I'm sure many will disagree but my opinion was nearly everything in this episode was foreshadowed and it just felt like I was watching it play out.

There were no real big holy shit moments like the dinner scene, or Carly getting shot. Just felt like a real momentum drain to me. Maybe having so long between episodes is hurting it but I'm even losing any emotional connection to Clem ...

I don't get why episode 4 is getting so much hate. I thought it was one of the best so far.

Really? Getting bitten and losing clem weren't holy shit moments? And how dare you lose emotional connection to Clem!!!

No holy shit moments? Dude, what? This episode ended with THE holy shit moment of the entire series.

I don't know ... when he got bit I was like "oh, that sucks" and clem getting taken was so over foreshadowed I was just waiting for it to happen. I LOVED all the other episodes but this one was very flat in my opinion.

@Milkman said:

No holy shit moments? Dude, what? This episode ended with THE holy shit moment of the entire series.

Seriously.

Also most of the twists are foreshadowed. That isn't unique to this episode.

I enjoyed playing it, but it didn't really have the oompf of episode 2 or 3.

I should have known there would be spoilers in this thread fuck me.

The story is kinda weak, but I don't think it is particularly more so than any other episode. There are just so many little frustrating things that bring down the series. Zombies will appear out of nowhere. And not just one or two. Standing in the middle of a field? Well, look out, because 50 zombies will appear 10 feet away and grab someone! Also, zombies can push over a chainlink fence and bend the metal posts, but glass doors or a couple strands of barbed wire? Haha, got you motherfuckers locked out now! Also, how many times did characters yell in this episode when they were supposed to be quiet? Guys, there are zombies all around us, be HOLY SHIT LEE WHY DID YOU DO THAT? KENNY ITS NOT MY FAULT I WAS JUST TRYING TO WELL MAYBE I SHOULD SHOOT THIS GUN OMG WE ARE CIRCLED BY ZOMBIES HOW DID THEY FIND US!

Honestly, with Lee having the coordination of jello pudding, Ben being so smart he removed the hatchet, Kenny being Kenny, and everyone apparently suffering from a severe case of nearsightedness, Clementine is better off with pretty much anyone else. TWD, like many other group survival based entertainment suffers from one of the worst ailments of the genre: the frustratingly stupid group.

I thought the whole attempt at social commentary with Crawford was more hamfisted than an Ayn Rand evangelist and lacked veracity to a certain extent w/r/t their rules on children too.

The little moments of frustration and my thoughts on the controls tend to go away because the overall story beats and the arc of the thing are pretty good, but every time I actually play the Walking Dead I am reminded about how individual scenes can just be so dumb, how the episodes can start to drag a little, and how the actual gameplay isn't that good.

I can't say i agree i feel this episode was a lot more relax then 3 and 4 which i'm ok with because we need the down times to make the high ones that much better. This episode had some great moments in itself that i could not call it flat. Being bite clem being lost but more importantly having to make hard choices in what to do with her.

I also feel you really get a picture of who in your group will have your back when it comes to the finale. Also having molly tag along was pretty cool because i feel she was a interesting character that added to the dynamic of the group. I disagree with the Crawford complaint because it was an awesome build up which i was expecting to be the Governor like town from the books, which i was a little disappoint it did not really go their(always next season).

Also what was the significance of Vernon asking Lee "Did you guys come here by that train over there?" or something like that? I'm guessing that's how Vernon and his crew escaped maybe?

I agree with you OP. I thought the episode was kinda weak. Of course you were gonna lose Clem, and "it's the the bite that turns you". So being bitten, technically, doesn't matter. They know this. Ben told then in Episode 2.

Glad I got the chance to off Ben. That guy deserved it. The kid in the attic was kinda the only thing that impacted me. Also, whats-her-face is clearly pregnant.

I felt the same way, even though Clem and the bite thing should have made me feel like that, maybe its because i kind of expect clem to go missing at the end of everything, or there wasn't some crazy visual scene of losing her to some awful event which probably would have got me angry and pumped to go get her back, but it seemed to be at least a good set up for a possibly awesome finale with the mystery man and possible all the other choices that involved influence with clem to make its impact finally.

@kishinfoulux said:

Also what was the significance of Vernon asking Lee "Did you guys come here by that train over there?" or something like that? I'm guessing that's how Vernon and his crew escaped maybe?

Yep, I think that Vernon and his crew are headed for the train.

This was my least favorite episode, but it's still really good.

For me, the group feels very much in the same situation as we left them in episode 3. Not much ground was really covered. But it may be the fault of previous episodes just being so damn strong. Regardless, I spent $5. And I feel good about that $5 purchase.

Am I alone thinking that the guy on the radio will probably end up being the former leader of Crawford? They showed his picture in the school next to the signs, even Lee commented about him.

My main gripe with the episode was the action elements; I play enough FPSs for me to not want poorly implemented FPS segments in my adventure games.

Edit: Although, I guess that can be said about the shooter/action elements of all the other episodes as well...it's not necessarily isolated to this episode.

Am I alone thinking that the guy on the radio will probably end up being the former leader of Crawford? They showed his picture in the school next to the signs, even Lee commented about him.

The dinner scene was absolutely the most obvious thing in the series. I saw it coming from about half way through the episode. There were better moments in episode 4. Yeah not everything was a shock, but I don't think being able to predict something makes it a bad moment. Things don't have to be shocking to be effective.

@Droop said:

I agree with you OP. I thought the episode was kinda weak. Of course you were gonna lose Clem, and "it's the the bite that turns you". So being bitten, technically, doesn't matter. They know this. Ben told then in Episode 2.

Glad I got the chance to off Ben. That guy deserved it. The kid in the attic was kinda the only thing that impacted me. Also, whats-her-face is clearly pregnant.

Yes it's not the bite that turns you, but the bite makes you sick and kills you very quickly.

I felt the pacing was off, there werent enough quiet moments or interesting character interactions between slaying hordes of zombies, which is another thing. The kill count for this episode is huge! I felt as though I killed more zombies in this episode than the first 3 combined. Which to me makes walkers feel like less of a threat. Oh well, at least there were no logic defying adventure game puzzles this time round.

Saying all that I still enjoyed it, but for me it's the worst so far. With 2 being the best.

@Droop said:

I agree with you OP. I thought the episode was kinda weak. Of course you were gonna lose Clem, and "it's the the bite that turns you". So being bitten, technically, doesn't matter. They know this. Ben told then in Episode 2.

Glad I got the chance to off Ben. That guy deserved it. The kid in the attic was kinda the only thing that impacted me. Also, whats-her-face is clearly pregnant.

Why did duck become a walker if the bite doesn't turn you?

@RockinKemosabe said:

Am I alone thinking that the guy on the radio will probably end up being the former leader of Crawford? They showed his picture in the school next to the signs, even Lee commented about him.

I think he was the zombie hanging from the bell in the church. Could be wrong though, I thought it looked like him.

I thought the story was good. The worst episode so far? No that honor goes to episode 2 as it was so predictable. Though, episode 2 had probably the hardest and best choice of all episodes so far (the food choice). I really wish there were more choices like that one. Sure they don't have as much of a "holy shit" moment as killing a major character off, but I want more than deciding on who is still alive by the end of the episode.

However, there are a few problems I have with episode 4. For one, it seems really odd how often Lee either contradicts himself or just plain forgets. First example is when Lee pick up the shovel and he's like "Oh a shovel. Shovels are always useful" then after Lee does what Lee needs to do with the shovel he's like "Well the shovel is no longer useful". It wouldn't be such a problem to me if they didn't write his line to say that shovels are always useful. Second example is when Lee finds this paper with a combination and he's like "Oh this isn't enough for the thing I need it for" even though I've looked at the thing the combination unlocks 3 to 4 times before. I know these are very minor problems, but really annoy me to have a character that acts like Dora the explorer. I don't need to be told that a particular thing I picked up is important nor do I need Lee to state the obvious all the time.

Another problem is how the game was cut or edited. There were scenes that felt really out of place. Parts where they'd cut to a characters reaction only for him/her to make a face or expression that didn't at all seem appropriate. One example being when Lee talks Omid about how he's feeling and Lee responds by saying "I feel ya" then cut to Omid making a face like somebody farted in the room.

@Dtat said:

The dinner scene was absolutely the most obvious thing in the series. I saw it coming from about half way through the episode.

I was not expecting to be able to say "You know what? Fuck you Larry, eat up!" Watching him eat after that was horrible and awesome at the same time.

I think if it piled on the holy shit moments it would have to compete with the finale. Think of it like a calm before the storm. Or maybe like an album or compilation where each song has its own peaks and troughs but the songs themselves have them too. Episode 4 is a slow jam before they drop a banger/bomb on it.

@Aegon said:

@Droop said:

I agree with you OP. I thought the episode was kinda weak. Of course you were gonna lose Clem, and "it's the the bite that turns you". So being bitten, technically, doesn't matter. They know this. Ben told then in Episode 2.

Glad I got the chance to off Ben. That guy deserved it. The kid in the attic was kinda the only thing that impacted me. Also, whats-her-face is clearly pregnant.

Why did duck become a walker if the bite doesn't turn you?

Dying turns you. Getting bit by a walker is fatal.

@Besetment said:

@Aegon said:

@Droop said:

I agree with you OP. I thought the episode was kinda weak. Of course you were gonna lose Clem, and "it's the the bite that turns you". So being bitten, technically, doesn't matter. They know this. Ben told then in Episode 2.

Glad I got the chance to off Ben. That guy deserved it. The kid in the attic was kinda the only thing that impacted me. Also, whats-her-face is clearly pregnant.

Why did duck become a walker if the bite doesn't turn you?

Dying turns you. Getting bit by a walker is fatal.

Exactly. Getting bitten makes you die. It's the same thing really. The bite means that very soon you will be a walker. What Mr. Droop suggested is that Lee can go on his marry way without worrying about becoming a walker from the bite.

Nope. Bite -> dying -> walker

@Dtat said:

The dinner scene was absolutely the most obvious thing in the series. I saw it coming from about half way through the episode. There were better moments in episode 4. Yeah not everything was a shock, but I don't think being able to predict something makes it a bad moment. Things don't have to be shocking to be effective.

Yeah, I think sometimes this game is at its most effective/impactful when it isn't trying to be all balls to the wall. After a death or a big story beat, when there is a little down time and you are talking to people, I think this game can be at its best. It comes across as overwrought when it foists so called "hard choices" on you though. OH NO THEY ARE EATING PEOPLE THATS THE TWIST ARE YOU IN SHOCK BECAUSE THEY ARE EATING PEOPLE THAT THEY KILLED THEY ARE CANNIBALS. Yes game, I get it. Like when the guy gets stuck in the bear trap in ep2, or when you bury the kid in this episode the game feels a little contrived. Yes, I understand the kid is dead and is supposed to be some kind of emotional surrogate for Duck, and oh no, how sad is this, his dog is there too, now let's slowly click on a pile of dirt 50 times while Lee looks bummed.

The only bit of the E4 story I found off was the death of Chuck. It's like they didn't know what to do with him or something. Just seems like a waste of a character; he barely did anything overall.

I really liked this episode, it wasn't so painfully obvious like Episode 2 or had shock moments that leaped out of nowhere like Episode 3.

I think this episode was more on par with episode one rather then episodes 2 and 3. There were a lot of really bad lines in this episode. The biggest impacts story-wise really came at the end. Though the thought of a kid starving to death and becoming a zombie was pretty messed up it felt designed to be messed up. The forced abortion part felt really, really 'designed' for lack of a better term. It was as if they said, "What's something fucked up we can put here? I got it! ABORTIONS!!!!" Plus, outside of the story, having to do so many action scenes when the controls just aren't that good was unfortunate.

Again, this wasn't a bad episode. It just doesn't stand up to the best of the best in the series so far.

Less twisty moments but damn it has strong story.

@Bane122 said:

The only bit of the E4 story I found off was the death of Chuck. It's like they didn't know what to do with him or something. Just seems like a waste of a character; he barely did anything overall.

That's sort of the point of The Walking Dead, though. The comic is pretty gnarly about abruptly killing off characters whether they were in 1 issue or 100, which is partly why I like it so much. They do a good job at nailing it in that absolutely no one is truly safe. I mean, only about 3 in the original group is alive at this point.

@Landon: I get that no one's safe but the thing is, it's only a big deal when someone is abruptly killed when the audience has a connection to that character. Chuck seemed pretty cool but didn't really do enough to make me care when you find him in the sewer. Overall he didn't add much to the story and was a bit of a waste.

@Bane122: But you weren't suppose to care when you found him in the sewer. Lee wasn't heartbroken when he came across his body, only disappointed that he'd never get to repay him, which is exactly how the world progresses in the comic. Eventually people aren't weeping when people they love die, it becomes a case of bury them and move on. And Chuck wasn't a complete waste to the story, you got his gun which saved you when that zombie grabbed you from under that grate.

I enjoyed episode 4. I felt it was more focused than episode 3. The only problem i had with it was that most of that focused revolved around a stupid boat. But even within that, there was a lot of diversity in keeping the story moving. 
 
I felt like episode 3 dragged, all the while doing too much. 
 
The idea of dealing wtih the bandits and the idea of having a traitor got washed over a bit too quickly. Could have been a much more interesting dynamic to see how it affected the group in terms of trust, morale, and such rather than just having Lily get all psycho. You kill of 3 or 4 characters and almost immediately introduce 3 new ones. Honestly by time episode 3 was over i pratically forget that i even killed Duck
 

Man people are really fucking jaded these days.

People overrate unpredictability. They forget foreshadowing is a literary device with a very specific purpose.

I think the actual issue with the episode is that very little happens until the last act. The group hits the city--or rather, they'd already hit the city in the last episode--and nothing of particular value is leaned into. Sure, we meet some new characters. Sure, Lee has his run-in with the walkers in the sewers. But for some reason the key hook at the end of Episode 3, the walkie, is more or less invisible for the entirety of the episode. In a bit that seems out of character, Clem isn't concerned with finding her parents until it's convenient for the plot to manipulate that for sentimentality.

It felt very much like a derailing of the positively electric momentum Episode 3 had. I think it was fine in a vacuum, but in the context of the series it felt a bit padded.

---

I want to say something here that not many people are talking about. Telltale has done something really special. My immediate impression of Episode 4 was that it was the least challenging, morally, of the installments. Turns out I wasn't wrong. But, in a fantastic twist, it turns out there is very little consensus.

Telltale has created a world so vivid and textured that we all come to a certain sense of gravity about the situation. By Episode 4, we know pretty much immediately whether we'll, say, save Ben or reveal the bite, but the game engages us so differently and pokes at so many separate fibers of our personality that we're no two us the exact same in our decisions. Incredible.

The only thing that really bugged me about this episode is how Lee seemed to have activated the infinite ammo cheat. All that shooting and I didn't see him reload once. Then he finds some kind of magic shotgun. I would have been surprised if that thing wasn't broken or had a shell in it. Instead it just had a never ending supply of shotgun shells. I hope they kept that thing, it seems like a magic shotgun could be useful. Also that scene where Lee was outside the nurse's station behind the horde of zombies that spawned out of nowhere. I kept moving the cursor around to look for a solution that wasn't HEY LETS SHOOT MY GUN AND WASTE AMMO AND ATTRACT ALL THOSE ZOMBIES RIGHT TO ME.

I am starting to gain some kind of appreciation for the "action" scenes though. I'd probably fumble around with a gun too since I have no training with them.

@Landon: I don't think that was supposed to be his gun. Remember, Lee made a comment about it being empty and that he must have used the last shot on himself?

And I never said he was completely useless but he didn't add much to the story. If that doesn't bother you that's cool but, it stood out to me.

I have no idea what episode you played, but I constantly thought the opposite of what happened.

I thought I failed to save Clem when Ben ran because I didn't shoot all the zombies around her and then Chuck saved her.

When Ben said there was something wrong with Kenny I thought he had hung himself in the room. When I saw him I thought he had a gun in his mouth since it wouldn't show his front. Then I was completely taken aback when I saw the starved zombie boy.

I had no idea that the zombie barricade was the result of a group going for the "only the strongest survive" idea. I didn't know they were actively killing the weak until it was explained they were doing that.

I didn't expect Clem to show up at the boat area and save Lee from Molly.

I didn't expect to find Chuck dead in the sewers. I was hoping for more payoff.

I was surprised to find a cancer survivor group in the sewers.

I thought Clem had run off when you came back from the sewers and Ben was going to be on the chopping block, but she was still there.

I thought the raid on the bandit place was going to turn into some kind of heist scenario with everyone taking out strategic bandits to sneak in and out. Instead it was filled with zombies.

I didn't think Clem was going to run away/get kidnapped at the end because a similar scenario had just happened an hour earlier.

I didn't think that Lee was going to get bitten right at the end.

I didn't think the ending would consist of the possibility of going with a range of group members.

Those are a few. Episode 2 was easily predictable with the cannibals at the end from the moment they got to the farm. Episode 3 gave me the same reaction as episode 4. Episode 1 was just the start and I didn't really have an expectations for where it could go. To claim this episode had no "holy shit" moments is insane.

@Milkman said:

No holy shit moments? Dude, what? This episode ended with THE holy shit moment of the entire series.

I think I yelled holy shit when carly got shot, but I agree that this episode was fine.

I think I generally am less impressed by this game than most people. I mean, relative to other narrative driven games it has a good story, but it still pales in comparison to film or television. I guess it is a step up for the medium to even be comparing cable programming and feature films with a game's narrative, but yeah, not really that engaged with the characters or the way they are handling the post-apocalyptic dilemmas. I think ever since the big jump in time that happened between episodes one and two, I've been less enthused about the whole thing. That decision kind of trivialized the dire nature of what's going on in the world and skipped over a part of the decline of society I would've been more interested in seeing than where we are now in the timeline. Also, they seem to just add more and more characters every episode rather than enriching the ones they have. Yeah, Clem wants to see her family and Lee is an ex-con, but what have we really got to know about them beyond that? I thought the specifics of Lee's crimes would be further elaborated on, kind of playing with the amount of information the player has about the protagonist they're controlling, but they seem to not be interested in that and I'm kind of finding myself getting bored with a lot of the proceedings. This episode in particular seemed to be banking really hard on us caring about Clementine, and I'm sorry, but I don't. It takes more development to get me invested in a character than just the fact she is a sad kid. As such, not sure I'll be into the finale as the story seems to hinge on that dilemma too.

I admire some things this series does, but it is still so driven by narrative, its more of a slightly (and I mean slightly, I replayed episodes one and two and the variables are really minor) interactive TV show. That's kind of interesting, but it's not the most compelling avenue games could take. I could elaborate about my issues with the lack of impactful choices you have in it (specifically in episode 3 with Lily leaving) and some technical issues really ruining the drama, but I feel I've already been a negative Nelly so I'll hush up unless someone is interested in more thoughts on the matter.

@kishinfoulux: It's because by using the train, they accidentally attracted a herd, which is why you saw that huge crowd of zombies in the window at the end, and why the cancer group ran for the hills. I'm not sure why Vernon didn't tell them, maybe he thought since they were leaving soon anyway it would be alright. Seems like kind of a big plot hole. Of course this is only just speculation, so, take it with a grain of salt.

Yeah, episode 4 did drag a little bit at times, especially when Lee is alone in the Sewers, and when you're wandering around the elementary school.

My friends and I were discussing episode 4 a while ago, and we actually came up with the theory that Lee would be bitten at the end of this episode, so seeing it actually happen was kind of cool, but it didn't really shock me beyond a 'Oh crap!' sort of way. It definitely wasn't a moment like when Doug got shot, which actually made me yell out in surprise.

That being said, the episode wasn't bad. I'm glad that a majority of the cast didn't die off this time, that's for sure.

I also thought that the significance of what the doctor meant when he looked at the train was that the zombie horde that was following the train was coming to the town.

I thought the episode was very middle of the road, it was fine and had good moments but when it was boring and slow it was pretty terrible. Also one of the "twists" at the end of the episode were ruined for me because they completely reference her being taken i the preview for the 4th episode after beating the 3rd. And Lee getting bit, I didn't know he was going to get bit but I fucking knew there was a zombie underneath that stuff so it was a no shit sherlock moment for me.

It also has come to me that maybe the game is wearing down on me. I enjoyed the 1st episode (but FUCK that car puzzle bullshit) and was super excited for episode 2 and love the hell out of it (best episode of the series). But since I finished 2 my enthusiasm for the game has been declining. 3 was really good but I wasn't excited for it. And 4 was just lackluster to me and my only motivation to play it day one was so it wouldn't get spoiled for me, it also just felt like it was just filling space until the 5th one drops in early November. I kinda just want to end the story at this point and realized that this is why I don't like tv shows anymore, I hate waiting week to week to watch a show, rather just wait till it's all out at once and then run through them, the wait inbetween episodes is unique but I just lose interest while new games come out.

Also, STOP doing FPS moments, they fucking suck, I have yet to fail one but they are so annoying and understand how people hate them. Let Activision do their FPS Walking Dead, stick to the story.

I'll let my status update of "Fuuuuuuuuuuck!" speak for how I felt about the episode after I'd finished it. I obviously thought there were those crazy kind of moments. I don't know what you were expecting.

Ya, I was not blown away by it either. The weakest of the bunch I would say. The only thing that got to me was what happened to Lee at the end., every thing else was not that big of a deal.