Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Walking Dead: The Game: Season One

It's been nearly two weeks since I finished The Walking Dead, and I still don't honestly know what exactly to say. There are some things I know I can say about the game, though. It's probably one of the best games I've played this year. Probably one of the best games I'll play for awhile. It tops out as one of the best games I've ever played period. Perhaps it's the best we just start from the beginning.

Episode One: A New Day

We start off finding our protagonist, Lee Everett, on his way to prison. We aren't really told if he did or didn't do whatever he's been accused of, at first. After some conversation with a kindly old cop, the squad car you're in hits a zombie, walkers as they're commonly called here as zombie fiction doesn't exist in this world, and the car goes off the road, knocking you out. Waking up you'll see the start of society beginning to fall. You'll meet up with those you'll be seeing a lot of in the coming episodes, and you'll have to make a few choices, some involving life and death.

This episode does a great job of introducing the characters, while leaving plot hooks for later episodes to pull on. The big ones are Lee, because he feels like your average everyman. Not like what other devs want to feel like your everyday guy, ala Nathen Drake. Lee actually feels real, he's got flaws, he's humble about his abilities, and he does actually get freaked out a few times, nearly losing his head, or actually doing so if you choose that.

The game is a sort of return to the point and click adventure genre. You'll move around environments, chatting with folks, solving a few puzzles, and soaking in the story. The game does a great job of building up atmosphere. You feel like you're living in a place where everything has obviously gone down the crapper. Things obviously aren't going to get much better, and you're stuck dealing with it.

There's some graphical hiccups, but that's about all I can say to complain here.

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