The Walking Dead: Season Two Episode 5 - No Going Back Reviews
Clementine's group is pushed to breaking point in 'The Walking Dead' season 2 finale, 'No Going Back.' (Spoilers in this review)
It remains a shame that Clementine never quite became the truly different kind of lead that the first episode promised, but in the final analysis, what The Walking Dead offers still more than makes up for its occasional stumbles. It's definitely a road trip worth taking - as long as you don't mind its highs being its most devastating lows, its good endings being little but the trap where optimism goes to die.
The Walking Dead Season 2 finale is an impressive and intelligent episode, and among @telltalegames' finest stories.
This finale gets you reflecting about who Clementine really is and how you've shaped her. The narrative is intense and heartbreaking
A brutal showdown and zombies on ice mark the final, oddly slow-paced, episode of season two of The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale is never quite as meaningful or powerful as the first season
No Going Back is the perfect title for the fifth episode of The Walking Dead Season 2 as it captures the emotional scenarios Clementine has had to overcome. At the same time, it's difficult to see how the series will move forward, especially with the determinative conclusions that contains multiple outcomes.
No Going Back is a quality episode, yet it fails to be as memorable as Season One's ending, despite some intense and heartbreaking moments.
It started nervously, almost scared of what it was, but at the end of season two, you'll go to whomever you hold dear, and you'll squeeze them just that little bit harder than usual. They'll ask you why, and you won't answer. There's a little girl to be saved.
Episode five, thankfully, gives you the room to decide where Clementine ends up and suggests that your decisions are going to have a permanent effect on her future.
As players have been at Clementine's side since the first season, this episode is proof that things for Clementine and the group may be dire, but there's always the chance of a new beginning.
If you have already been bitten, hopefully metaphorically, this season is unlikely to disappoint. Although the rushed, relentlessly downbeat ending of "No Going Back" may feel like a somewhat necessary clearing of the board for a new cast and new dilemmas in the third season.
The first Telltale finale where your choices carry true weight, but the inconsistent and contrived characterisation means it comes at considerable cost.
It's one culminating scene in an episode that should have been filled with a lot more of them. There's a part in the episode when Clementine is dreaming that she's with Lee as her younger self. She's wondering why things have to be the way they are and you can clearly see he's just as confused as she is. Within a few minutes, it's obvious that they need each other. The most condemning thing we can say is the dream reminded us of everything missing in the episode; if only we cared as much as Lee and Clementine used to care about each other.
I really enjoyed Season 2 of The Walking Dead overall, even if its finale lacks bite. It was original, compelling, and managed to deliver yet another interesting cast of characters to romp through the countryside with. I can safely say that Telltale hasn't run out of ideas yet, and I'd still love to see a Season 3 someday.
Clem's coming-of-age story remains compelling, but it's final act isn't as emotional or narratively satisfying as Lee's unforgettable tale of redemption
The Walking Dead: Season Two Episode 5 - No Going Back tugs at the heartstrings more than ever and brings another superb season of The Walking Dead to a close.
If you've played the previous episodes in this season, yes, you really should buy this final episode. If you're still holding out for season two, do yourself a favor and pick it up. It's a tragic, surprising and entertaining ride.
While No Going Back certainly contains some strong parts, its mostly leisurely pace and multiple conclusions all generally lack memorable moments and emotional impacts, resulting in a disappointing end to The Walking Dead: Season Two.
Telltale completes this season on an incredibly strong note which demonstrates just how impressive they are as storytellers; Clementine is allowed to have a brief moment of peace and a shred of hope that maybe things can get better. One final decision made right at the end lets all the doubt and worry creep back in just as the season fades out.