Mario 64, Final Fantasy VII, Goldeneye and Halo are just some of the games that left a mark on the industry and will be remembered for what they brought to gaming. In 10 years time it’s very likely that we will be talking about The Walking Dead in a similar fashion. The game is very flawed in certain aspects but what it does well it does better than any game has done before it.
The game opens with your character Lee sat in the back of a police car on his way to prison for murder. From here you’re just given some time to learn the controls and the conversation system. From just this first conversation you’re able to see that what you do and say will effect what happens in the future. It doesn’t take long for the ride along to get interrupted by the zombie apocalypse and you’re thrown into the action.
Hi I'm Johnny Knoxville and this is getting bitten by a zombie
Gameplay is the weakest part of The Walking Dead and it seems that Telltale realised this after the first episode. They tried to add puzzles like they have done in their past games such as Back to the Future and Sam & Max, Telltale which is made up mainly of old Lucasarts employees have always tried to stay true to their adventure game roots. Sadly when you’re stuck in a room surrounded by zombies looking for a key to a door or batteries for a radio it feels rather tedious rather than rewarding and takes away the tension of split second thinking that a game like this should have.
The good thing is that Telltale saw this fault and soon switched their focus onto the selling part of the series. The Walking Dead which before being a game has been a very big series in both print and TV form has always been about the characters. The zombies are just part of the environment and their only purpose is to help you realise that there is no relaxing. With it being a time where many complaints are thrown at developers for there being to many zombie games it’s refreshing. By the end of The Walking Dead you won’t feel like you have just simply played another zombie game but more a game about life and relationships.
Hardly One Direction but they will do
The game essentially plays out like a 10-12 hour version of the Normandy sections of Mass Effect 2 where you would just interact with your crew which was arguably one of the best parts of the game. In a time where there is no TV to occupy your time and all you have is the company of others who are helping you get by you will want to learn as much as you can about them. Just like people in real life they will leave a first impression which will very much shape how you treat them. Depending on how you respond to questions you’re asked you will shape how the other characters view Lee. It doesn’t take long for you to pick your favourites in the group and start deciding who you will save over the other should the situation arise.
This is where the game excels. You aren’t meant to like everyone but you come to appreciate them as a character in the story. One of the reasons for the excellent story telling is that Telltale handed the script writing duties over to Gary Whitta who wrote the film The Book of Eli. In years to come The Walking Dead will be remembered for being the game that pushed the fact that brilliant script writing is an important factor for some games and shouldn’t just be handed to anyone.
Since a lot of thought went into how the game plays out no one will feel like they have got a ‘bad ending’ but more your own. You will be faced with some very very tough decisions that will shape how your game will play out. These happen as soon as 30 minutes into the game. None of the choices have a wrong or right answer and are just simply down to what you personally feel is best morally or what you feel is the best method to aid your survival.
No talking to strangers doesn't apply in an apocalypse
One thing will be the biggest decider in most of your decision making and that is a young girl named Clementine. You find Clementine alone in a tree house with no adult in sight and you take in upon yourself to look after her. It’s very easy for a child character in any TV series or game to become nothing more than an annoyance but this is handled brilliantly. The way us humans bond with children is by being a teacher to them which is what you become to Clementine, just like any child in real life Clem needs to be taught how and why to do things. Over time you build a strong relationship with her which does become the biggest decider of your decisions. I found myself choosing to do stuff that wouldn’t benefit my character but what would benefit her the most. By the end of the game you will feel you have had an effect on this character like you would on a child in real life. For these reasons Clementine will always been in the argument when it comes to best NPC in a video game.
The Walking Dead ends up being a game that has some big flaws which are massively overshadowed by the fantastic parts of the game. Even those that aren’t blown away by the game will be able to admit the impact the game will have on storytelling in the future for videogames. This is a game that rightfully deserves to be in conversations for a 2012 game of the year award but I will personally be placing it high on my top games of all time.
