Following on from the debut episode The Mad Ones, episodic mystery The Council steps it up a gear and as Louis de Richet, the mysterious disappearance of you mother on the remote island mansion deepens, with several key characters being expanded upon, a shocking death and more.
The second episode begins exactly where you left from the previous outing, searching for Sarah de Richet who has suddenly and mysteriously vanished with little trace, bar some devious clues and puzzles for you to solve, involving riddles comprised of clues from passages in the bible and various paintings that gradually nudge you towards the direction of advancing the story. Needless to say, theology isn’t my strongest point, nor is famous painters/artists of centuries gone by, but the fact I learned something from this shows that video games can indeed be educational at times.
The mansion is still the location, so not much has changed there, but gaining access to new areas as the story progresses opens up new dialogue, new puzzles and the chance to solve a murder by searching the room of the victim under the watchful eyes of the creepy mask adorned servants that are under the employ of our equally mysterious host.
As with The Mad Ones, the graphics are of the same quality along with design and architecture of the mansion, voice acting is once again on form and now the story really begins to come into its own as you learn more about the political aspects of each individual, military standings and more. Characters have been well written, and each is their for their own cause and correct me if I’m wrong, but there does seem to be ulterior motives for everyone’s participation. Not that I’m saying it’s an obvious story that’s waiting to unfold, but subtle hints that there is more than meets the eye in The Council.
I don’t want to talk to much about the story, lest I spoil it, so this review shall be shorter than most. But for those that enjoy episodic adventures of the point and click variety, then you could do a lot worse than The Council. It’s a genre that has proven popular in recent years, and a breath of fresh air from the barrage of TellTale titles that have reached our shores. Not that I dislike them, but it’s refreshing to have a new take from a different developer trying to carve their own niche in the market.
Verdict
Episode 2 is now here, and was worth the short wait. Following on from the previous entry and shifting it up a gear in the process. If you’re curious about it, maybe now is the time to dive in and explore. You won’t be disappointed.
Overall Score 9/10
Developer: Big Bad Wolf
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Release Date: 17th May 2018
Price: £6.39 or £19.99 Season Pass
File Size 2.20GB
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.