RPGFan has reviewed The Council Episode 1 - The Mad Ones:

The Council Episode 1 - The Mad Ones

"...the absurdity of it is effectively countered by the layers of intrigue the eccentric cast of characters adds to the already mysterious plot."

The adventure game genre, particularly the narrative and graphic adventure subgenres, has undoubtedly grown a bit stale over the last decade or so. That's not to say there haven't been some recent gems, of course, but overall the trend has been to fall back on a formulaic design approach with little in the way of gameplay innovation. The Council, a new episodic narrative thriller from developer Big Bad Wolf, aims to shake up the genre by concentrating its core gameplay on interactive standoffs between characters through tense conversational duels.

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Graphics: 85%
Sound: 80%
Gameplay: 80%
Control: 90%
Story: 75%
Overall: 77%

Pros:
Social Influence system is a fun twist on decision trees, interesting premise, great visuals

Cons:
Sound issues, some framerate issues, limited exploration

Bottom Line:
A very promising start to a series with an intriguing story, interesting setting, and a unique spin on choice-based narratives.