The Walking Dead: The Final Season

The Walking Dead: The Final Season is exactly what it sounds like. It is the end of the Clementine story and it is a story that I and millions of other people could not have been any more invested in. We are actually lucky this game even got finished as there were still two episodes to go when Telltale shut their doors. Thankfully, Skybound Entertainment stepped in to make sure Clementine’s story had a proper end.

Welcome Back Clem,

While I had no problems with Javi at all in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier. For The Final Season, all the focus was once again back in Clementine and I actually think this was the right decision. Clementine is a character that we have seen go from being a scared child to someone who can flat out do what it takes to survive.

Lay Your Life On The Line

The Walking Dead: The Final Season is actually set seven years after the first game so Clementine is now in her late teens and she is looking after AJ. She is willing to do whatever it takes to protect AJ and I really love the relationship that the two of them have. It is very similar to what Lee and Clementine had and I love the way that she thinks about what would Lee do in certain situations. For me, the absolute stand out aspect of this game is the relationship between Clementine and AJ. I remember at the end of the second season when she left with AJ (and Kenny as well in my case) and I wondered how Clementine could protect him, well protect him she certainly did.

Wait…. Is that?????

The story is great, without giving too much away, Clementine and AJ eventually end up in this abandoned school where a group of kids is hauled up. They take Clem and AJ in and while most are cool as you would expect there are some who are not. The big thing though is that these kids are harassed by another group called, The Delta.

At first, I thought The Delta was rather generic, but then you are hit with one of the biggest twists of the entire Walking Dead series when a character you met in the first season comes back to haunt you. It is incredibly well done and my jaw was legit on the floor when this happened. I do not know if they planned this all the way back then, but if they did... bravo!

Ending With Familiarity

For this final episode, Telltale stuck with what they know and from a gameplay point of view, there is nothing really new in The Walking Dead: The Final Season. I am fine with that though as this is a game that is all about the story and the gameplay that is actually here is great and moves things along.

Once again you will be communicating with other characters and what you do and say can make a difference. There are some quick time events too which are super tense and often made me wonder if what I had done was the right thing.

I also want to talk about the ending, but do not worry I am not going to spoil anything here. This is the fourth game (well fifth if you count 400 Days) in this saga. It is a saga that got me so emotionally invested that I would have to put The Walking Dead as an overall series in my top ten of all time.

It must have been so hard for the guys and gals behind this to come up with a good ending, but I really feel that they nailed the ending. It is sad, but at the same time, there is hope. So many stories struggle to wrap things up, but The Walking Dead does it very well and I was certainly not disappointed with the way everything came to a close.

Pros:

• A fantastic ending
• Some very tense choices to make
• The relationship between AJ and Clem is great
• There is a really shocking return!
• I do not see how they could have closed this series any better

Cons:

• Nothing really new as far as gameplay goes
• No word on what is happening with a physical release

One thing that many fans are most thankful for about The Walking Dead The Final Season is the fact that the game exists. Telltale Games had to shut their doors, leaving the fate of the remaining episodes up in the air. Well the actual people behind The Walking Dead, Skybound Entertainment stepped in and took the series over ensuring it would have a conclusion.

The Story

Despite what many people say I think that The Walking Dead Season 3 moved the story along very well. However, I will say that having Clementine be the main focus of The Walking Dead The Final Season was certainly the right way for the season to go out. I really do think that Clementine’s story arc is wonderful. This game is set nearly a decade after the events of the first game. This makes Clem a teenager now, but she is far wiser and more battled hardened than her actual age. She has taken on the role of the main caregiver to AJ, who has also grown since he was first introduced. One of my favorite things about this chapter in The Walking Dead saga is the bond that Clem and AJ have. In some ways, it does remind me of what Clem and Lee had in the first game.

Clementine and AJ end up with a group of kids and all is not what it seems. There is another group who is muscling in on these kids. The story in this game is fantastic. There is a throwback to something that happened all the way back in season one and to say it left my jaw on the floor when it happened is a huge understatement. I do not want to give spoilers away about the main story, but I really do think this is a fitting end to the whole saga.

The Presentation

While Skybound Entertainment took over this game from Telltale Games they did keep most of the team on who was working on the game. As a result, the art style of The Walking Dead The Final Season is just the same as the other games. Now, this may sound like a negative, but it is not. It is like a comic book come to life and I do not think the artists get the credit they deserve for the emotion they were able to create on the characters faces.

Once again you have a stellar voice cast and there really is not a weak link in the bunch. The fact that the voice acting is so strong along with those great facial animations really does make the game that extra bit emotional when something heavy does happen.

The Gameplay

Just like the visuals, there is nothing really new as far as the gameplay goes either. That is fine by me as this is a series that is pretty much perfect when it comes to a point and click adventure style game. Again, you will need to talk to as many people as you can to move the story along. I always chat with everyone that I can. This fleshes out all of the characters and I do think that it also makes things more impactful when they happen as you have taken the time to get to know the characters on a more personal level. You do still have some puzzle and action sections to deal with, but what you saw in the previous games is pretty much here.

Final Thoughts On The Walking Dead The Final Season

I really do not see how they could have ended the series any better than they did with The Walking Dead The Final Season. This was a roller coaster of a ride and I loved the way that it even went back to things that happened in that very first season. For me, Clementine is one of the most memorable video game characters in a very long time. Hopefully, at some point, we will get a big collection that has all of the Walking Dead games in one package.

Final Score 9/10

Pros

• There is a mind-blowing return
• I loved the way Clem looked after AJ
• New characters are very interesting
• Once again some of the choices you make are brutal
• A very fine end to one of the best stories in all of gaming

Cons:

• You do wonder what happens to these characters next
• No new gameplay additions