By the end of The Walking Dead: Season 2 -- Episode 3: In Harm’s Way, I had one inescapable thought.
What have I done?
As the credits rolled, I wondered if I should have been less
forgiving, less brash, less compassionate. If I had been more willing to
do things differently, would more people till be here? Probably not. Contrary
to The Walking Dead’s previous episode, I had no interest in reliving
the events to find out.
They unnerved me too much.
In Harm’s Way writer Pierre Shorette forces many of The Walking
Dead’s characters to their physical and mental breaking points. The
scenes in which they’re each tested are memorable, excellent, and
effectively unpleasant, in a way that is uniquely Walking Dead -- to
acknowledge you have enjoyed them is to submit to your own sadistic
sensibilities.
Yet there is no glee during the unpredictable story told during In
Harm’s Way. Clementine’s new family is imprisoned by Bill Carver, the
quiet maniac who debuted in Episode 2: A House Divided. Clementine and
company’s overnight escape plans put everyone at risk, and the way In
Harm’s Way builds to its devastating climax had me anxious and
uncomfortable in all the right ways.
The Walking Dead explores what that means to players while putting
them on a hopeless road for Episode 4. In Harm’s Way is about as bleak
as this franchise has ever been, and what little optimism exists is only
here to remind you how easily it can be used against you.
Bill Carver is Telltale’s vessel for that fear and distress. Carver
escalates from a man whose subtlety is scary to someone whose
unpredictability made me dread every interaction with him.
Sociopaths in video games usually exist to motivate the player’s
violence. Their mental instability absolves you of any uncertainty or
guilt when you do something terrible to them. They’re “crazy” -- just
kill them. Bill Carver is a different kind of sociopath. He made me play
Clementine differently than I had been, but in quite the opposite way
of most games. My cold, bitter Clementine warmed to those around her,
even those she didn’t fully trust, because of Carver. Yes, I wanted him
dead -- he is likely the first person Clementine has ever truly hated --
but that was secondary to protecting those who suffered because of him.
What have I done?
Empathy is the greatest success of In Harm’s Way. It focuses on
people, features very little environmental exploration, and doesn’t
bother with puzzles. Contextually, this is a human episode, so there’s
little room for the more involved “play” aspects of this adventure game.
Despite having less interactive portions than previous episodes, In
Harms Way has tension, discomfort, and character development that’s
among the best of them.
I have no idea what Clementine’s future holds. That’s unnerving. But,
like Clementine, I’m focusing on getting these people to a better place
than the people I left behind.
The Verdict
Speaking with friends around a campfire, or
fighting zombies to save their lives, humanizes The Walking Dead’s cast
better than most games characterize their protagonist. My dialogue
choices reflect what Clementine and her friends need, rather than what I
stand to gain as a player. In Harm’s Way deepened my empathy for
characters I’m legitimately worried will die, or worse.
Sometimes, I made choices in hopes that I could stop that from
happening. I put others before myself, and that got a lot of us hurt,
Clementine included. Maybe these were the wrong choices. I don’t know.
I’d rather not think about it -- but I can’t stop.
Source: ign.com
Rating: 9
