The Walking Dead: Season Two Episode 3 - In Harm's Way Reviews
I don't need to be a passive viewer of any more zombie stories, especially in 'The Walking Dead' universe. The proof is in this episode's finale, which I conveniently forgot to mention until now. It's a brilliant scene, something I won't spoil, but it's brilliant because I was a part of it. Everything else uncomfortably unnerved me, I was watching a TV show with a dialogue wheel. I never touched the story, and so the story rarely touched me. That's the cost of promising a video game and delivering a script.
'In Harm's Way' is probably the worst episode of Telltale's The Walking Dead so far, but in light of the game's consistent high quality that doesn't make it bad. Purely in terms of writing it remains head and shoulders above most other games currently being released. More than any other episode so far however, 'In Harm's Way' felt like reading one of The Walking Dead comics or watching the TV show, and this sense of detachment from the narrative hits at the heart of the game's strongest quality. Let's hope that the next episode has a little more audience participation.
A so-so episode, which relies too much on cliché and Clementine's increasingly rapid transformation into a child superhero. But there's still some effective drama despite it all.
Hopefully this episode will be nothing more than a misstep in an otherwise excellent season and not a sign of things to come. Plenty of important things happen and there's a lot of action, but none of it carries the weight that it should. Instead, "In Harm's Way" is mostly a bullet point list of zombie-story cliches without many of the excellent character interactions we've come to expect from Telltale. It's certainly troubling when characters get killed and the only thing you feel is indifference.
Despite being slightly predictable in places I really enjoyed the story of In Harm's Way and Clementine's key role in it, but it's a bit light on things to actually do. I don't expect huge adventure game sections anymore but I do want to feel like I'm experiencing an interactive story rather than just an episode of the TV show.
An episode of grim, despicable moments and further fascinating tests of Clementine's morality, but one which persists with some of the weaker aspects of this second season.
Perhaps age and the formulaic (for better and worse) nature of The Walking Dead means that it is becoming harder to really appreciate the nuances.
"In Harm's Way" is even more brutal and violent than the season premiere, but Telltale manages to hold it together.
[E]pisode three is a strong one and definitely delivers on gore and tension. Here's hoping the last two episodes continue to deliver.
If you can get past the narrative dissonance introduced for the sake of agency, In Harm's Way is still a cracking entry in the season with a few super twists, a truly satisfying punch-the-air moment, and an ending which leaves you in no doubt that the momentum started in the previous chapter shows no sign of abating.
The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 3 – In Harm's Way is another strong addition into an already compelling universe. While the new setting is shallow and lacks much exploration, it's the phenomenal storytelling and new characters introduced that help compel the player to move forward.
In Harm's Way does a great job of developing The Walking Dead: Season Two's cast and furthering the story, even if its highs don't match those of the previous episode.
In Harm's Way ends literally right in the middle of a frantic scene where the characters are surrounded by zombies. Here, you need to choose whether or not to take a particular action, foreshadowed by an earlier character, which has life-or-death ramifications. That in and of itself is nothing new to the series, but the way it is carried out is particularly telling of how Clementine is changing as a character. Without giving it away, I chose to do the action and the expression on her face as the episode closed out both elated and scared me.
In Harm's Way is one of the most violent installments TellTale's overall series, if only for the disturbing intimacy of it all. At times, Episode 3 is hard to experience, but it's well worth sticking it out.
Clementine's soul and skin are in peril in In Harm's Way, this season's most harrowing episode yet of The Walking Dead.
Telltale's character drama is as strong as ever, but Clementine's boldest dialogue options end up making her more capable than the adults around her.
The episode ends on a cliffhanger that's agonising in more than one sense, and a 'next time' preview that leaves you decidedly unclear on where Clem and the gang might go next. What could easily have been a mid-season lull feels instead like a peak. If Telltale can maintain this standard for the rest of the season, it could yet top The Walking Dead's first run in terms of quality - if not novelty.
If you are interested in reading the review for previous episodes, you can check out our episode 1 review, or episode 2 review.
This is certainly the most confronting chapter so far, which some will love, but may put off others (like it almost did me). Clementine continues to grow, and her strength is put squarely to the test, but in other aspects, Episode 3 just doesn't hold up to what's come before.
Even if the player interaction has been toned down, there are still some really great things to see and do in Episode 3. It is a gruesome ride that is full of peril, difficult decisions and some great moments. If you have already invested time and money into Season 2, keep going; it is well worth it. If you haven't picked up the full season or are thinking about starting it up, do yourself a favor and do it already.