The Walking Dead – S2, E3: In Harm’s Way review

WARNING: This review contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Walking Dead.

Whenever I finish an episode of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, I’m left genuinely depressed, and yet always wanting more. This episode, in particular, is extremely dark and bleak, but that doesn’t mean it is the best.

When the episode starts, you’re in one of the worst situations you’ve been in thus far. You’re being held hostage by Carver, and things aren’t looking good. Clementine is scared, but strong. She can get through anything, even being held hostage in a prison-like camp by Carver and his goons. Carver’s unpredictability kept me on the edge of my seat the entire episode. He’s a ruthless, complex villain who could kill at any second without batting an eye.

Sarah, Carlos’ daughter, is incredibly annoying in this episode. I found myself yelling at my television whenever she talked. If things in this world weren’t the way they are, I’m sure Clem and Sarah would be good friends.

However, Clem is wise beyond her years and is much stronger than Sarah. It’s like they come from two different worlds. Sarah was sheltered by her daddy while Clem was left all alone in her treehouse to be rescued by Lee. She may be traumatized, but she’s a stronger person than she ever would have been if her parents hadn’t disappeared and become of the walking dead.

As far as gameplay is concerned, there isn’t much of it in this episode. It seems there is much more watching than interacting, and the decisions you do make don’t seem to have much of an impact on the story (I played through it twice).

There is one scene toward the end of the episode that sent chills up my spine. You choose whether or not you want to witness the scene, and you learn a lot about yourself when you look at why you made the decision you did.

While the 90-minute length may be a negative mark for some people, it’s a positive for me, personally. This episode in particular is punctual and gets right to the point. Not a moment goes by where the player is bored or wondering what to do. My time with games is limited nowadays, so at times it’s nice to be able to finish a game in one sitting.

Final thoughts

Gameplay: The gameplay in this episode is lacking.

Appearance: What you would expect from a Telltale game. I didn’t have as many frame rate issues as I’ve had in previous episodes.

Sound: Jared Emerson-Johnson does a stellar job of setting the mood for the game.

Bottom Line: This is one of the toughest episodes to get through, as many scenes are gruesome and just downright sad. Once you’ve made it through, though, you’ll be anxiously awaiting Episode 4.

Overall score: 8.0. Great