Look behind the curtain
The Wolf Among Us is a story full of secrets. Whether you're uncovering the mystery behind the Fabletown murders, scrounging for notes in abandoned apartments, or pulling bits of info out of the Books of Fables, youre bound to find something that can't be seen from the surface. That's where much of the game's charm can be found, digging up morsels of info about Fabletown, its history, and the mythical folks that fill it. However, some secrets are buried deeper than others, and a few so far down that even Bigby cant sniff them out. I might know a few of those myself, if the right person were to ask.
You asked, right? Okay good, because I've got six things you didnt know about The Wolf Among Us, straight from the folks at Telltale. What don't you know about the Fables of New York, and what went on behind the scenes in Wolf? Read on, and solve that mystery.
The Wolf Among Us has less than five on-foot pursuits to maintain continuity
When you're writing a prequel for a comic that's been in publication for over a decade, dodging continuity errors is like crossing a minefield in snowshoes. Case in point, chase scenes in The Wolf Among Us: in the first issue of Fables (published in 2002), Bigby tells nearby listeners that the amount of times he's had to chase down suspects "can be counted on one hand." That's a hard line to quick-walk for The Wolf Among Us' crime drama adventure. Still, Telltale makes it work with a policy of no more than one chase scene per episode. Since three of Wolf's episodes have no chases at all, Bigby's got some running room before he hits his limit.
Bigby and the Woodsman are played by the same actor
Having elaborate, angry conversations with yourself usually signals 1) mental instability or 2) being a voice actor. It looks like actor Adam Harrington is in the clear on this one, because he plays two different characters in The Wolf Among Us who are often at odds with each other. Specifically, he's the voice of Bigby and the sheriff's longtime rival, The Woodsman, who go head-to-head-to-ax-to-concrete on more than one occasion. This results in some loud shouting matches, heartfelt conversations, and vicious interrogations voiced exclusively by Harrington. I imagine that's hilarious to watch from outside the sound booth.
Wolf is set in the 1980's to coincide with the fall of the Soviet Union
Remember that thing I said about continuity and explosives and footwear? Well, Telltale has mastered tip-toeing in the wide boots its been given, even down to Fables' spin-off series. One notable example is the Fables mini-series Cinderella: Fables Are Forever, which features Cinderella as a spy gone undercover in the Soviet Union. According to Cin's story, Snow White takes over as Deputy Major of Fabletown while Cinderella is in the thick of things, right around the time of the Soviet Union's collapse. Telltale sticks to that in its setting, giving Fabletown a grungy '80s look, with nary a computer or iPod to be seen.
Once upon a time, the Boy Who Cried Wolf was going to be Bigby's deputy
Remember the red-headed man Snow and Bigby run into at the beginning of episode 1, and who shows up in random places for the rest of the game? He used to be more than the awkward guy who hangs around Snow's office door--in an unused version of the story, Ginger Man was The Boy Who Cried Wolf, and worked as Bigby's deputy. Definitely an interesting idea, and I imagine Bigby's character development would have much different with a young partner in not-crime. But in the end, it was decided that Bigby works better as a lone wolf, and Ginger Man was relegated to standing idly in hallways and driving all of Fabletown's taxis.
The Jersey Devils human form originally looked like a glamoured Mr. Toad
Poor Mr. Toad just can't get a break. Once the wealthy master of Toad Hall, in Fabletown he can't afford the magic to make himself and his son look human. (He might not put down the cash even if he could, but that's another beast.) You never see him in glamoured human form as a result, but in a bygone version of the game, you might have gotten close. Originally, the human form of the vicious Jersey Devil was going to match the appearance of a glamoured Toad. What exactly that would look like is a mystery, since the idea doesnt seem to have made it past brainstorming sessions. Instead you get the sleazy, prematurely balding Devil that debuts in episode 4 which, you know, works too.
Cinderella's stepsister was almost a Fabletown slaying victim
The original story of Cinderella is a pretty brutal affair, with the worst of it focused on the leading lady's wicked/evil/ugly stepsisters. Desperate to marry the prince, each girl cuts off part of her foot to fit the glass slipper (to no avail), and doves peck their eyes out at Cinderella's wedding. Originally, Telltale intended to carry on this timeless and bloody tradition, making one of Cinderella's stepsisters a victim of the Fabletown murderer. The idea even made it to storyboards, as seen in the lovely, gore-dripped bathroom scene above. However, it was eventually cut to make way for the story as we know it. But hey, maybe it could still be of use. Like in a future plot. Yeeeeah, maybe that.
Read between the lines
There ya go, tough guy: six things you wouldn't have guessed about The Wolf Among Us. How many of these did you know ahead of time? 1/6? 1/2? Did you know all of these already and want your money back? Tell us in the comments below, though try not to pick that last one. Because those sound a cheater's words, and I'm not too fond of cheaters.
Can't get enough of The Wolf Among Us? Check out our season 1 review and everything else we know about the game.
