The Council - Episode 1: The Mad Ones Reviews

The Council - Episode 1: The Mad Ones is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9.5 / 10.0
May 20, 2018

I lapped up all the skulking, whispering skullduggery and a few of the plot twists caught me by surprise. I can't wait for more.

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9.5 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2018

The Council is probably the best example of how to do a narrative, choice-based story which actually changes based on your actions and personality. The implementation of an experience system which allows for you to pick and choose which traits to obtain and upgrade offers a lot of depth and originality into a genre which has become stale with the 'interactive storybook' titles out there. The story is interesting, the events that happen will keep you questioning and the promise of finding out new things based on playing the game differently each time really adds to the replayability of this masterpiece. Don't be put off by the issue with the lipsyncing or the lacklustre accents, the narrative is great, the atmosphere is perfect and the mystery and suspense is up there with the best of games!

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91 / 100
Mar 16, 2018

The Council - Episode 1: The Mad Ones is an excellent game. It can put elements of various game styles together and they all match in a perfect way. If you seek narrative, investigation and the feeling of being a detective from the 18th century, The Council is for you. The biggest problem here is in the end of the first episode, because the desire to play the next one is going to be strong.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Mar 13, 2018

I was able to get into this game in a way I've been unable to with adventure games for the last few years. It was a treat to play, and I can't wait for the remaining four episodes.

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9 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2018

The Council gets off to an excellent start thanks to its brilliant characters, clever gameplay, unique RPG elements and the threat of long-lasting consequences, which ensured that I was captivated from start to finish. Twice.

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Mar 14, 2018

I am hugely excited about the promise of The Council and can’t wait for the next four episodes. I hope it continues to surprise and intrigue me as much as The Mad Ones has, and the hints delivered so far begin to ramp up to a great conclusion.

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9 / 10
Mar 13, 2018

The Council is the next evolution of episodic storytelling and you will struggle to look at its competitors the same way after it.

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9 / 10.0
Mar 12, 2018

The Council offers gamers a tension filled journey purely fueled by character interactions and mysterious circumstances. Best of all is the evolved gameplay mechanics from what we're used to for an episodic endeavor. I truly felt that I had control of every situation from an ability standpoint and a cleverness one. Wrap up an amazing RPG progression mechanic into a great looking voyage on a mysterious island and you have an incredible start to a game. The seeds of a secret society's leader gone missing have been expertly laid and I can't wait until Episode 2 comes about. Here's hoping this first one isn't the end of where the title shines.

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9 / 10
Mar 18, 2018

The Council is a beautiful, diverse and complex game. although fundamentally it can be categorized as an interactive adventure game, its use of other complex mechanics and Role-playing elements make it stand out among its peers. the mysterious story that takes place during the French revolution and involves a fascinating story about a secret council manages to convey a truly joyful atmosphere.

Review in Persian | Read full review

86%
Mar 13, 2018

Episode 1 of The Council offers just the first taste of an intriguing narrative, wonderfully tied with an original approach to the narrative-adventure genre.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2018

The Council Episode One is a thunderously promising start for this fresh, sophisticated and intelligent take on the narrative adventure.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2018

The first episode of The Council presents a promising world and perhaps some very dynamic experiences.

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85 / 100
Mar 13, 2018

The Council – Episode 1: The Mad Ones sets up this story nicely, providing a solid edifice of characters, lore, and finally a multiple conclusion that have me interested in the next episode.

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8.3 / 10.0
Mar 14, 2018

This first episode of The Council is a promising new twist in the genre of narrative adventure, in which your choices and the development of your character really matter.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Wccftech
Top Critic
8.1 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2018

While missing some of the polish other games might have, The Council feels like it could be the next step in the genre thanks to branching narratives that feel much weightier than before and a mystery you can't help but be drawn into.

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8 / 10
Apr 12, 2018

The Council isn't a perfect start, but it is quite a wonderful foundation to build upon.

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Mar 13, 2018

Though rough around the edges overall due to some performance issues, the first episode of The Council has laid a strong foundation for this intriguing story and fun gameplay to continue down the line.

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Mar 13, 2018

If they can deliver a worthwhile story over the remaining four episodes, The Council may go down as the new benchmark for narrative adventure games.

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GameMAG
xtr
Top Critic
8 / 10
Mar 18, 2018

The Council Episode One: The Mad Ones is an interesting interactive adventure, which bringing fresh ideas to a stagnant genre. It could've been better without plot holes and outdated character models. Still, it's a great start.

Review in Russian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Mar 13, 2018

The Council's first episode is a promising start. The Mad Ones builds the framework for what can be a wild narrative ride, but it's not clear yet how far this game will go in terms of its branching paths, or if the narrative will remain interesting throughout. I'm excited to learn more about the deceptive world of The Council and what Louis will uncover in upcoming episodes.

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