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The following content may contain spoilers. This review is based on my experience after completing The Walking Dead Season 2.

For me, this isn’t Telltale’s best game (the best is the first season). However, if you’ve completed Season 1, I think you’ll want to finish Season 2 even without a recommendation—many people are curious about what ultimately happens to Clem. If you haven’t played the first season, as this is a series, I suggest playing Season 1 first before considering this game. Even if you haven’t played Season 1, you’ll still understand the storyline here, but the emotional impact will be greatly reduced. This is why you should start with Season 1. (It seems there’s an Ultimate Edition now, so maybe not many people will see this review).

In this game, you have to make tough choices—often, each decision comes at the expense of others. One example is in Episode 2, where if you choose to stay silent about Nick killing an innocent man, Matthew, Nick is left to be bitten by walkers. But if you vouch for Nick, he’ll survive, yet Walter, Matthew’s partner, will be unable to process his grief. Still, the plot and choices in this season don’t feel as weighty as in Season 1. Your team members were unfriendly from the start (even Luke), and I didn’t feel much affection for them. They often die soon after showing, and there’s little time to build relationships. Some people you try to save will die no matter what choice you make (like Luke). In this way, the choices in this game are far less compelling than in the first season.

Although I still recommend this game, I must be honest here. The company promotes it as “tailored by your choice,” but it remains a linear narrative. So, when you play it for the first time, you might feel like, “Wow, the game says, ‘Kenny will remember that,’ or ‘Carver noticed that you’re lying,’ as if something huge is about to happen.” But in reality, even if you save someone and let another die to walkers, it doesn’t matter much, as everyone eventually dies anyway (and quickly too). The story’s ending is predetermined (or about 90% predetermined in Season 2, and it doesn’t matter even after…). Most of the time, the person you save at the start of an episode will die later in the same episode for other reasons. And even if they survive, they have no major plot development or dialogue and just linger there (waiting to be killed off).

The game is still fun, though, because the backstory, protagonist, and setup from Season 1 are so well done. Although I wasn’t as moved as in Season 1, there are still memorable moments that make it worth recommending.

Luke, whom I chose to turn to from the start, was a good choice. At only 27, he’s still young. He had his own business and a kind heart. He tried to help many, including our Clem. His death felt pointless. Some think he wasn’t that useful, but having him around felt reassuring.

Then there’s Arvo, the Russian guy, who I think deserved a worse fate from Kenny. I didn’t steal his supplies; besides being startled by Jane, we didn’t harm him at all. Yet he brings his Russian friends to rob us, leading to Rebecca’s death and Luke’s serious leg injury. He then misleads us about shelter and has us walk on thin ice, which causes Luke to drown. Later, he tricks Mike, tries to steal our car, and even shoots Clem, nearly killing her. A person with such low morals deserves a grim end—no matter his age or whether he has a sick sister. After all, Duck died, so I don’t understand why Arvo doesn’t get a similar fate.

Kenny’s reappearance is touching but doesn’t entirely feel justified. First, he was overwhelmed by walkers in Season 1, with no real chance of survival. Then, he suddenly has a new love interest, Sarita, and seems devoted to her. I feel it’s a bit strange that he’d move on so quickly from his late wife Kat. He probably resented his wife for being unable to cope with Duck’s death and ultimately abandoning him through her suicide. Kenny’s emotions are even harder to control than in Season 1, leading to much unnecessary violence. Still, Clem knows him the longest, so the hardest decision for me was choosing to sit with Kenny or Luke at the cabin. You eventually have to choose whether to let Kenny or Jane die from their fight because Jane pretends AJ is dead. This setup felt odd to me, and the conflict itself seems pointless. If Jane really hated kids, she’d have actually let AJ die. If not, her fight with Kenny was entirely unnecessary—so what if Clem realizes Kenny has mental issues? They’re the last three survivors anyway (except for AJ). The more realistic ending would be for Clem to return to Carver’s compound, which had ample food and a greenhouse to grow more. Reaching Wellington and successfully finding it felt like an idealistic escape. In reality, it’s easy to freeze to death on the way. In Season 1, hunger led to many deaths (and even the tragedy of eating people); meanwhile, in Season 2, Clem and Kenny roam through the snow, unfed, shot, holding a baby, yet they’re somehow fine. Still, I ultimately chose Kenny because he’s proven willing to be crazy and die to save a child (Clem and AJ), whereas Jane often chooses to abandon others and act alone. I don’t see a right or wrong here, though.

Carver’s prison management reminds me of Crawford’s in Season 1. He grows plants, has abundant supplies, and builds a fortress for everyone. These are rational moves. His problem is his brutal management and casual killing, but in a way, his actions defending from walkers seem reasonable to me. I’m not sure why he was so fixated on AJ—after all, he couldn’t be sure the child was his. If he wanted children, honestly, Bonnie wouldn’t refuse to have one for him. Is he fond of Rebecca? I didn’t see that. These story conflicts feel a bit forced and are far less compelling than in Season 1. He wants a family but kills those who would make one. He doesn’t really care but keeps these prisoners around. In the DLC 400 Days, they could have found more prisoners. Kenny was originally written to be Carver. If that had stayed, I think the plot would have been better.

Rebecca’s promiscuity is another thing. She seemed to love her husband Alvin yet potentially conceived Carver’s child. She’s hot-tempered, treats Clem poorly, and contributes little to the group. Frankly, in such an environment, is having a child on the road really the right choice? She should have given birth in prison and then tried to escape. The child’s crying led to many deaths and disputes. I’m not sure what to make of this storyline. Players can’t choose Clem’s feelings toward AJ, as if they must like him. It feels unrealistic. I’m actually more curious about what happened to Christa and Omid’s baby.

Bonnie already had a poor character in the DLC and was even more dislikable here. She pushes Clem into many things, blames her for not saving Luke, and forgets that Clem saved her life more than once.
Nick is much like Ben, but while Ben eventually matured and faced his choices, Nick kills the innocent Matthew and tries to hide it. He almost gets Clem killed from the start.

Sarah, though helpful at first, quickly becomes a burden. She panics and can’t handle the world. I tried to be her friend, but her personality and lack of resilience mean she’s bound to die. And she indeed brings it on herself.

I don’t understand why Season 1 was so brilliant, while Season 2 falls into mediocrity. I can only give it a 6.5/10 rating, yet I’m not quite inclined to label it as “not recommended.” I think it’s still worth a try, but don’t expect it to move you more than Season 1. You’ll want to keep playing to see the story through. And then, you’ll see a bunch of adults behaving more immaturely than an 11-year-old Clem. As Clem puts it, “Why is it always me?”