Whether you play it on PC, Xbox or PS3, you are definitely in for a pleasant surprise.
Have you ever had a game that surprised you from the first hour of game play and then kept your attention for three, roughly two and a half hour, episodes?
That is exactly what 'The Walking Dead' TellTale's new adventure horror game did to me. Whether you play it on PC, Xbox or PS3, you are definitely in for a pleasant surprise.
Since there have already been reviews on the first three episodes, I've decided to do a three-episode review, that will contain no spoilers on story content or plot development.
Hopefully my review will entice you enough to give the game a try or at least give it a search on YouTube.
My experience with 'The Walking Dead' started on a boring Saturday afternoon when I decided to download the demo off of the PSN. I had seen a trailer for the game when the demo had first come out and to be honest I wasn't impressed. A Zombie Apocalypse? Survival Skills put to the ultimate test? It seemed typical, and unoriginal. But when I started playing the demo (and later on when I purchased the real game) I realized just how interesting and original the game actually is.
You play the game through the eyes of Lee Everett, a university teacher charged with killing a man his wife was having an affair with. The story is situated in Atlanta, and it starts with Lee in the back of a cop car, driving out of Atlanta.
From the very beginning, you get to start making choices on what you say to the police officer who is driving Lee to jail. The choices don't create drastic changes overall, but they do give you the option to choose how you would like the conversation to go. I don't want to go into too much detail, but you never make it to the penitentiary, and that's when the real story starts.
GAMEPLAY:
The game features mostly point-and-click action, with the four buttons (or four keys on PC) depicting different actions or things to say. When you encounter the zombies known as 'The Walkers' you will either have to click a certain button pointing at a body part to hit it or resort to button-mashing in order to get them away from you. The third chapter implements another aspect of game play, but I'll leave that for you to play through. This isn't the typical zombie game where you walk around killing anything dead that gets in your way; actually, the sections where you do encounter zombies are usually short and random. Don't be surprised when you see blood and guts flying everywhere. This game carries an M rated sticker for a reason. There are also sections in the game that let you choose a weapon, and you will get three options before moving on. These really don't change anything that happens in the game but it does slightly change how a fight scene will play out.
Most of the game play however, revolves around speaking to other characters and getting their opinion on current events. Where 'The Walking Dead' shines is the fact that characters will remember your responses to questions and later on this could come back to haunt you. It might make a character leave you in a dangerous situation if you sided against them earlier on in the story or it could cause a character to change their opinion of you just because you don't agree with their views. To spice things up, the game gives you a limited time to choose an answer, and this could leave you picking a response you feel you didn't think through. Most of the time these actions don't completely change the plot, but they can definitely change your options down the road. After getting immersed in the second chapter, I started making decisions based on what I would personally say or do. At first you might try to be the nice guy or the jerk if you want to, but eventually you start thinking as if you're Lee. I don't know many games that have made me feel like I was really the main character making crucial decisions. It can leave you shocked, angry, confused, or all of the above. The point-and-click system also functions during the game's puzzles, which are usually simple and are used to either break away from the story or to push the plot forward.
STORY:
'The Walking Dead' has a great storyline with shocks and scares around every corner. The character development also shines as your actions and responses change the way members of your group will speak to you and act around you.
You'll probably have a couple of favourites, and a few suspicions about individuals in your group as the story progresses. Can you really trust Kenny, the friendly father who would do just about anything to protect his wife and kid? Should you really be so kind to Carley, the news reporter who might know a thing or two about your past? Should your main priority be Clementine, the girl you found that you've sworn to protect? The story almost becomes real, and with the many response choices, you'll find yourself creating your own path. Plus, if all goes to hell, you can always replay the game and do things differently.
GRAPHICS:
Telltale chose the perfect look for 'The Walking Dead' in my opinion. The cell-shaded animations are a reminder of 'The Walking Dead' comic series and yet the characters have unique facial features and keep a realistic touch. When a character is shocked or upset, their face shows so, and the game puts critical emphasis on expressions and reactions, leaving a real experience in its wake.
IS IT WORTH IT?
'The Walking Dead' comes in episode instalments, three of which have been released up until this date. I found all the episodes so far are around two to three hours depending on whether you rush through events or take your time to examine everything. The episodes (five in total) are $4.99 on the PSN but you can get the season pass which gives you all the current episodes, and pays for the episodes that are yet to be released. I purchased the season's pass because it's only $20 and you basically get the last episode for free. Plus, with playstation games usually costing $50 and up, I was excited to play a quality game that I wouldn't have to save up for. I'm extremely excited for the final two episodes of 'The Walking Dead' series. The three episodes so far have left me breathless, shocked, and anxious. I would definitely recommend the game to anyone looking for a slight horror game with a deep storyline. 9/10