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The Council |OT| How I Lost My Mother

Maxime

Maxime

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,981
iv59gS1.jpg

Developer: Big Bad Wolf
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Genre: Adventure game (Episodic)
Official website: thecouncil-game.com
Platform: PC (Steam), PS4 & Xbox One
Age Ratings: PEGI 16 / ESRB M
Release dates:
- Episode 1 'The Mad Ones' out now
- Episode 2 'Hide & Seek' out now
- Episode 3 'Ripples' out now
- Episode 4 'Burning Bridges' out on Sept. 25, 2018
- Episode 5 TBA


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What?

​

WHAT?
Alright, here's the PR. Jeez.

The Council is an episodic game like no other. Delivering a fresh new take on the Narrative Adventure, your choices and character growth truly matter. Make hard-hitting decisions, but also develop an array of skills to directly impact how the story unfolds. With permanent, long-lasting consequences, there is no going back. Plunge into a tale of intrigue and manipulation in the style of a classic murder mystery, living with a cast of alluring characters each hiding their own dark secrets. Trust no one while uncovering dire truths – no matter the cost to mind and body.

The Council begins in 1793, with players taking the role of secret society member Louis de Richet after his invitation to a private island off the shores of England by the enigmatic Lord Mortimer. Joining him are a number of high profile guests, including Napoleon Bonaparte and President of the newly-formed United States of America, George Washington. The strange nature of this private reception goes beyond just the prestigious guests –Richet's own mother has recently gone missing on the island, while each and every one of the colorful cast seems to have their own hidden agendas.

In a new twist for the genre, the core of The Council's gameplay comes from manipulating and maneuvering through character encounters using the unique Social Influence system. During confrontations, skills and limited resources can be used to gain the upper hand and achieve the desired outcome. Players will be rewarded for their knowledge of each character's psychological vulnerabilities and immunities, as well as their preparations made during prior exploration and investigation. Failing an encounter does not mean 'game over', and no action can be taken back. The consequences are permanent, and may result in persistent physical disfigurements or mental traits that help or hinder the rest of the player's adventure.

Richet's numerous skills can be developed to align with your chosen approach to the adventure. Solve issues with diplomacy, delve into occultism to expand your historical and scientific knowledge, or play detective and see what others do not perceive. Your skills will have uses that extend far beyond your conversations with fellow guests. With 15 diverse skills to use and invest in, players are free to uncover The Council's mysteries how they see fit, with wildly varying consequences depending on their methods. The results will forever alter the life of Louis de Richet, of those around him, and shape history as we know it.
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TL;DR, it's just another Telltale-like with "choices" and "consequences"?
On paper, no:​


So... Do you plan showing some images at some point in this OT?

Psst... Click on this superbe montage to see more!
​
But who are these guys?
Well, first of all, Louis de Richet, the main character of the game, is a young Parisian aristocrat and the the only son of Sarah de Rich-

THE GUYS FROM THE STUDIO IDIOT!
Big Bad Wolf is a new French and independent studio based in Bordeaux, France. They aim to create narrative adventures and role playing games. Many of them come from Cyanide Studio & Ubisoft. You can find more about them here.

Episodic huh?
Yup. The goal is to release each of the five episodes every two months. First episode is set to release for March 13. If they stick to that, the complete season should be wrapped up by the end of 2018.

How much? Can I buy my episodes separately?
You have three options:
- Buying the complete season that will grant you access to all five episodes with an exclusive access to episodes 2-5 two days before their official release. Price (€/$ or regional equivalent) is set to 29.99.
- Buying the season pass that will grant you access to episodes 2 to 5 with an exclusive access to episodes 2-5 two days before their official release. Price (€/$ or regional equivalent) is set to 24.99.
- Buying episodes separately on consoles. Price (€/$ or regional equivalent) is set to 6.99 per episode. As of now, you cannot buy episodes separately on Steam.

Cool, aslo wh-
Glad you ask! The composer for The Council is nobody else than Olivier Deriviere (Remember Me, Alone in the Dark, Get Even, ...) who found some free time in his busy schedule between Vampyr, Greedfall and A Plague Tale: Innocence to make the soundtrack of the game!

… Yeah OK. But system requirements, Pro / X enhancements and all that?
For PC peeps:​
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For console peeps, no plans regarding enhancements for Pro & X.

Any informations about a physical release?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

OK cool cool cool. Any last word?
This is my first OT please don't judge me too hard please please please.​
 
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Dandy

Dandy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,437
This is the first I've heard of the Council, but it definitely looks interesting.
 

Deleted member 19996

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,897
Embargo Info if you want to add it: MARCH 13 at 10am CET/4:00am EST/1:00am PDT

My review is currently going through final editing as we speak.
 
Iyagovos

Iyagovos

Verified
Jan 18, 2018
198
I've been jumping into threads about the game - if anybody has any questions, I'll do my best to answer them!
 
semiconscious

semiconscious

Banned
Nov 10, 2017
2,140
looks interesting. but, like always with these episodic games, will wait till all episodes've released before getting :) ...
 
Riddler

Riddler

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,779
The "Rethinking Narrative Adventure" video really has me interested in the game to at least try the first episode. I'm excited but I feel a little burned out by TT games & DONTNOD. Hope this breathes new life in my favourite genre.
 

Deleted member 679

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,741
That last video showing the RPG elements really sold me on the idea, I'm in.

I'll start the first episode after work. Don't know too much about the plot or anything, but it's better this way.
 
Chaeotic

Chaeotic

Member
Oct 25, 2017
388
Any impressions from anyone here? Very, very close to buying, just wanted to know what to expect heading in.

Also on a similar note, the store is a little confusing. There is an Episode 1, a season pass, and a complete season, all with little description on what each contains. I assume the season pass is Episodes 2-5, as an "add-on" to the single episode purchase. This'd explain the price disparity between that and the complete season pack. Anyone able to shed any light on this?

-EDIT- My mistake, very clearly says episodes 2-5. That's embarassing! -EDIT-
 
Stiler

Stiler

Avenger
Oct 29, 2017
6,659
I wonder, regarding this:

- Buying the season pass that will grant you access to episodes 2 to 5 with an exclusive access to episodes 2-5 two days before their official release. Price (€/$ or regional equivalent) is set to 24.99.
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Does this mean if you buy the entire season you have to wait 2-5 days after season pass people to play a new episode? Or do both the complete season owners and those who buy the season pass get this early access to new episodes?
 
Chaserjoey

Chaserjoey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,612
This looks incredible, but I've been burnt by episodic games delivered by studios that aren't Telltale and the LiS developers.

I'm never getting parts 3, 4, and 5 of Blues and Bullets. Has there been any confirmation that the developers behind this will find a way to release every episode or will y'all be jumping in and hoping the game isn't dropped mid-development like Blues and Bullets apparently has been?
 
OP
OP
Maxime

Maxime

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,981
Chaserjoey said:
This looks incredible, but I've been burnt by episodic games delivered by studios that aren't Telltale and the LiS developers.

I'm never getting parts 3, 4, and 5 of Blues and Bullets. Has there been any confirmation that the developers behind this will find a way to release every episode or will y'all be jumping in and hoping the game isn't dropped mid-development like Blues and Bullets apparently has been?
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For The Council, there is a publisher behind funding them (Focus Home Interactive). Blues & Bullets' business model was basically 'Sales of episode N will fund episode N+1' when, here, I consider you have a guarantee to have the full product down the line.
 
Chaserjoey

Chaserjoey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,612
Maxime said:
For The Council, there is a publisher behind funding them (Focus Home Interactive). Blues & Bullets' business model was basically 'Sales of episode N will fund episode N+1' when, here, I consider you have a guarantee to have the full product down the line.
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Well, I hope Focus Home Interactive don't pull the plug. The aesthetics are gorgeous and it sounds interesting.

I know someone in my position would be best to wait and see, but I just bit the bullet ($45AUD) on the game as I feel it would best be played as it goes so we can all theorise together and whatnot.
 
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Maxime

Maxime

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,981
FYI, the game (Season Pass, Complete Season & Episode 1) is available on the (European) PlayStation Store. Bought the SP and I am currently downloading 5.286 Gb (though I won't be able to play it until tonight). A theme is also included.
 
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Karak

Karak

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,088
Chaserjoey said:
This looks incredible, but I've been burnt by episodic games delivered by studios that aren't Telltale and the LiS developers.

I'm never getting parts 3, 4, and 5 of Blues and Bullets. Has there been any confirmation that the developers behind this will find a way to release every episode or will y'all be jumping in and hoping the game isn't dropped mid-development like Blues and Bullets apparently has been?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
There is a LOT more going on, or was on Blues and Bullets. Hopefully someday someone will discuss some of the elements as they are very interesting and convoluted as hell. But a good learning experience for others.

This one is probably fine, (more stable than where Telltale was for a bit sadly) When it comes to the episodic games, no there is no promise of any further titles. Even an allocated budget can be moved as the budgets treat them as separate mini titles, but a major pub, if a deal is brokered, has a much higher chance of happening.
 
benzopil

benzopil

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,150
Didn't finish it yet but it's much more fun and detailed than Telltale's sfuff. And runs well on PS4 without lagging and crashing.

Animation sucks but what can you do, their budget is very low probably. Other that that great game.
 

Deleted member 679

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,741
Well, I've never heard of Blues and Bullets before this thread, but I did hear about The Council and even bought it, so there's that.
 

Harlequin

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,614
Just bought it. I've read that the voice acting and writing could be better but I don't think that'll bother me too much. I didn't really mind the writing in Life is Strange, either. Plus, the setting and the mechanics are just too intriguing.
 
OP
OP
Maxime

Maxime

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,981
Finished Episode 1. I am so mad at the ending I got (and I feel dumb because I should have seen it partially coming).

That being said, I LOVED it. A bit rough on the edges (nothing bad though, just a bit outdated) but really fun to play. Like Life is Strange (Season 1), I really feel rewarded by taking my time and exploring as much as possible.

I just regret the timer for some decisions to make. I get the sense of urgency it is supposed to put but I'd love to have more time for some choices, especially since the game is constantly saving. Also, one or two times during the episode I felt 'trapped' by the game which ended a part of the story because I entered a room while I wanted to keep exploring a bit. Nothing dramatic but a warning / prompt indicating I am about to end the current 'quest' and move on in the story would have been a welcome addition.

Hoping Episode 2 comes quick!
 
Truant

Truant

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,758
I'm really enjoying this. The voice acting is downright awful at times, but it'll do. I really fucked up during the second quest, it ended like 2 minutes in.

Also, I'm stuck looking for clues in my room now. All the obvious items I can interact with have a skill requirement that I can't pull off.

I'm glad Focus are putting out stuff like this. It's not exactly AAA, but it's different and interesting, and it has heart.
 

Deleted member 679

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,741
Happy about the positive impressions. Nuuvem still didn't receive their keys, I guess, so I'll probably have to start tomorrow, but that's fine.
 
adj_noun

adj_noun

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
17,161
If this was a Batman game I'd have the main character pegged as the future Joker. That skull structure.
 
Chaserjoey

Chaserjoey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,612
It was good. I enjoyed the freedom of exploring that the game provides which is absent in TellTale games. It did have a bit of a problem where something I chose that seemed normal made the main character have a douchebag response.

Speaking of, the writing was a bit terrible, especially at the start. It was a bit on the nose, I guess? I was certainly asking myself "who speaks like this?" I get that exposition was necessary to help the viewer understand things but it was just so weird having every line be something like that. Also the voice actors are doing their best and I appreciate that, but I feel that their voices aren't suited for the characters.

The game is gorgeous on my base PS4. I really enjoyed looking at it. Some character models were a bit off with the eyes but that's fine as I don't think the game has high production values so it's easy to excuse that sort of thing.

I enjoyed the story, and the quests. That was a bit of a fresh element. I just wish I didn't accidentally erase my entire progress by choosing to reenter the prologue without realising it was on the same save lol. Oh well, gives me another chance to get those missing trophies.

I didn't investigate my visions so I'm very curious about why Lord Mortimer has an interest in Louis. I really can't wait to learn why Sarah had to go into hiding, and how Sir Holm fits into this since he knows where she is and presumably what she is doing. Poor Elizabeth though, it looks like she lost her sister. I tried making her an ally regardless, but I imagine her dead sister will throw a wrench into our friendship soon.
 
Spleenpoker

Spleenpoker

Member
Nov 11, 2017
342
Is there no way to buy individual episodes on Steam? I just want to check out episode 1, not buy the entire season..
 
ThroughtheVoid

ThroughtheVoid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,890
Okay so I just finished the first episode, and the story is interesting so far and so are the characters too, but man this game sure is rough around the edges in most aspects. But I definitely enjoy it and there is an actual sense of making choices that will create multiple paths and they play out differently for sure. I do appreciate that over the illusion of choice in TT games.

I'm also pretty happy with how my story is going as well, I even
got to sleep with Emily, which was interesting lol
 
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