The second series of Telltale's take on the anthropomorphic vigilante duo (previously owned by LucasArts after their critically acclaimed Sam & Max Hit The Road), Beyond Time and Space gave us better graphics, more dynamic NPCs and added mini-games alongside the already-praised puzzle solving formula. It's the hilarious sci-fi shenanigans though that make it the best of the trilogy, giving a new lease of life to the comic book crime stoppers (seriously, where else can you see a dog in a fedora confront the Devil himself?).
Often hailed as Telltale’s first big license, and notably the last of its more action-based titles, the video game adaptation of Robert Zemeckis' classic 80s franchise manages to deliver a strong unique story all whilst staying true to its predecessors. Though light on challenges, making it one of the company's easier games, and an uninspired 1930s setting, it's essentially one big nostalgia trip,with easter eggs galore and Christopher Lloyd actually voicing Doc Brown. It's a movie-based game that doesn't suck, foreshadowing Telltale's future successes with third-party content.
With a stunning soundtrack and a gorgeous neon aesthetic, The Wolf Among Us takes Vertigo's acclaimed comic series Fables and masterfully adapts it into a crime thriller worthy of The Godfather's approval. Following the lives of fairytale characters living in a derelict district of New York, the series utilises Telltale's now famous player choice format and tweaks it to fit the tone of the detective genre, offering multiple ways to investigate crime scenes and figure out whodunnit. Despite a few filler moments, the game's sharp writing, extensive lore, and even balance of story and action makes it well worth sinking your teeth into.
Let's face it: frantic first person shooters just aren’t the best medium for storytelling, so it only makes sense for a company renown for their focus on character-driven tales to take on Gearbox's fan favourite franchise, much loved for its setting and lore. Tales from the Borderlands suits both well-informed gamers and complete newcomers to the series, depicting Pandora as a real, thriving place in contrast to a series of shooter arenas. The humour is some of the company's best writing, whilst the dual protagonists and new retail elements add some much needed depth to the simplistic point-and-click gameplay. It's perhaps the only of Telltale's offerings where each episode genuinely feels like an improvement to the last.
The Walking Dead: Season One
Winning multiple Game of the Years and rightfully making Telltale mainstream, The Walking Dead will make you laugh in hysterics, jump with fright, and of course, cry every damn time. Revitalising the adventure game genre, the series (adapting the comic franchise of the same name to glorious cell-shaded effect) gave us one of the best stories in recent gaming memory, with the outstanding voice talents of Dave Fennoy and Melissa Hutchinson cementing the father-daughter relationship of Lee and Clementine into video game history. The more recent second season was sadly a let-down of confused plot and fan service, but we can take solace that the episodic series that started it all is still playable. Simple yet powerful, The Walking Dead is very much still alive in our thoughts.
