The Wolf Among Us Remastered Review: Bigby Wolf’s excellent return
, by Chris
Thirteen years ago, Telltale Games, a studio best known for its excellent narrative-driven adventures based on major franchises such as Jurassic Park, Back to the Future and The Walking Dead, invited us to discover its latest game: The Wolf Among Us. Once again, this wasn't something original, rather an adaptation of the Fables comic book series created by Bill Willingham.
Published by Vertigo and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Wolf Among Us adopted an episodic format, allowing players to discover the story of Bigby Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf), who investigates a series of murders alongside Snow White. And yes, The Wolf Among Us features numerous characters from some of the most famous fairy tales, including Beauty and the Beast, Donkeyskin, Little Red Riding Hood and many other classic stories!
One of the biggest hits of 2013, The Wolf Among Us received excellent reviews, with average scores ranging between 80 and 85 depending on the episode. A sequel was announced in 2017. Unfortunately, the numerous difficulties faced by Telltale Games, which came close to bankruptcy several times, caused significant delays to the project, which was also repeatedly threatened with cancellation. However, the studio eventually managed to get back on its feet and officially unveiled the second instalment once again in 2019, during The Game Awards.
Finally, during Summer Game Fest 2026, Telltale made an unexpected comeback, confirming that The Wolf Among Us 2 would arrive in 2027, alongside a remaster of the original game scheduled for late 2026. It was the perfect opportunity to revisit this universe and reunite with Sheriff Bigby ahead of his next adventures. The Wolf Among Us Remastered arrived this week on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Does it live up to expectations after all these years? Let's find out!
Back to Fabletown
The Wolf Among Us takes us to the United States in 1986. We find ourselves in a colonial America where the worlds of fables, fairy tales and folklore have been conquered by a tyrant known simply as the Adversary. In an attempt to escape his tyranny, numerous oppressed characters from these worlds decided to seek refuge in the real world. There, they joined forces to establish Fabletown, located in the Bronx neighbourhood of New York City.
To live in Fabletown, Fables (characters originating from fairy tales) must use magic and obtain a Glamour. This magical item allows them to take on a human appearance and blend in with the so-called Mundies, which are ordinary human beings. The problem is that Glamours are extremely expensive, and very few Fables can afford one. Those who cannot maintain a human appearance or obtain a Glamour are sent to the Farm, a remote location outside the city, away from prying eyes. However, many Fables refuse to go there, as they consider the Farm to be a prison: once they arrive, they are no longer allowed to leave.
For many years, life in Fabletown has been relatively peaceful. Bigby Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf) serves as the town's sheriff and is responsible for maintaining order and ensuring that the different Fables can coexist, despite their differences. In addition to keeping the peace, Bigby must also protect the secret of the Fable community, preventing the Mundies from discovering that magical creatures are living among them.
Sheriff Bigby works closely with the Bureau of Affairs, which operates under the authority of the corrupt acting mayor Ichabod Crane (from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow). Snow White, the Magic Mirror (also from Snow White) and the winged monkey Bufkin (from The Wizard of Oz) also work in the same department. Another member of the department is Bluebeard, an aristocrat whose true motives remain shrouded in mystery.
Unfortunately, this seemingly peaceful existence is shattered one evening when a prostitute is brutally murdered. Numerous questions and suspects soon emerge. Alongside Snow White, Bigby embarks on a dangerous investigation that takes him into the darkest corners of Fabletown, as a major threat looms over them and the entire community. Everything points towards the existence of a prostitution ring involving murders, trafficking and numerous other shady dealings. At the centre of it all appears to be a mysterious figure known as the Crooked Man.
The atmosphere is still great
The setting of 1980s New York, particularly the Bronx neighbourhood, also plays a major role. We quickly realise that Fabletown's inhabitants aren't exactly living in luxury and that life there is far from easy. There's a constant sense of insecurity. We visit several locations, none of which feels particularly welcoming. From a strip club to a rundown bar, an abandoned butcher's shop and a pawn shop, every location and every character seems somewhat untrustworthy. However, all of this helps enrich the lore and the universe, creating a truly distinctive atmosphere.
An impressive remaster work
The Wolf Among Us originally launched in 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Later, the game got ported to PS4, Xbox One and PS Vita. However, it had been many years since it last received any significant visual improvements. That's why this remastered edition is such a welcome addition. We can now enjoy the game in 4K at 60 FPS. Plenty of textures have been reworked, resulting in a noticeably better-looking experience. This isn't simply a re-release with a higher resolution; it's a genuine remastering effort, something that's becoming increasingly rare these days and deserves to be highlighted, especially considering the price. The Wolf Among Us Remastered is available for €24.99, with a launch offer bringing the price down to €19.99. If you already own the PC, PS4 or Xbox One version of The Wolf Among Us, you can get the remastered edition for just €12.50.
The gameplay starts showing its age, though…
The Wolf Among Us is a point-and-click adventure, so its gameplay is relatively straightforward. We explore different environments where we can interact with various objects and characters. Action sequences and combat encounters are accompanied by plenty of QTEs, requiring us to press the indicated buttons at the right moment. Overall, the gameplay remains enjoyable and doesn't stray too far from what we would expect from other point-and-click adventures. However, the biggest shortcomings become apparent during the sections where we can freely move Bigby Wolf around the different environments.
Both the camera angles and character movement sometimes lack precision and fluidity. We would have appreciated some additional work in this area to improve character movement and camera positioning.
Some welcome new content
Finally, we can't overlook the deleted scenes included in this remastered edition, which are among its most welcome additions. The game features five previously unreleased sequences that were removed from the final version. These allow us to discover alternative scenes and extended versions of certain moments, featuring additional dialogue and different conversations.
However, it's worth noting that these scenes are unfinished. In fact, they almost feel like a behind-the-scenes documentary, as we encounter characters and objects without animations, along with a few visual glitches and texture issues.
All in all, these sequences add approximately half an hour of previously unreleased content. It's always fascinating to get a glimpse behind the scenes and discover moments that the developers ultimately decided not to include in the final game.
The Wolf Among Us Remastered also includes additional bonus content, such as behind-the-scenes videos, an art gallery and various other extras that help round out the experience. Once again, considering the game's asking price, this is a very welcome addition.
Tested on PS5. See our rating policy here.
9/10
More than 13 years after its original release, Bigby Wolf still has it! In fact, the sheriff of Fabletown is back better than ever in a high-quality remaster that not only delivers a welcome visual overhaul but also includes additional content at a very affordable price. Although some gameplay mechanics are beginning to show their age, The Wolf Among Us remains a classic through and through. Its story, narrative and outstanding atmosphere, both in terms of visuals and sound, continue to captivate us after all these years. This remaster couldn't have arrived at a better time, giving us the perfect opportunity to revisit the stories of Fabletown and enjoy that gripping investigation once again. It will undoubtedly serve as an excellent starting point for The Wolf Among Us 2, which is scheduled to release next year. In any case, we can't wait to see what's next!
- + The atmosphere remains great
- + The story is compelling, and the narrative excellent
- + The OST is magnificent
- + A great remaster work featuring impressive visual improvements
- + It features unreleased content
- + The game is available at a very affordable price
- - Both character movement and camera positioning can be a little awkward in certain sequences
- - There's still no option to replay individual chapters within the episodes...