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The Walking Dead Season One: Telltale’s First Episodic Masterpiece
Title: The Walking Dead
Type of Game: Narrative Adventure
Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Released: April 24, 2012
Platforms Available: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC Game, Xbox (360, One)
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4
Level of Maturity: Mature (M)
Reading Time: 6 minutes
Combining an interactive movie and an adventure game is not a new idea, but it wasn’t until Telltale Games perfected the concept. The Walking Dead is an immersive experience that takes storytelling to a new level. Unless you don’t mind completely sacrificing your gaming freedom… The protagonist is Lee, a former university professor at the time convicted of murder. At the start of the game, he’s just being escorted to prison, but the arrival of zombies ensures he can start living again, regardless of his past. It doesn’t take long before he meets seven-year-old Clementine, whom he pledges to protect and help find her parents.
A Script to Rival All Others
The Walking Dead arguably has one of the best scripts in the narrative video game genre, and it still manages to make the most out of such a familiar and much-used setting, which zombies are without question these days. The story is inspired by Robert Kirkman’s comic novels and the HBO series of the same name. Really just inspired, the game tells a completely separate story, and the only connection to the books is a couple of side characters that only make a brief appearance a few times in the game. So you don’t have to worry about being limited by your ignorance of the source material. I got the comic myself after finishing the game. Unlike other zombie-themed games, The Walking Dead doesn’t just focus on fighting the undead brain-eaters, but on long-term survival.
Ordinary People, Extraordinary Situations
The main characters are ordinary people who are put in extreme situations that they have to deal with, the zombies themselves are actually the second in line. Throughout your journey, you meet a lot of different people that you have to take an attitude towards. In the harsh environment of a destroyed world, no one can last long on their own, and so a disparate group of individuals gradually builds up around Lee, who have only the desire to survive in common. Everyone is pursuing their own interests and getting along well with everyone is simply not possible. It’s up to you what approach you take to them.
Moral Dilemmas and Hard Choices
Example: a starving group stumbles upon several cans of food that are by no means enough for everyone. Do you feed the women and children, or the adult men who protect them? You also don’t have to tell anyone about the find and keep everything to yourself. Or you divide everything equally so that no one is fed at all but is fair. You’ll face many similar dilemmas as you play, but often much more serious and under time pressure. The game doesn’t offer clearly good and bad options, you have to decide everything according to your own conscience, and thanks to the automatic saving you can’t change your mind. Even though the game is tightly scripted from the start and there are only two endings, but there are different ways to get there.
Character Development Done Right
None of this would work without the perfect fleshing out of all the characters, which is crucial in the gaming world and especially in the story-driven games genre. Some individuals you will hate, others you will love, but none will be indifferent. The highlight then is the gradually deepening relationship between Lee and little Clementine. It has to be said that the writers definitely do not spare their heroes and are not afraid to kill them.
Not for Everyone, but Perfect for Some
Despite my enthusiasm, I have to admit that The Walking Dead is not for everyone. The story and the cinematic experience are subordinate to everything else, there’s not much left to the actual acting. Of course, dialogue plays a major role in the adventure part, where unlike in regular adventure games, what you say really matters. Logic problem-solving is then limited to using a few objects in the right places, which definitely won’t blow your mind. Besides, just in tense moments, you’re pressing the right buttons according to how they appear on the screen. Getting to the end is no problem even for absolute non-players. But the story has a good flow and there are no blind spots.
A Compact, Intense Experience
Each of the five episodes lasts roughly three hours, which adds up to 15 hours of intense entertainment. And that’s absolutely ideal these days of an enormous number of open worlds with hundreds of hours of genetic content, given the lower price of the game in both digital distribution and boxed versions.
Distinctive Art Style and Atmosphere
The technical workmanship surprises. The creators have resorted to the now very popular Cell-Shaded comic book graphics, which are at odds with the brutality and seriousness of the content depicted. However, the result is so distinctive and hilarious that one quickly gets used to it. The professional dubbing and music then just perfectly round off the unforgettable atmosphere.
Conclusion
Describing The Walking Dead further without giving away the story is no longer possible. More than a video game, this is a perfect experience. Finding mistakes is pointless: once the story draws you in, you’ll still wave your hand over any bugs or minor illogic. The Walking Dead is fundamentally flawless, and for me personally, one of the best games of its time and genre.
Where To Buy The Game?
Steam (PC, Mac, Linux): Available for $14.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Xbox Store (Xbox One): Available for $14.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
PlayStation Store (PS4): Available for $14.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Nintendo Shop (Switch): Available for $14.99. Purchase it from the Nintendo Shop.
Epic Games Store (PC): Available for $14.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.
Official Page: Visit the official TelTail page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the The Walking Dead Subreddit.
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