Before reading this review, please check out my individual reviews of episodes 1-4 below.
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
While this is a review for episode 5 of The Council, it was also the last episode in the season and therefore I wanted to incorporate an overall review of the season as well. If you have read any of my previous reviews in this episodic saga you will be aware I am a big fan of the world and characters that developer Big Bad Wolf has showcased. This review does contain story spoilers.
The game began with a strong showing in episode 1 but I was at the time sceptical about whether the team would be able to stick to the bi-monthly release schedule and continue to deliver such an intriguing story. I am happy to report that not only did they keep their word on the release of each episode but they did so by keeping myself and anyone else I know who played the game fully engaged throughout.
That’s not to say I fully agreed with the story choices made. The revelation over time that almost everyone on the island was a demon would normally have been a complete turn off for me, but by the time this was revealed I was so invested in the world and characters that I didn’t have a negative reaction to it. In fact episode 4 where this was all outlined by Lord Mortimer was one of my favourite entries.
Had I been part of the creative process over at Big Bad Wolf I would certainly have pushed for a more grounded story, opting to go with an almost Cluedo style whodunnit approach. I would have had the story focus on the murders of Elizabeth Adams and then later the Hillsborrow sister and your mother. The narrative was strong throughout though.
Episode 5 itself was a fitting end given what had come before it, but this final instalment did feel a little rushed. It clocked in between 70-80 minutes when all previous entries had been a solid two hours. In hindsight given how things played out it feels like episode 4 could have been paced better, perhaps letting one or two of the shock revelations spill into the final episode.
I came across no technical glitches while playing through episode 5 although at times character’s dialogue would seem like it had been copied and pasted in from sentence to sentence. Episode 3 was littered with bugs on my playthrough and thankfully for the most part my bad experiences were limited to that section.
The Council was bursting with highlights. Genuinely interesting characters, a gripping narrative that provided shocks, twists and turns as well as a unique art style and score that complimented the time period and tone of the game. But if I had to choose one aspect of the game that I adored above all others it would be the setting. Lord Mortimer’s island was beautifully designed and bursting with detail. It really is up there with my favourite locations in any game and each time an episode came out the first thing I would do is look around to see where everyone was and what was going on in the various rooms and hidden areas you encounter.
Overall I wholeheartedly recommend The Council. I would hope if you have read this far that you have yourself completed the journey of Louis de Richet and enjoyed your time on Lord Mortimer’s island. This was an excellent first dive into episodic gaming by a talented new developer and I do believe Big Bad Wolf has advanced the narrative adventure genre with the RPG mechanics and wealth of paths on offer. If I was to score this episode individually I would have given it an 8 due to its shorter length. However, the overall score and Pros/Cons will be based on the entire season.
-Craig ✌️
