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The Walking Dead: Season 02: Episode 01 - All That RemainsIf you haven't played the first season of The Walking Dead, I highly recommend you do so before touching season two. Not just because it will give you a better understanding of the characters, but also because it is one of the finest games of 2012. All That Remains, the inaugural episode of the new season, picks up after the explosive ending of the last season and has some pretty big shoes to fill.
It is impossible to talk about this episode without revealing some spoilers about season one, so consider this your first and only warning if you haven't played season one yet. After the traumatic separation from Lee in No Time Left, Clementine manages to rejoin two other survivors from her group. Playing as the vulnerable little girl you spent so much time protecting in season one is quite a different experience, but Clementine is no longer the innocent little girl she used to be. A lot of bad things have happened, which toughened her considerably. She is still a little girl though and one mistake early in this episode has some very shocking repercussions that see her having to fend for herself. All That Remains is a relatively short episode at only ninety minutes, but it manages to pack in a surprising amount of content. After the 400 Days DLC, which pushed zombies to the background in favor of some conflict between survivors, the undead managed to surprise me quite a few times with their sudden arrival in this episode. Clementine is obviously not as proficient at fighting as Lee was, so each encounter with the walkers results in some nail biting quick time events. The action sequences have been refined a bit, so you are no longer just mashing buttons but have to evade the dead as well. Overall, the quick time events felt more varied and looked much more cinematic. Pitting your reflexes against the walkers is nice, but the series thrives on its interaction with other survivors and All That Remains is no exception. It's not long before Clementine encounters a new group of people who are understandably suspicious about her arrival. Some of them quickly warm to the scrappy little girl, while others are openly hostile. This episode isn't long enough to really get to know any of the new characters, but it's very clear that there is plenty of drama on the horizon. During my playthrough I didn't notice any meaningful impact from the season one saves that the game imports, but the episode cliffhanger hints at some startling stuff. The new season uses the same comic book inspired visual style as season one and it looks as good as ever. This episode is set mostly in the woods, with memorable locations that include a ravaged campsite and secluded cabin. The audio is once again superb, with the voice actors all delivering solid performances. The atmospheric music is also great and makes some of the scenes extra tense. There is a nice stealth section in the game that had me on the edge of my seat thanks to the audio and the sound effects also made me jump quite a few times. Playing as a girl that is half the size of most zombies is a much more tense experience than walking around as a grownup with a gun. The Walking Dead is a series notorious for not pulling any punches and All That Remains is definitely not afraid to shock. The violence, although done in a comic book style, is quite graphic and there are a few scenes that really hit home. The character animations looked a bit stiff in places, but overall we didn't encounter any bugs or issues while running the game. It has been a long wait for the new season and it is hard to judge how things will turn out, based on just one episode, but so far everything is looking good. I would not have believed that the Clementine we got to know in season one would be able to step into the void left by Lee, but she does an admirable job. You can also shape her character through your dialogue choices, so she can be as sweet or bitter as you want her to be. Unlike Lee, she is also able to use her childish charm to her advantage if the situations warrant it, which adds a whole new dynamic to conversations. Judging by the amount of growth that she shows in just one episode, it is going to be interesting to see where Telltale takes her character next. I finished All That Remains in a single play session, not just because it is a relatively short episode, but also because I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I can't wait to see what the next episode has in store and if Telltale can continue to deliver the high quality writing and memorable characters that they are known for.
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TAGS: The Walking Dead, Season 02, Episode 01, All That Remains,
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