The Walking Dead: Season Two Episode 2 - A House Divided Reviews
The Walking Dead: A House Divided is definitely the most disappointing entry in this series to date, which is to say that it's quite good but unremarkable. The biggest problem with it is that it feels less like a full episode with its own arc and more like a placeholder to set things up for when the story really kicks in.
A slight improvement on the first episode, but still basically just plot set-up for a story that too often feels out of your hands.
An episode full of setup, A House Divided trades in its intensity for a bit more action, and a touch of intrigue.
Clementine's characterisation and her interactions with adults are strong as ever in this fraught episode. Two-fifths of the way through the story is still too early to judge how other themes, characters and plot strands will pay off, but the build-up suggests it'll be worthwhile.
For now, this is a solid continuation, and having had one episode to reintroduce Clem and this one to really get the new plot started, it's hard to imagine the next episode won't ramp things up considerably with more of the human darkness we saw in 400 Days and exactly no chance of a happy ending. Telltale has promised that we won't be waiting as long for it as we were for this or the second part of The Wolf Among Us. Broken fingers crossed.
The table setting seems to be all in place now for the feast still to come, and even at its most meandering The Walking Dead is still capable of telling an intriguing, frightening story about humanity's worst impulses.
Despite a slight dip in the overall Walking Dead experience, A House Divided is just as integral an addition to the opus as any other episode. Desperate decisions in the heat of the moment and QTE battles with walkers and the living are kept to a minimum, making gameplay suffer but allows more scope for the story to expand.
A House Divided is more of a standalone Walking Dead episode than the first one was, drawing inspirations from the first game without being too reliant and mimicking, while also looking ahead to what's really in store for Clementine. It harkens back to what made the first game so special: the way seemingly small things have huge reverberations. While the first episode served as a loose prelude, the second episode serves as the real introduction. It's full, fleshed-out, and ultimately everything you would want in a Walking Dead episode.
The Walking Dead: Episode Two rushes into a tense and nicely orchestrated climax, and although your interaction is limited to a couple of moral decisions, it's still a nail-biting finale. If you didn't like the cliffhanger finish to the first episode, you'll like the second episode's conclusion even less. And after that mighty wait, we feel a little shortchanged with the not-quite-one-and-a-half-hours of playtime. Let's just hope that Episode 3: In Harm's Way comes along a little quicker, and the story can hold up to this promising beginning.
'A House Divided' is another great episode for Season 2 that focuses on the relationship between characters and helps in explaining the background for some of them. It also sets up the ground for a great Episode 3 with its end of episode teaser.
Telltale continues to shine as A House Divided is the best episode of any Telltale game yet.
As much as I harp on the topic of autonomy and linearity, I still find it extremely difficult to fault the game in my final calculation. 'The Walking Dead' as a whole and this latest episode are doing amazing things for storytelling in games. Clementine is an all-time great character, this season solidifying her as a unique and compelling protagonist, and William Carver might just be the series' best villain. He may not even be a villain in the coming episodes, and it's exactly that kind of ambiguity that keeps me on my toes. It keeps me wanting more. 'A House Divided' fleshed out the group and offered up some moments of sincere tension and, for some of us, regret.
While the season two debut failed to capitalize on the suspenseful tactics Telltale Games was able to integrate in the first season, Episode 2 has fixed that. It's still a bit shorter than what we've grown accustomed to and the zombies feel tacked on rather than an actual story driven threat, but the hour and a half long episode is able to convince us that the drama within the group of survivors is much deeper than first expected.
The Walking Dead Season Two may not have moved into top gear yet, but Telltale have already shown that they are more than capable of producing more gut-wrenching moments and difficult choices.
While the newest episode has a few more moments of downtime than I would have liked, it sets up a clear arc that will play out for the rest of Season Two. Telltale has managed to also bring back its past efforts into the fold, and although their impact is minor, I'm glad it was addressed sooner than later. Although I'm still not sure if this new cast is going to top Lee's old crew, A House Divided is a great second offering, and I'm sufficiently hooked.
Walking Dead Season 2, Episode 2 ratchets up the stakes and pulls Clementine into different directions emotionally and physically. Some tense action sequences, engrossing dialog, and the addition of a formidable threat to everyone makes "A House Divided" a solid chapter despite its short three-hour running time. When it comes to storytelling, Telltale is still one of the best in the business and this episode doesn't betray that reputation.
Season Two of The Walking Dead starts coming together in the bleak and harrowing second episode, A House Divided.
If you liked Season 1, give Telltale more of your money.
Featuring unnerving tension, unremitting cruelty and a disarming level of brutality, The Walking Dead series has become a vanguard for narrative shocks and rollicking set-pieces.
Clementine and her group may face uncertainty and (most certainly) death around every corner in The Walking Dead, but in its newest episode Telltale Games ensures that players will face a tense, thrilling ride for the rest of Season Two that will have us only looking forward, with no chance to look back.