bit shorter than the first one, it's still worth a go.
  21. mcclano
    Feb 10, 2014
    8
    Fantastic in almost every way. It's not much of a "game" but as an interactive story its great! I agree it was very short and some puzzles would be nice to add a little variety to the game play and spread things out.
  22. Shaileen
    Aug 3, 2014
    9
    Episode 2 is not as good as the ep. 1, but that's because is one of the most obscure, since every pawn is moving in the right position, but the player don't know that... yet. On a second playthrough i must say that this was one my favourite episode.
    A 9 out of 10 because it's really too short, even more if you think that you'll never have enough of Bigby & co, wanting moar and moar every    Episode 2 is not as good as the ep. 1, but that's because is one of the most obscure, since every pawn is moving in the right position, but the player don't know that... yet. On a second playthrough i must say that this was one my favourite episode.
    A 9 out of 10 because it's really too short, even more if you think that you'll never have enough of Bigby & co, wanting moar and moar every damn time    … Expand
  23. C3realkillah
    Feb 9, 2014
    9
    The story is still strong and going in this latest installment of the episodic wolf among us series based on the "Fables" comics. The graphics are still great and the story is progressing at a smooth pace. This episode is better than the 1st (which was fantastic by the way) The game mechanics are still smooth though there were a few frame rate drops which i wish were fixed. Also there isThe story is still strong and going in this latest installment of the episodic wolf among us series based on the "Fables" comics. The graphics are still great and the story is progressing at a smooth pace. This episode is better than the 1st (which was fantastic by the way) The game mechanics are still smooth though there were a few frame rate drops which i wish were fixed. Also there is a point in the episode that was really awkward, not that it was bad far from it, but the characters acted kind of emotionless and really awkward acting in this scene. Overall though the episode was very good and worth the wait and i cant wait to play the next episode of this fantastic series by telltale… Expand
  24. matteda
    Feb 6, 2014
    7
    It will be over before you know it
    80-90 min gameplay..like an animation movie
    The choices you make may not have any major effect You will see some twists,nudity & blood..along with words **** and it abruptly ends like episode 1 Story moves a little Keep max PC settings ,get a pop corn and enjoy the show The Art,Animation & Graphics are stunning,probably why it takes so long    It will be over before you know it
    80-90 min gameplay..like an animation movie
    The choices you make may not have any major effect
    You will see some twists,nudity & blood..along with words ****
    and it abruptly ends like episode 1
    Story moves a little

    Keep max PC settings ,get a pop corn and enjoy the show
    The Art,Animation & Graphics are stunning,probably why it takes so long

    Overall,you will enjoy and you will continue if started

    the good and bad thing about telltale,they keep us waiting
    probably we have to wait for 2-3 months for the next episode    … Expand
  25. JohnWitten
    Feb 12, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sure, Episode Two could've been a little bit more fleshed out in a few key aspects, however it hasn't been overly detrimental to the established precedence of One, and is an excellent continuation of the story and universe Telltale has crafted it in. Just as the previous episode ended mysteriously, so to does this one- albeit with less bloodshed, at least at that time. Despite its lack of content action-wise and length-wise, I think this adds some more flavor to the story, and it should be interesting to see the further culmination of Bigby's decisions in the coming episodes (hopefully sooner than the time it took to release this one).

    Concept: Continue where the story and gameplay of episode one left off, in pursuit of the Fabletown Murderer who has yet to be apprehended.

    Graphics: This episode is certainly scenically darker than the last, and the cell shaded art style works excellently as before.

    Sound: Once again, the music sets the scene(s), and the voice acting- though familiar thanks to recurring voices from multiple characters across the TWD and TWAU game series', is as phenomenal and captivating as before.

    Playability: There is certainly less action in this installment, so that portion of the gameplay- short though it is, works like a charm as before. The point and click exploration and simple controls continue to please as well.

    Entertainment: I'm definitely excited to see the story continue to unfold, and the whole 'no holds barred' mentality with both characters and revelations is truly keeping me on my toes and my head spinning to take in every new possible angle. If things keep up like this, we should have some more interesting cliffhangers ahead as well.

    Replay Value: High.

    Overall Score: 8.0    … Expand
  26. Gamer147
    Apr 17, 2014
    10
    Falls a bit short if you compare it to episode 1, but still miles ahead of any other game I played in the past few years. Don't mind the slightly lower score, you'll be sucked into Bigby's world very quickly.
  27. midway23
    Nov 18, 2014
    7
    While my jaw dropped to the floor within the first 15 minutes, it made the ending of Episode 1 feel forced and pointless. Regardless, this episode takes the action a step down and makes you feel like more of a detective. There were many points where I wish the pacing would step up a notch, but the endearing cast of characters and continuation of the plot kept me here to stay.
  28. Klotz
    Feb 6, 2014
    8
    Oh I like TWAU, again we have some incredible scenes when it comes to design and art style.
    Interesting Characters and a dense Atmosphere complete the package.
    On the negative side we have a short playtime (60 - 90 min.) and for my taste a little bit too mutch investigation (Hearings). Also a little bit more freedom what to do next would be nice. The time between the two episodes were    Oh I like TWAU, again we have some incredible scenes when it comes to design and art style.
    Interesting Characters and a dense Atmosphere complete the package.
    On the negative side we have a short playtime (60 - 90 min.) and for my taste a little bit too mutch investigation (Hearings). Also a little bit more freedom what to do next would be nice.

    The time between the two episodes were inacceptable but I don't let that influence my vote.    … Expand
  29. DemKin
    Feb 10, 2014
    8
    I went through this second episode just like I would go through a good thriller, except I'm (almost) the god damn hero. Overall a good job on the dark atmosphere and the story.
    I hope they give up on this way of releasing their games by episodes. When I buy a game, I expect a full product and I like to have an idea if the said product is good or not. Telltale is kinda of a quality    I went through this second episode just like I would go through a good thriller, except I'm (almost) the god damn hero. Overall a good job on the dark atmosphere and the story.
    I hope they give up on this way of releasing their games by episodes. When I buy a game, I expect a full product and I like to have an idea if the said product is good or not. Telltale is kinda of a quality guarantee, but I'm tired of having to wait months to get a little piece of story, that I'm most likely to partly forget when the next part goes out.
    So yeah, nice episode... Now let's wait...    … Expand
  30. OzzyUK
    Feb 5, 2014
    8
    I didn't think it was bad but i didn't love it either it felt kind of "meh", The length was ok but after such a long wait i expected it to be slightly longer, There where a few twists that i didn't expect but i wasn't surprised by the ending so didn't feel any satisfaction from playing it, It felt slightly slower paced with more investigating and talking rather than action and i didn'tI didn't think it was bad but i didn't love it either it felt kind of "meh", The length was ok but after such a long wait i expected it to be slightly longer, There where a few twists that i didn't expect but i wasn't surprised by the ending so didn't feel any satisfaction from playing it, It felt slightly slower paced with more investigating and talking rather than action and i didn't feel the story progressed much in this episode.… Expand
  31. SXIIID
    Feb 14, 2014
    5
    The Long wait has an end...

    ...but so have my decisions. Having played Episode once more I was even given another kind of "next on"- preview. Sorry Telltale, this is not what I signed up for. "Tailored experience" seems to been thrown over board, which was a real disappointment to me. Though, despite of some lags and problems with line skipping through conversations, there is still a    The Long wait has an end...

    ...but so have my decisions. Having played Episode once more I was even given another kind of "next on"- preview. Sorry Telltale, this is not what I signed up for. "Tailored experience" seems to been thrown over board, which was a real disappointment to me. Though, despite of some lags and problems with line skipping through conversations, there is still a pretty good plot. Nontheless ,because of cutting out almost the whole adventure part, the "game" now can only be described as an interactive movie.

    I keep my hopes up for Episode 3.    … Expand
  32. Jwv
    Feb 9, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall good sound-track (I love the menu theme), good voice-acting as always, strong dialogues and that are often humorous; better free roam scenes than in The Walking Dead with smoother mouse control and better camera angles; consistent and believable characters, one of which you can shape yourself; better graphics than in The Walking Dead. Also, the world of The Wolf Among Us is way better than The Walking Dead. It's incredibly original and fun to explore. Another main difference between The Walking Dead are the kind of choices you have to make. In The Walking Dead, you choose with the purpose to maximize you chances of survival, whereas in The Wolf Among Us, you do not choose to survive but to unveil the truth as fast as possible. The Walking Dead is more of a survival horror game, whereas The Wolf Among Us is a whodunit.

    Episode One: Faith
    Episode Two: Smoke and Mirrors

    The second episode primarily focusses on the story, there's only one combat scene and two nice plottwists. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of scenes in this episode: you being interrogated, you interrogating/torturing, a post-mortem body examination, visiting a brothel, visiting a murder site, etc. The play time is around 2 hours, and could be longer although 10 hours (approx. 5*2) for 20 euros is actually a good deal. Still, the episodic releases do slow the game down and I think you should play all episodes after one another to really feel like you get a 10 hour game.    … Expand
  33. JoHnNiEE91
    Feb 5, 2014
    5
    After the brilliance of the first episode, Smoke and Mirrors is a minor setback in almost every aspect.
    First of all it's incredibly short (1 hour in a normal pace), which makes me wondering why the hell was this episode 4 months late? I know that right now TellTale is really busy with their other projects and the quantity over quality saying can be certainly recognised. The story is    After the brilliance of the first episode, Smoke and Mirrors is a minor setback in almost every aspect.
    First of all it's incredibly short (1 hour in a normal pace), which makes me wondering why the hell was this episode 4 months late? I know that right now TellTale is really busy with their other projects and the quantity over quality saying can be certainly recognised. The story is still interesting, we get a couple of new characters introduced. Far less action and interaction than in the first episode. Less meaningful choices.

    TellTale get your **** together and bring us an awesome 3rd episode which makes up for the mistakes of the 2nd.    … Expand
  34. KingoRocks
    Feb 7, 2014
    9
    It is a very good game, almost as good as the first episode although i feel that it is slightly shorter and doesn't progress as far. But the quality of this game is very good. I would recommend buying this game, Beautiful artwork and storyline.
  35. Incredzible
    Feb 9, 2014
    9
    A fantastic follow up to the first episode. Yes we did have to wait several long months for this episode but that doesn't take away from the fantastic story Telltale has delivered too us. There was less of a focus on action and although there are now even more loose ends the story telling remained tight. It was overall a slightly shorter episode but I felt there was more than enoughA fantastic follow up to the first episode. Yes we did have to wait several long months for this episode but that doesn't take away from the fantastic story Telltale has delivered too us. There was less of a focus on action and although there are now even more loose ends the story telling remained tight. It was overall a slightly shorter episode but I felt there was more than enough content to leave me eagerly waiting for the next episode.… Expand
  36. kangggunw
    Mar 26, 2014
    5
    I love this game. I love Fables. I enjoyed this epi 2 and dont regret buying it.
    but if i'm to score this as a game, i can give only 5. Too short and choices i made dont matter much.(Yet)
    Also some awkwardness exists, like weired responses and motions.

    Hope they get better. it'd be wonderful
  37. Loganis
    May 24, 2014
    9
    Smoke & Mirrors lack a lot of gameplay, and you're mostly having conversations. Though it isn't the best episode, it is strong in its story, and is so extremely good written. The episode tests your relationships with the other Fables, and is determined by how you choose to play out your story.

    Also, it's deliciously dark, showing us the darker corners of Fabletown, and I have no doubt    Smoke & Mirrors lack a lot of gameplay, and you're mostly having conversations. Though it isn't the best episode, it is strong in its story, and is so extremely good written. The episode tests your relationships with the other Fables, and is determined by how you choose to play out your story.

    Also, it's deliciously dark, showing us the darker corners of Fabletown, and I have no doubt it will become even darker. As I remember someone saying: "Deliciously dark."    … Expand
  38. Rahsmoove
    May 5, 2014
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I like this game, but the problem was episode 2 was too short. I was glad to see Snow White alive, and telltale did a few other things on expected. But the problem was it got good at the end. When Bigby and Beauty inspected the hotel room for evidence on the murder of the troll, who disguised herself as Snow White. And found out it was Crane who killed the troll, and how much Crane was obsessed with Snow White the Episode was over. That was only like 35 minutes, the last was an 1 hour and 30 minutes. I liked the episode but it was sort of half done.… Expand
  39. AlexTaranov
    Jul 11, 2014
    10
    Этот эпизод наверное лучший из этой игры (пока что не играл в 5 эпизод).
    Да,все эпизоды хороши и запоминаются по своему,но этот мне запомнился больше всех.
    Из минусов только то,что он прошелся быстрее всех (возможно затянул сильно) Моя оценка 10/10    Этот эпизод наверное лучший из этой игры (пока что не играл в 5 эпизод).
    Да,все эпизоды хороши и запоминаются по своему,но этот мне запомнился больше всех.
    Из минусов только то,что он прошелся быстрее всех (возможно затянул сильно)
    Моя оценка 10/10
  40. skulltulainahat
    Dec 25, 2014
    10
    Smoke and Mirrors was just as interesting and engaging as the first episode of The Wolf Among Us. The story is still gripping, and I still love the graphics and the concept. No complaints other than a couple of laggy scenes here and there. But nothing that hindered the experience for me. A really great second episode in my opinion.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 43 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 43
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 43
  3. Negative: 0 out of 43
  1. GameStar
    Apr 27, 2014
    79
    Not as good as the first Episode, but it works to continue the story. But the next episode should offer more possibilities and real decisions.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Apr 7, 2014
    60
    Four months of waiting for an hour of gameplay? That's hardly a case for celebration, even though the compelling narrative standards remained intact. [Issue #239]
  3. DarkStation
    Mar 4, 2014
    80
    When it comes to the writing of its protagonist and furthering the story, Smoke and Mirrors is a definite step forward, especially after a three-month drought of interactive storytelling.
    Read full review
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