Hidden beneath the surface of New York City lies Fabletown, a place where fairy-tale legends live disguised among ordinary people. The Wolf Among Us, crafted by Telltale Games, drags players into this shadowy world of corruption and consequence. Acting as a prequel to the Fables comics, it masterfully combines noir storytelling, moral tension, and striking visuals to create a mystery that feels both fantastic and deeply human.
A Gritty Storybook Come to Life
You play as Bigby Wolf. Yes, the Big Bad Wolf, who’s trying to leave his violent past behind as he serves as sheriff of Fabletown. The game begins with a gruesome murder that shakes the small community of exiled fairytale creatures, and it’s up to Bigby to find the killer.
What follows is a twisting, noir-inspired investigation full of shady characters, hard choices, and revelations that will leave you second-guessing everyone. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger, pulling you deeper into the world until you can’t help but binge through them all.
Choice-Driven Gameplay
Like other Telltale titles, The Wolf Among Us is an interactive narrative game where choices matter. Your dialogue selections, alliances, and moments of mercy or brutality shape Bigby’s relationships and even the story’s outcome.
This isn’t about combat, though quick-time events make action scenes tense; it’s about who you choose to be. Will you be a gruff but fair sheriff? Or will you embrace Bigby’s fearsome wolf nature to keep Fabletown in line?
Striking Visuals and Atmosphere
The game’s cel-shaded art style is stunning, drenched in purples, blues, and pinks that give it a moody, neon-soaked noir aesthetic. Every character feels both familiar and uncanny, as if the pages of a fairytale book were dipped in grit and crime drama.
The music and voice acting elevate the experience even further. Adam Harrington’s performance as Bigby is iconic, weary, gravelly, and full of restrained menace, while the soundtrack pulses with jazzy, noir-inspired tension.
Themes and Emotional Weight
Beneath the detective story lies a rich exploration of redemption, identity, and the price of survival. Fables are struggling to hide in a world that doesn’t accept them, and Bigby’s story mirrors that struggle, trying to be better while living with a reputation he can never fully escape.
The game forces you to question justice, morality, and what “happy endings” really mean when the fairytale is over.
A Near-Perfect Narrative Experience
At around 8–10 hours total, The Wolf Among Us is a tight, engaging experience that never overstays its welcome. Some players might wish for more puzzles or gameplay variety, but the narrative focus is the point; this is a story-first experience.
Even years after its release, it remains one of Telltale’s finest works and a benchmark for narrative-driven games.
Final Thoughts
The Wolf Among Us is a masterclass in interactive storytelling, a dark fairytale that pulls you into its world and refuses to let go. Whether you’re a fan of noir mysteries, fairytales with a twist, or story-driven games, this is one adventure you shouldn’t miss.
With The Wolf Among Us 2 still in development, now is the perfect time to experience Bigby’s first case and get ready for the next chapter.
Platforms: PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Steam Store
Publisher: Telltale
Developer: Telltale
Played On: PC
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How does it run these days? I remember it being laggy on the 360 in certain scenes and then having the same issues on xbox one. I should try it on the SeriesX I guess
It runs well on PC, I can’t say how well it runs on the actual Xbox consol.
One could hope that they have fixed that problem