The Council - Episode 4: Burning Bridges
Rating Summary
Based on 27 critic reviews
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
I sort of went into this one with thoughts of "Hey, maybe it's not so bad again?" since the previous episode was decent, but nope. Episode 4 feels like we're back to square zero. One big story moment, a puzzle that leads into a cliffhanger, and more backtracking. I guess Episode 3 was just lightning (albeit a small baby bolt) in a bottle because this is crap in a can.
Burning Bridges is a lot less action-packed with no major set pieces that stand out. Instead, this episode Louis interacts with only a few of the inhabitants of the island with most of the discussion taking place between himself and Mortimer. These chats do reveal a lot of information as well as secrets that have been the focus of Sarah's investigations, with a number of revelations being dropped without much fanfare.
Picking up steam and adding new story and gameplay elements to the mix, Burning Bridges leaves us barreling towards The Council's concluding part, but unfortunately the added haste means the excitement is marred by annoyances.
The Council Episode Four Burning Bridges is the best episode of the game so far.
The Council is a revelation. While the technical aspects of the game are somewhat questionable at times, the storytelling, world building, and RPG mechanics are simply stunning. I found myself propelled from episode to episode, salivating at the idea of advancing the story and outsmarting the game's lifelike characters. With twisty surprises, diabolical puzzles, and rich historical context, this is a game that makes the player feel intelligent for playing it. The fact that the story is deliciously twisted is just the icing on the cake.
Episode 4 of The Council, titled Burning Bridges, gets the game back into its stride, even if the conversations are a bit disappointing. The RPG progression is starting to pay off, though.
New features, like focusing the story towards the mysticism, are interesting and promising. We hope that two important choices from the ending of the episode will affect the final.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Among all the episodes released so far, Burning Bridges is the most engaging of all. The plot takes giant steps forward and lift the veil on the mysteries surronding Lord Mortimer. Alas, the technical issues are still there and the scenography lacks rhythm. Let's hope that the last episode will fix this.
Review in French | Read full review
Being the penultimate episode in The Council, Burning Bridges has set the stage for what should be a stunning conclusion. The newly added ability, which I won't spoil, combines both a new gameplay mechanic and helps fill in some missing gaps in the narrative. It also opens up all new questions and hopefully things can be solved in the final episode without feeling rushed. If it weren't for the continued technical failings, Burning Bridges would be scored higher. It was a shame that some of the most pivotal choices in the game don't alter how all the other guests react to you.





















