The Wolf Among Us Remastered vs Original

The remaster is the same case, re-shot. Every episode, line of dialogue and choice outcome from 2013 is intact. What changed is how the game looks, sounds and runs, plus a new presentation mode, a batch of bonus material and a wider set of platforms. If you are deciding whether to double-dip, the useful question is not "what is different" but "is what changed worth another ten hours".

The short version: the update is substantial for a remaster and conservative for a remake. Nothing in the plot moved, so returning players get a cleaner version of a story they already know rather than a reason to replay it blind.

What actually changed

The two rows that matter most are the models and the lighting. Telltale rebuilt the character meshes rather than upscaling them, and reworked the lighting so the comic-book shading reads at 4K instead of smearing. In screenshots the difference is obvious around faces and in the way neon light falls on wet streets; in motion it is most noticeable in the first episode's apartment and club scenes.

Noir Mode is the headline feature

Noir Mode turns the entire game black and white, with boosted contrast and a grain layer that mimics the Fables comics. You can toggle it at any time from the pause menu, including mid-scene, and it applies to cutscenes as well as gameplay.

It is not a filter slapped on at the end. The lighting was re-authored so that the monochrome version keeps readable silhouettes, which is why Noir Mode looks deliberate rather than washed out. For a game built on shadows and moral grey areas, it fits better than it has any right to.

The trade-off: colour is part of how Fabletown is characterised. The Puddin' n Pie neon, Bloody Mary's red, Snow's white suit — all of that disappears. Play the first run in colour and save Noir Mode for a second pass.

What the bonus content includes

The remaster adds over an hour of material that was not in the 2013 release:

• Behind-the-scenes videos covering the original production.
• Cast interviews, including the principal voice actors.
• An image gallery of concept art and comic pages.
• Deleted scenes, five of which are playable rather than just viewable.

The playable deleted scenes sit in the bonus menu, not in the episode flow. They are short vignettes, not cut chapters, and they do not change the story or carry choices forward. Treat them as DVD extras: interesting if you love the game, skippable if you do not.

What did not change, and why it matters

Three things are untouched:

1. The script. Every line, including the infamous ending whisper, is the 2013 text.
2. The choice structure. The same branches, the same fake-outs, the same four endings for the Crooked Man. The remaster does not add a new ending or fix the criticism that some choices are cosmetic.
3. The pacing. Episode lengths, walk speeds and investigation sequences are unchanged, including the parts that felt slow in 2013.

If your complaint about the original was that choices did not matter enough, the remaster does not answer it. The choices guide breaks down which decisions actually branch and which are flavour.

Performance and technical changes

The remaster targets 1080p at 60 FPS on recommended PC hardware, with higher resolutions available on capable systems, and it ships with an updated interface and accessibility settings. The original's PC port was functional but rough around the edges; load times and texture pop-in were the usual complaints.

On consoles, Sony lists PS5 and PS4 as separate versions, and Microsoft ships the game for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The current-generation builds load faster from the SSD and hold a steadier frame rate than the 2013 consoles managed, but do not expect ray tracing, haptics or other bespoke current-generation features — this is still a remaster of a 2013 adventure.

Save files and carry-over

There is no announced save import from the 2013 release into the remaster. Your old save does not unlock choices, and the remaster starts from a fresh file.

What does exist is forward carry-over: choices made in the remaster can be linked to your Telltale Account and carried into The Wolf Among Us 2 when it arrives in 2027. Players who skip the remaster can still set their past decisions manually at the start of the sequel. The save transfer page explains the account link step by step.

Should you buy it again?

Buy it if you have not played The Wolf Among Us since 2013 and want a version that holds up on a modern display, or if you never played it at all and own a current console. The remaster is the definitive way to experience the story.

Skip it if you replayed the game recently, care mainly about new story content, or expect the choices to work differently. The bonus material is a couple of hours and the narrative is identical.

Wait if you own the original on the same platform. The owner discount can take the price down further than the launch promotion, and there is no reason to pay twice at full price. Check the price guide before checkout.

Official source: The Wolf Among Us Remastered on Steam

How the versions compare on each platform

• PC: the biggest jump. Higher resolutions, unlocked frame rates and the ability to toggle Noir Mode with a keybind. Both Steam and Epic versions are identical in content.
• PS5: the DualSense is used for basic rumble only; there are no adaptive trigger features. Load times are the main improvement.
• Xbox Series X|S: runs the Xbox One build via backward compatibility. Quick Resume works, which is genuinely useful for a five-episode game.
• Switch: delayed, no date. When it arrives it will almost certainly be the most compromised version technically, but portability suits an episodic adventure.

FAQ

Is the remaster a remake?

No. It is the 2013 game with rebuilt assets, new lighting, an updated interface, remastered audio and extra content. The script and choice structure are unchanged.

Does the remaster include all five episodes?

Yes. Faith, Smoke and Mirrors, A Crooked Mile, In Sheep's Clothing and Cry Wolf are all included on the disc or in the download. There is no separate season pass.

Can I import my 2013 save?

No save import has been announced. The only carry-over is from the remaster into The Wolf Among Us 2 through a Telltale Account.

Is Noir Mode worth it?

It is the best reason to replay. Play the story once in colour, then run it again in black and white to see how the lighting was rebuilt.

Verdict

The remaster is a careful, respectful update rather than a reinvention. It fixes how the game looks and runs, adds a genuinely good presentation mode and a solid extras package, and leaves the story alone. That is the right call for a twelve-year-old narrative adventure, even if it means returning players will recognise every beat.

Start with the review roundup for the port's technical verdict, then use the walkthrough if you are playing for the first time.

Sources

• Telltale Games, The Wolf Among Us
• Wikipedia, The Wolf Among Us