The Walking Dead – Review

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Developer(s): Telltale Games
Publisher(s): Telltale Games
Platform(s): Playstation Network (reviewed), Xbox Live Arcade, Windows, Mac, iOS

It’s been a long time coming for fans of the Walking Dead comic or television show and it’s finally here, well, the first episode in a five part series at least.  For fans, The Walking Dead is a fun filled romp through the world of the comic series that does the story justice.  For those out there that don’t follow the comics or the show, The Walking Dead is a joyous throw-back to the point and click adventure games of yore with a modern twist that presents a story which can stand on its own quite well and without prior knowledge of anything Walking Dead related.

Playing is simple enough.  You move Lee around the presented environments and interactive objects are outlined for you.  Placing the cursor over them brings up a menu based on the face buttons of the Playstation controller based on what actions you can take.  Actions change depending on what you currently have in your inventory and as the story progresses.  Interestingly, if you chose to save one person, another may die and the story will adapt to your choices which practically begs for multiple play-throughs so you can see the story from every possible outcome.  Often times, during conversation or confronting a Walker for example, you’ll be presented with a time sensitive menu where you will have to make a choice in a limited amount of time or move your cursor to the appropriate location to take action.  This time sensitive decision making adds to the already intense atmosphere that’s prevalent throughout the game.

Telltale decided to go with a stylized cell-shaded look for the visuals of The Walking Dead which fits with the look of the comic quite well as it makes you feel as though you’re playing an interactive comic straight out of the series.  All of the characters that you’ll meet along your adventure, which will remember your prior interactions with them, show a wide range of emotion and the zombies are genuinely disgusting at times.  While the looks of The Walking Dead were taken straight out of the comics, the sounds seem to be ripped straight from the popular television show.  Solid voice acting, appropriately scary zombie sounds, and a sound track that swells at just the right moment are all presented well.  Sinking a screw driver into a zombie’s skull is not only fun, but sounds nice and gory too.

Currently, you’re presented with a couple of options for getting The Walking Dead on the Playstation Network.  Episode 1 will set you back $4.99 or, since this is only the first part of a series that will be released over the coming months and since the game is relativity short, you can opt for the much better deal of pre-purchasing the entire five part series for $19.99 which also includes a nice looking premium theme to boot.  If you’re on the fence, you can grab the demo as well.

With high production values, a stand alone story, classic adventure game style play mechanics, and due justice to the series for fans The Walking Dead is a great purchase on any of the platforms offered.

Pros:

• Prior knowledge of the series is not required
• Fun action/adventure style gameplay
• Compelling characters and story
• Game adapts to your choices encouraging multiple plays

Cons:

• It’s short and not much of a challenge

SCORE: 9/10