The Council Episode One Review – The Mad Ones

Think of how successful episodic games have been over the last several years. Telltale Games with The Walking Dead and Batman Telltale Series or DontNod with the amazing story of Chloe and Maxine in Life is Strange. Focus Home Interactive has stepped into the realm from an entirely unique era.

In The Council you play as Louis de Richet in Paris France, 1792. After stealing a sacred item known as Al Azif you and your mother are captured by Von Borchert, though secretly one step ahead.

Pushing ahead by a month at Lord Mortimer’s Island, Sarah, his mother is missing. Episode one, The Mad Ones introduces you to a few acquaintances; one of which, a duchess named Emily. Her presence is only the beginning of the secret society known as The Golden Order as you meet the President of the United States, George Washington, Napoleon and daughter of John Adams, Elizabeth.

This has to be one of the most captivating moments, learning of the Golden Order. In real-life history Elizabeth was presumed dead in the same year as birth, 1777. In The Council however, she’s alive and well; sort of well. But the twist of history and sacred illuminati will leave you digging for more clues than you initially anticipated.

Plenty of story and conversations to go about and as you’d suspect your choices will drive the duration of the story. And with four additional episodes on the way, each question is vital to defining your character. For example starting off you are allowed to choose your personality rather than waiting to create them throughout the episode.

And it’s also here where the RPG twist comes forward, providing a skill tree that requires you to master the class of which you’ve chosen. As you build certain perks it will allow you to read people for who they really are, lie good enough to convince people you’re being truthful, or even find clues quicker as a skilled detective.

While there is so much to build on, it’s too much too soon as you may fails side objectives simply because you haven’t earned the appropriate skill level to perform unique abilities.

Prepare for puzzles to begin and end unnoticing, sometimes causing you to miss potential opportunities, where in games like these can be fatal by episode three. Aside from clues lying throughout Lord Mortimer’s Island, there are plenty of confrontations and timed elements that must be discovered.

The story so delivers no definite concept, which is great for the build of what The Council can offer over the next four chapters. I did however cringed at times listening to the awkward voiceover from Louis as he went in and out of character and accent.