Game Review: The Walking Dead The Game // E1 – A New Day
Telltale Games treads into darker waters with The Walking Dead: The Game. They bring to the table the undeniable horror and suspense that The Walking Dead brings but also adds a “Choose your own adventure” style of storytelling.
Right off the top Telltale Games got me hook, line and sinker with “Zombies”. As soon as I started the game the scene was set and had me intrigued. We have a man named Lee sitting in the back of a cop car accused of a crime he may or may not have committed. Things go south quickly as we see cops headed into Atlanta in a rush as they are headed out. The cop car crashes and soon after Lee has his very first encounter with the undead. He heads over to a nearby house and meets a little girl (that is now alone) named Clementine. They soon leave the house and head out with two other survivors they meet to a farm run by Hershel. Here you get to know a few other people around but Hershel seems to be very suspicious of Lee. Soon after (a possibly bad decision on my part) Lee gets kicked off the farm and Clementine and him head out with a family. 
They end up at a store with other survivors, some with conflicting personalities and others that seem to be genuine. From there you head to a motel to clear out for the group.
I was a little surprised that it was less like a video game and more like long cut-scenes with “action button” moments but the writing and dialogue quickly make you look passed that. The writers really make you feel for the characters and make you a HUGE part in the storytelling process. The look of the game itself brings a lot of familiarity if you are a fan of Robert Kirkman’s comic. In this episode we see a few familiar faces (Hershel and his farm, Glen) and that helps with helping the gamer feel connected to the “universe” that Kirkman created. The game also makes you stay on your toes with the time-limited decisions you have to make and which is a great thing because it keeps you engaged in the gaming experience. I know I’m playing a bit of catch up but I’ll definitely be ready when the final episode comes out in December.
You can download The Walking Dead: The Game episodes 1-4 for 400MSP each on Xbox Live or 4.99 each on the Playstation Network.
