The Walking Dead: The Game
a game by | Telltale, Inc |
Platforms: | XBox 360, PC (2012) |
Editor Rating: | 9.5/10, based on 2 reviews |
User Rating: | 6.9/10 - 25 votes |
Rate this game: | |
See also: | Zombie Games, Comics Games, Post-Apocalyptic Games, Xbox 360 Zombie Games, Episodic Games, Games Like Life is Strange, Games Like The Quarry, The Walking Dead Series |
Brought to us by Telltale Games, The Walking Dead Season One is a masterpiece of storytelling in video games. While in the same universe as the movie and comic books, The Walking Dead is its own thing. There are many people who will argue that the story which is told in this game is better than either the TV show or the comic book.
Meet Lee Everett
The character that you play as in The Walking Dead is Lee Everett. He is a well-educated university professor and he is on his way to jail after being convicted of murder. Right from the start, the game does a great job of getting you to connect with Lee. You make small talk with the officer who is driving you and then BAM. You hit a walker and Lee’s whole world gets turned even more upside down than when he got convicted of murder.
It All Matters
By now most people know the formula of one of these games inside and out. However, when The Walking Dead was released in 2012 it was quite a different story and many people were blown away with the way the game played. This is not an action shooter like you would think a game about zombies would be.
This is a story driven game that actually has more in common with point and click adventure games than it does anything else. Lee can talk to many different people and there is always a choice of what you can say. What you say matters greatly as does what you do. Sometimes it can have a really dramatic effect on what happens next.
In theory, this means that The Walking Dead is great for multiple playthroughs and it is. I though think that the first play through that you make, where you make all your choices on pure instinct is really magical stuff.
Hi, I Am Clementine
Shortly after the first episode begins, we come across who would become the real main character of the series, Clementine. She is a little girl who has been left alone after her parents went to stay in a hotel for the weekend and her baby sitter got killed by a Walker. Lee and Clementine strike up a friendship right away and he agrees to take her to Savannah where she thinks her parents are.
The relationship between Lee and Clementine is one that is really special and one of the best that I have ever come across in a video game. You really would do anything to protect her and the game really pulls at your emotions.
Take Charge
As well as Clementine, you come across many other characters who are memorable. My favorite has always been Kenny and I found that I sided with him through pretty much everything that happened. You, of course, lose members of your group along the way and there is a scene with Kenny, his wife and their son that is truly heartbreaking stuff. It was one of those things where the first time I played the game I was latterly stunned at what I had to do.
The Walking Dead Season One is spread across five chapters and I really do not think that there is a weak one in the bunch. They are all so strong that I would actually struggle to pick a favorite out of them all as they all have something that makes each one special. You can control Lee and make him move around, interact with stuff and talk to people. There are also some sections where you get to use a gun and have to do something a little more action packed.
I really cannot praise The Walking Dead Season One highly enough. Very few games can get you at an emotional level as this game can. While some choices do not matter, many of them do and you sometimes regret the choice you make and feel bad about what happened as a result of it. If you are one of the few who has still not played this game, what are you waiting for? I would recommend that you play through all five chapters one after the other as the story packs way more punch that way.
Pros:
- One of the most emotional rollercoasters I have ever been on
- There are Characters that you love and hate
- Each chapter has its own feel
- You feel that some of your choices really do matter
- The voice acting is incredible
Cons:
- The game is pretty emotionally heavy
- A couple of choices feel like they do not matter
Download The Walking Dead: The Game
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Game Reviews
When you think of the modern point and click style game, The Walking Dead by Telltale Games is 9/10 the first game you think of. The Walking Dead is a truly incredible series of video games and it all started here. What is really cool about it is that while it is set in the same universe as the comics and the TV show, the game is very much its own thing.
The Story
The biggest strength that The Walking Dead has is in its storytelling. The game is set across five different chapters and it plays out kind of like a TV show. The game puts you in the role of Lee Everett. A former professor who is on his way to jail when the zombie apocalypse hits. Lee is one of the most interesting characters I have ever played as in a video game. Shortly after an “accident” on his way to jail. Lee winds up meeting a little girl called Clementine. Lee decides to take Clementine with him to help her find her parents. The two of them strike up a really wonderful father/daughter style relationship. The game does it so well that you are willing to do anything to keep her safe.
As well as Lee and Clementine, The Walking Dead also features some other fantastic characters that you come to care about. I would say this will differ from person to person, but for me, Kenny and his family were who I really cared about.
The Presentation
The Walking Dead has a really interesting look to it. The game has a somewhat comic book style to the presentation and I think it looks great. The different sections in the game are quite well detailed and there is a lot of variety to the different places you will be going. Also, the Walkers look pretty gruesome and gory which is awesome.
Even better than the graphics though is the sound design. The voice acting in The Walking Dead is some of the best that you will ever hear in the game. I really do not think there is one poor performance in the whole five chapter story arc. The music kicks in just as it should and there is also some nice ambient sound as well.
The Gameplay
Even though this is a game that is about surviving in a zombie apocalypse. The Walking Dead is not an action game. It is more like a point and click adventure game and it is one of the best that I have ever played. You will be playing as Lee and you can move freely around each section of the game that you are in.
Here you can interact with a lot of different objects, talk to characters and solve puzzles. Talking to characters plays a huge part in the game and some of the things that you say and do will have a major consequence on the game going forward and even the games that follow. It can even lead to one character surviving over another.
This is the big gameplay twist of The Walking Dead and while some decisions that you make do not really mean anything. The fact that each one could, does make you think very carefully about what you want to do. It is done so incredibly well and some of the decisions you make will stick with you for a few days as some of them are brutal!
Final Thoughts On The Walking Dead
This is the first game in The Walking Dead series and I think that they did an amazing job. The storytelling really is movie/TV show quality and even all these years later after the first time, I played it some of my choices are fresh in my mind. This is a game that is pretty much available on everything and there is no excuse not to play it.
Final Score: 9.5/10
Pros:
- Has amazing storytelling
- Some incredible performances from the voice actors
- Chapters play out like a TV show
- The game is pretty brutal (but in a good way)
- The story leaves you wanting more
Cons:
- The game will break your heart
- The ending… OMG!!!!