The Walking Dead
PlayStation 3
Nostalgia Factor:
Time passed. Too much time. While everyone else was discovering the joy of this game firsthand, I was being left out. Eventually I read some reviews that praised the game. I noticed that a lot of people had nominated this for game of the year. Really? Was this the same game where I had played the demo and disliked it immensely? A friend of mine then proceeded to tell me that the game was amazing. How he wished he could erase his memory and go back and play it from scratch so that it would be like the first time all over again.
I budged. There was simply no way so many game magazines, gamer reviews, and my friend's opinion could all be wrong.
They were not. This game is fucking amazing.
By the time I had gotten around to the Walking Dead, I had played Heavy Rain. So my opinion on games that were conversation based or quick time based had changed a bit. I was ready to love the Walking Dead. And this I did.
Starting off in the back seat of a police car, I instantly was able to get into the story. You know that the main character Lee has committed a nearly unforgiveable sin: murder. But at the same time he seems like a genuinely decent guy. The game has barely started and already its complexity has begun to shine through. Things start to go wrong quickly, and zombies attack. You take control of Lee, who manages to escape police custody and head off to seek somewhere to lie low for a bit.
Lee enters an empty house, and soon encounters a small helpless girl named Clementine. He takes her under his wing, and they set off to find safety with other people.
From here, the game really gets good. In true Walking Dead fashion, you encounter many complex characters - some good and some bad. Some in between. Don't get too attached to too many people, as you know some of them are bound to be killed off along the way. Without giving too much away, the game focuses around Lee and his relationship with Clementine as they head towards Savannah - the last place Clem's parents were known to be. And also, conveniently, where one of the characters hopes to find a boat that he can use to take the survivors to somewhere safe at sea.
This game takes place in the graphic novel universe, so expect to see cameos from a few characters such as Glenn and Hershel. None of them stick around for long though.
Lee enters an empty house, and soon encounters a small helpless girl named Clementine. He takes her under his wing, and they set off to find safety with other people.
From here, the game really gets good. In true Walking Dead fashion, you encounter many complex characters - some good and some bad. Some in between. Don't get too attached to too many people, as you know some of them are bound to be killed off along the way. Without giving too much away, the game focuses around Lee and his relationship with Clementine as they head towards Savannah - the last place Clem's parents were known to be. And also, conveniently, where one of the characters hopes to find a boat that he can use to take the survivors to somewhere safe at sea.
This game takes place in the graphic novel universe, so expect to see cameos from a few characters such as Glenn and Hershel. None of them stick around for long though.
Gameplay:
As far as gameplay goes, this title doesn't offer much variety. Mainly you walk around, talk to people, and pick things up and use them. Occasionally you'll encounter an action scene where really all you have to do is point at your enemy and click. Some button mashing sequences unfold as well. Occasionally some gun firing sequences come into play. If you are looking for something completely controllable like the Last of Us or Resident Evil 4 though, look elsewhere.
Really, you don't play this game for the game play. The Walking Dead is all about an amazing story, a great cast, and jaw dropping moments. If you have watched the show at all, you know how complex things can get. This isn't just a zombie story. It tells us about ourselves as well. The game explores many of the same themes as the show. And in a way it does a lot of things better.
Over the course of the game you will be faced with many choices. Which character will you side with in an argument? Kill someone who has been bitten, or save their life? Chew someone out for a mistake, or forgive them? Steal someone's supplies, or leave them be? And each decision you make has an impact on the story. The game follows a main, linear path - but choices you make affect the way things happen along that path. Who will live and die, who will side with you when you are in a pinch and who won't, etc.
Over the course of the game you will be faced with many choices. Which character will you side with in an argument? Kill someone who has been bitten, or save their life? Chew someone out for a mistake, or forgive them? Steal someone's supplies, or leave them be? And each decision you make has an impact on the story. The game follows a main, linear path - but choices you make affect the way things happen along that path. Who will live and die, who will side with you when you are in a pinch and who won't, etc.
Graphics:
The game's graphics are simple, but impressive. It looks like you are playing a graphic novel, but it is not too cartoony to distract from the game's impressive atmosphere. This is a serious and heartfelt, and often frightening story - and the game's look fits the mood perfectly.
The game's graphics are simple, but impressive. It looks like you are playing a graphic novel, but it is not too cartoony to distract from the game's impressive atmosphere. This is a serious and heartfelt, and often frightening story - and the game's look fits the mood perfectly.
Sound:
This game sounds terrific. The voice acting is really good - and it needed to be. Since the bulk of this game is told through its story, you really need convincing voice actors to be able to sell it. And they knock it right out of the park, particularly with Lee. Clementine can be a little annoying at times.
The music perfectly sets the tone for the game. There is this one song in particular that they always play during heartfelt moments, and I just love it.
Overall:
While the actual controls and game play itself might be a little lackluster, this game is still fantastic. The story really makes this game go. You connect with Lee and Clementine on a personal level that you rarely experience in a video game. There are a plethora of emotional moments that really hit hard and test your spirit. There are many plot twists and turns along the way, and the fact that the choices you make influence who lives and who dies - I think is awesome and gives the game wonderful replay value. The ending of this title is one of the most gut wrenching I have ever seen. It will stay with you for a long time.
The Walking Dead was released serially in 5 different chapters. Since it's been out for quite some time now, do yourself a favor and buy the combo pack that includes all the episodes and save yourself some money.
I'll also touch upon the game's DLC - 400 Days. 400 Days is done in the same style as the main game. It tells the story of 5 different groups of survivors, and how some of these characters' tales intersect. I was really impressed with 400 Days, and thought it was quite good. Each of the five stories is relatively short, so you don't get quite the same amount of time to connect emotionally to some of these characters as you did in the main game. But still, each individual story was very well done. And the fact that the ending leaves open the possibility of a tie in with The Walking Dead Season Two gets me very excited. I haven't played Season 2 yet, but I am willing to bet certain characters and locations from the DLC will make an appearance at some point in that game.
All in all, I thought this was an A plus game. This game is just so good, you want to keep playing and never put it down. I steamrolled through all five chapters in record time. People may complain abou the gameplay and say that it is more movie than game. Which is true - to an extent. There are puzzles to solve and things to do. Even when you are just watching a scene or conversing with someone, the game always finds a way to keep you involved so you actually feel like a part of the action and not just a bystander. But it is very story based.
To me, the whole experience of the game is awe inspiring. The environments are epic. The characters are complex and each deal with crap in different ways. Lee and Clementine almost start to feel like family after a while. This may not be a traditional video game as we know them, but it is still amazing in its own way. No game has hit me as hard on an emotional level as this was able to do.
The Walking Dead is not just a game, it is an experience. If you still haven't played this title and are any kind of gamer at all, something is wrong with you. Get it now. It is one of the best games I have ever played.
THE GRADE:
A+
No comments:
Post a Comment