Re-Review!
The Walking Dead Season Two
PlayStation 3
These re-review things are not something I plan to do very often. One of the main focuses of this blog is for me to play and explore new games, not revisit the same old ones over and over again. But it should come as no surprise that shortly after re-reviewing the first Walking Dead game for the PlayStation 3, that I would be doing the same for its sequel. The reason for this is because I wanted to play the third game in the series, but at the same time I didn't remember where the first two games left off. After all, I had last beaten the second game a little over three years ago. It was no surprise that I did not remember much about its ending.
But now I have played it again and I am ready to take on the third one whenever I feel like it. Has my opinion on this game changed since I last played it three years ago? Not really, actually.
While I gave the game a B+ in my initial review, I couldn't help but feel that the game wasn't as good as the original Walking Dead. This game didn't have anything near the emotional impact of the first game for me. There was no Lee in the game, or anyone even like him for Clementine to bond with. The first title had such a memorable cast and so many gut wrenching moments. Its ending is one of the all time video game greats, in my opinion. So when nothing happened in the second game to match that same emotional intensity, I was a little bit disappointed.
Playing it again, I agree that it is true that this game doesn't really have any big, crying, heart-breaking moments. I never got emotional while playing this. But that is not to say that this game is a bad game at all. In fact, it is quite good. But the lack of a big, defining moment like in the last game definitely makes this not as memorable as its predecessor.
The game's presentation is excellent. Playing it now, I can most definitely see that the game's quality is much, much stronger than the original. The graphics are sharper and the characters look more refined. Character interactions feel less stiff and wooden.The locales in this game are very intricate and well detailed as well. I put on headphones when I played, and completely lost myself in the game's world.
You can see that the makers of the game went for a more cinematic feel this time around. Action sequences are much more polished. There are more things you can do. This game mixes in a bigger variety of button mashing and quick-time events than the previous Walking Dead. Things feel a bit more fresh and less mechanical. You are more involved at all times. You always have to be on your toes because you never know when you are going to need to make a quick button selection.
Story wise, the game is strong. Playing as Clementine, you find yourself on your own after being separated from Christa and Omid. In a pretty tense sequence, you are bitten by a hungry dog that you find out in the wild. You are injured, but happen to be discovered by a group of survivors. The survivors aren't very friendly to you at first since they think that your dog bite is a walker bite. But when Clementine doesn't get sick, they finally accept her as one of their own.
You find out that this small group of survivors is on the run from a larger group of survivors led by a man named Carver. They flee with Clementine, their travels taking them to an old ski lodge. There they discover another group of survivors - this one led by Kenny from the first game. The two forces join together to face off against Carver. Things don't go so well.
The second half of the game's story consists of escaping from Carver's complex. The group heads north to a city where there is rumored to be a growing group of survivors who are looking for members. That is where the game ends. I assume the ending is different depending on the choices you make. Mine ended arriving at the city with Kenny at my side. But the group would only take Clementine, so Kenny had to sadly wander off on his own as the credits began to roll.
The game is a lot of fun. I was invested in the twists and turns of Clementine's journey. I didn't want to slow down or stop until I was done! I am very intrigued as to what the next game will entail. Where Clementine's path will take her next.
Overall, this was a solid game. It is hard for me to judge because technically, it is a lot better than the original Walking Dead title. Everything from music, to graphics, to voice acting, to controls... all the way down the line this game is superior. The only place where this game falters is in its storyline. It is not a bad one. In fact, it is very good in a lot of places. But I can't help but hold it up to the high standard set by the original game. With how much I loved that game, whatever came next was bound to let me down. But if I put thoughts of the original game to the side, I can clearly see that its sequel is a very high quality title.
It got a B+ last time, and I think that is a good place to keep it. Can't wait to play number three!
Overall:
B+
(original score: B+)
(original score: B+)
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