The Wolf Among Us Remastered Review: Still Sharp, Finally Smooth

Thirteen years after Bigby Wolf first lit a cigarette in Fabletown, The Wolf Among Us Remastered is out today, October 29, on PS5, Xbox and PC (Steam and Epic). The Switch version was pushed back to a date that still has not been announced. With The Wolf Among Us 2 aimed at 2027, this is Telltale's way of reminding everyone why people waited so long for a sequel.

What it is

The same five-episode season, based on Bill Willingham's Fables comics: fairy-tale characters hiding in 1980s New York, and you as Bigby, the reformed Big Bad Wolf turned sheriff, investigating a murder that nobody wants solved. It is a narrative adventure - dialogue choices on a timer, light investigation, quick-time action scenes. If you played the original, there is no new story here.

What the remaster changes

The upgrades are about presentation: sharper visuals, reworked animations and audio, a cleaner interface, and higher resolutions and framerates. The original's stutter between scenes was always its most annoying flaw, and getting it to feel smooth matters more than any texture pass. The headline addition is Noir Mode, an optional black-and-white filter you can toggle at any time. It sounds like a gimmick; in practice it fits the game's hard-boiled tone so well that I left it on for most of an episode. There is also around an hour of bonus material - developer commentary, cast interviews, concept art and archive pieces - which is a nice touch for fans.

What holds up, and what doesn't

The writing is still the star. Bigby is one of the best-voiced leads Telltale ever had, and choosing whether he plays the patient detective or the monster still feels loaded. The neon-and-purple art direction has aged better than almost anything from that era.

But it is a remaster, not a remake. The illusion of choice is as visible as it was in 2013 - big decisions bend scenes more than they change the ending. QTE fights are still QTE fights. And the season is short: you can get through all five episodes in a long weekend.

Price

At $24.99 the price is fair, and it gets better: in the first two weeks it is 20% off for new buyers on Steam, Epic and Xbox, and 50% off if you own the original on the same platform. On PlayStation, PS Plus members get the same deal, while owners of the original get 30% off. Check your store for the euro price, but if you have the old version in your library, wait for nothing and use that discount.

Verdict

For newcomers, this is now the best way to play one of Telltale's finest stories. For returning players, it is a pleasant, well-priced revisit rather than a reason to rediscover the game. Either way, it is a smart warm-up for the sequel.

Score: 7/10

Image: The Wolf Among Us (uploaded by CluckenDip) / Public domain, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Wolf_Among_Us_(2013)_logo_official_(SGDB_57792).png