The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 - Smoke and Mirrors Reviews

The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 - Smoke and Mirrors is ranked in the 79th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Feb 6, 2014

Telltale has kept up its quality of writing, atmosphere and mystery, beginning to tie together story threads while heightening anticipation even further. However, there's no question that the relatively slower, methodical pace of this episode will leave less of an impact on some players. Those who favor a slow burn will still welcome the experience, but if Telltale hadn't made audiences wait four months to play this episode, they would have had a much easier time keeping both groups happy.

Read full review

Feb 5, 2014

With the three month break since the first episode, The Wolf Among Us comes back with the right kind of episode to get you hooked on seeing this investigation through all of its many twists and turns as it focuses just on furthering the story.

Read full review

4 / 5.0
Feb 5, 2014

Smoke and Mirrors simultaneously excelled while falling slightly short. Despite my gripes, I genuinely enjoyed the entire experience, but this episode did not hit the expectations set up by the first episode of The Wolf Among Us. That being said, this it is still a positive addition to what is turning out to be an absolutely fantastic series.

Read full review

Feb 5, 2014

Telltale Games creates another gripping episode in this Fable-based series.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Feb 5, 2014

Telltale's convinced us: The Wolf Among Us is going to be very good. You need to sign up for the ride.

Read full review

8 / 10
Feb 5, 2014

Despite a few missteps, Smoke and Mirrors is an excellent follow-up to Faith. It's a twisted journey through Fabletown's dirty, neon underbelly exploring the darker side of glamour magic and the exploitation of fables. It ends somewhat abruptly, with a terrible revelation, making the wait for the third episode already agonising.

Read full review

8 / 10
Feb 5, 2014

Short, but beautiful. The Wolf Among Us continues to impress.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Feb 5, 2014

The Wolf Among Us Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors is a good follow-up to the impressive first part in Telltale's adventure series. There aren't that many changes in terms of the gameplay, for better or worse, but the new story elements certainly make up for that, introducing new characters and keeping things going into intriguing directions. Unfortunately, it's a bit short and there aren't enough big moments in this second part.

Read full review

PC Gamer
Top Critic
65 / 100
Feb 5, 2014

A great world and an interesting story, but this short second entry lacks the tense decision-making of the first.

Read full review

Feb 5, 2014

Having set the stage, future episodes now need to give us more in terms of puzzles, real detective work and big decisions to make... while translating the cast's deepening respect or hatred for Bigby into pivotal game-changing moments.

Read full review

Feb 4, 2014

The first episode was something of a dicey proposition, promising, but also forced to expend a lot of time on exposition with mysteries featuring characters we'd only just met. The long interval, combined with a weak follow-up, could have really quelled interest in the whole series. Instead, my anticipation has skyrocketed. This second episode, 'Smoke & Mirrors,' features a much improved tempo and flow, ratcheting up the story while dialing back less compelling elements. Dare we ask Telltale not to make this next wait so long while maintaining such a refined quality?

Read full review

Feb 4, 2014

The Wolf Among Us: Smoke and Mirrors treads some dark waters, spitting grit and quiet reminders that the world is a cold, hard place. Like its predecessor, Smoke and Mirrors enjoys great writing, excellent voice acting and a lead who is likeable in all the right ways. That said, the second chapter in The Wolf Among Us feels somewhat too short -- like a build-up, a segue to bigger things. There are also moments where the writing trips, leaving players to wonder if Bigby's been hit on the head one too many times.

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2014

Figuring things out and uncovering the truth in Fabletown surely isn't easy, but with Episode 2 continuing to prove The Wolf Among Us as another excellent addition to Telltale's roster, playing through the latest chapter of the noir crime saga is not nearly difficult at all.

Read full review

IGN
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2014

The Wolf Among Us Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors is a great second act to Telltale's adventure noir.

Read full review

Cheat Code Central
Angelo M. D’Argenio
Top Critic
4.3 / 5.0
Feb 4, 2014

Final verdict? Well if you enjoyed Episode 1 of The Wolf Among Us, you'll love Episode 2. If you didn't enjoy Episode 1 of The Wolf Among Us… what the heck is the matter with you? Telltale continues to prove why they are a master of their craft with Smoke and Mirrors. In fact, the only thing wrong with this episode, is that we are going to have to wait another few months before we find out what happens next. Go out and purchase The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 today. You won't regret it.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2014

Telltale is crafting an engaging story in Bill Willingham's twisted Fables universe, keeping both fans and newcomers hooked to see the next thread

Read full review

8 / 10.0
Feb 4, 2014

The biggest accomplishment with the new episode however is the fact that your actions have more consequences on a personal level. Bigby ceases to be a construct of Telltale and starts to become an extension of yourself, causing hesitation on more than one occasion. Having said that, there aren't really any "big, freeze-the-screen" choices throughout this roughly one-hour tale like in Faith -- just a lot of little ones. Not a whole lot of big choices carry over from your previous story either, as the only major connection is tied to whomever you decide to capture at the end of Faith. It remains to be seen if future episodes will employ more connections.Whereas the first episode of Wolf Among Us had me intrigued, Smoke and Mirrors has me hooked. Although it's not nearly as explosive as its own The Walking Dead series, Telltale has managed to craft a world full of interesting characters, and with the fairytale setting -- the sky is the limit. Let's just hope we don't have to wait so long for part three.

Read full review

Feb 4, 2014

Episode Two of The Wolf Among Us is exactly what you want: more of Bigby's journey through an early period from the Fables universe.

Read full review

7 / 10.0
Feb 3, 2014

Episode two puts The Wolf Among Us in an awkward place. Telltale shows enough of its hand to interest players in the rest of the story, but the unevenness of this second episode deflates the enthusiasm that first worked so hard to earn. It's difficult to tell how strong the series will become, but right now, it's tough to accept good when you're used to great.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Feb 3, 2014

Smoke and Mirrors wants to know how far you'll go to preserve your humanity

Read full review