Article written by Blair Inglis.
Published on 19/02/2013 at 01:00 PM.
The Walking Dead spans several mediums, with ongoing comics, a TV show, an episodic game from Telltale and even an upcoming first person shooter based on the TV show. They’ve all been well received too – well, the released ones have anyway – and the episodic game is a particular highlight, largely due to its extremely good, yet sometimes absolutely devastating narrative.
In fact, it’s one of the best games of last year, backed up by numerous game of the year awards and near unanimous praise from critics (it holds a 92 Metacritic rating, though that’s only based on twelve reviews).
Personally, I think that it’s one of the best games I’ve played this generation and, to my mind, there’s few other examples of storytelling in gaming that are as good as The Walking Dead. While we didn’t review each episode individually, I took a look at the game as a whole after all five episodes had fully released, so I’ll let those words do the talking:
This game connects you and the characters like no other. You are living the zombie apocalypse, not just glimpsing into a world through a screen. Emotions are raw and genuine, choices are brutal and yet necessary, the outcome is heart-wrenching and yet so incredible.
It’s arguable that The Walking Dead hasn’t only forwarded the zombie trope in interactive media, but the medium as a whole. Choices you make have a huge impact – it’s not a matter of gaining XP or being at a certain point on a morality scale but instead a matter of life and death.
To put it simply, it’s a game that shouldn’t be missed by anyone seeking a good story. It might be Lee and Clementine’s story but in the end it’s yours too, since the choices you make affect the outcome of the game to such a large extent. Even if you aren’t a fan of zombies, the connections between each of the character’s and their tale – their plight – is one of the best pieces of fiction that released last year.
Now it’s your turn to tell us what you think of Telltale’s The Walking Dead. I’m confident that most of your reactions will be positive, though it should be interesting to hear from anyone who didn’t quite click with the game. All opinions are welcomed, so long as you’ve played the game.
Simply drop a comment below with a concise review of The Walking Dead and make sure to put a Buy It, Bargain Bin It, Rent It or Avoid It rating on the end. As always, we’ll have a round-up of your thoughts on Monday, so if you want a chance to be included make sure to comment by Sunday afternoon.
A concise review of The Walking Dead – Utter wank. AVOID
Profanity used. Strike this from the record. :P
Fuck you sideways :P
A unequivocal buy it from me. Lovely to know that the real winners of this generation were going to be the smaller studios, prepared to take a risk with the likes of Limbo, Journey, The Walking Dead, etc. What’s even more important is to see how so many adventure games (from the film world) could be introduced into the mechanics of something like The Walking Dead game.
Bring on Season 2!
Loved it. Not for the gameplay, or the artistic style, or even the scope of choice you have.
I loved it for one easy and simple reason.
Clementine.
Never have I played a game that could get me so invested in a character, and NPC at that. How many games have we played that requires you to “save the damsel in distress”? Hundreds. How many did I care about, roughly speaking I’d say about none.
Then Clementine came along and I was so invested in saving her, I could barely wait for the next episode.
If Clementines’ story isn’t continued in the second season, Telltale will have really dropped the ball. She made the game what it is.
BUY IT.
HATE HER. HATE HATE HATE! The most annoying game character EVER. So twee and cutsey she would make Mickey Mouse barf over Goofy and then chainsaw his own wrists open to comitt suicide so he doesnt have to spend another second on the planet with her.
You haven’t played Star Ocean I’m guessing. Lymle os the worst character ever imagined. Trust me on that.
I have actually.
Did you not think she was awful?
Whjich Star Ocean? Last one I played was .. 11 or maybe 7. Or 3. i think? Back on PS2.
Last Hope. PS3 it was on. Horrible character, great game.
I thought she was OK, like an affectionate little six year old.
I’m basing my opinion on the iPhone game. This game is awesome not going lie, the fact that your decisions impact how the game turns out is truly brilliant. I’m going buy it for the ps3, I’m not sure how it is but this game is a gem.
The negative thing I would have to say is that, sometimes you are rushed to make a secession not giving you enough time to evaluate & decide what it is you want to say.
Buy it
I take my comment back after playing it on the ps3, the game is a lag fest, I regret buying it on the ps3, stick to the iPhone version, the ps3 version is awful lag
Buy it.
The one mistake these type of interactive story games can make is that they try to give so much opportunity to the player, to be able to shape what happens and it just fails because things things don’t match up or purpose is gone. Heavy rain is a good example of this and by the end I didn’t enjoy the story at all.
The Walking Dead is different and so much more interesting because it keeps a linear structured narrative, but gives you the freedom to shape and explore your relationships with characters. Some events are inevitable, and its that schism between focusing the narrative and allowing the player to have a role in it that I enjoyed. By the game’s end it was a sad situation, and I felt that and played a part in it and I chose Lee to be pretty much who I wanted him to be.
Of course many other things people have said are good too: the story, the characterisation, the script. Also talking of its story and plot, the game was brilliant in weaving events together and controlling our emotions, like in series 2 I had some idea of what horrors might await, but that slow build up and then that shock revelation at the farm was just fantastic (nearly made me sick which is a first).
There is no real way to bargain bin it or rent it, but that doesn’t matter because the game is good enough to buy 100%.
I’ve considered getting this game on several occasions and always ended up not going through with it because the Steam page only shows cutscenes. I’ve yet to see any gameplay… I guess I could have just searched for it on Youtube…
Tried to review without adding spoilers which is a little difficult.
A game like no other and one of the strongest stories around. Great voice acting / graphic style (looked great in Nvidia 3d vision). There were some genuinely heartbreaking moments. The choice system was great but often things will happen despite what you do and choose. Its not expensive and worth supporting telltale. BUY IT
I absolutely loved it. Really liked it being split into separate episodes too although, they need to be delivered much more regularly. There were a few long gaps between eps. I’d say RENT IT not because I didn’t like it but, like a great TV show, I very rarely go back to them due to knowing whats going to happen.
I first played the demo briefly as it was reminding me of the terrible Back to the Future game series that was free on ps+. However after hearing how well reviewed it was I bought the whole series when it was on sale and very much enjoyed it.
It had the perfect balance of exploring, a bit of combat, logical puzzles and of course the key choice moments that left you wondering “what if”
BUY IT!
Hate it. KILL IT WITH FIRE.