Developed By: Telltale Games
Available On: iOS, Mac, PC, PS3, 360
I should probably let you know I find the Walking Dead TV show incredibly dull. I love the premise and that’s about it. The first few episodes were promising with Mr. All American Sheriff Rick and his 28 Days Later-esque introduction to the zombie apocalypse. However, nothing really ever happened, and I didn’t care about any of the characters apart from one or two. The second season just seemed to continue their boring bickering with each other. Luckily this game is based on the graphic novel instead, and brings with it characters I care about and delicious, delicious cartoon violence.
The art style is great. It's reminiscent of Borderland’s cell-shaded aesthetic and perfectly ties into it's graphic novel roots. This interpretation doesn’t skimp out on violence either, there are a few squelchy pummelings and head explosions to be seen. Lee, the character you play as, is apparently no stranger to violence. He appears to be leaving behind shadowy secrets, as we are first introduced to him in the back seat of a police car.
Lee is not necessarily a bad person though. One of the great things Telltale has done with this game is the ambiguous morality of many of the characters. People are far better characterised here than in the TV show. Lee in particular is a joy to play as.
Most of the actual interaction is role-playing as Lee, very similar to a choose-your-own-adventure book. Dialogue between Lee and other characters gives you four options with differing replies. They can vary from being very antagonistic to friendly and supportive. One of Telltale’s best decisions was to make these dialogue options timed. With a timer quickly ticking away, you are forced to give your reply in a heartbeat. You might not be entirely happy with your reply, but you have to live with it. The sense of finality in your choices is something sorely missing from recent games.
Some choices are extremely final too. For instance, you have to decide who to save at one point in the game. Whoever you save, likely leaves the other to die. This isn't an easy choice between saving an evil child murderer or a cute kitten. You are left with very grey decisions.
While the story, visuals, and choices are mostly fantastic, the game does have some faults. Most of them aren't game-breaking, but they are annoying. At occasional points in the game, the audio cuts out, characters glitch through each other, and the camera angle blocks your view. These don't make the game awful, but they do make it a little obtrusive when it shouldn't be. Another problem is the simplistic puzzles. Fans of adventure games will scoff at the simplicity, but I enjoyed them for a little break in the story. Some parts may be a little basic, but the flavour really comes from the characters and their stories.
If you're looking for a game where you'll be shooting zombies left right and centre, that's not what this game is. It's a more methodical story about the people involved, rather than a rollercoaster of carnage. However if you're looking for some background to the Walking Dead story, this game is a pretty good place to start. A couple of the characters from the TV show make an appearance which helps bring together the Walking Dead universe. Like the TV show, this game is coming out in episodes. This first episode left me eager for more and I can't wait for the next episode coming out in early June.
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