The Walking Dead Game Review

Zombies have always been one of the most popular enemies in video games, and zombie-themed games are usually action packed, revolving around players laying waste to undead hordes by the hundreds. However, not all of them are Hollywood style power trips. One franchise in particular instead focuses on the hardships of living in a zombie apocalypse world, putting the spotlight on the struggles to survive and conflicts between characters: The Walking Dead by Telltale Games. It should be noted that this game is not to be confused with Survival Instinct, and that one does not need to know anything about the TV show to enjoy this game.

Telltale’s version of The Walking Dead is a point-and-click adventure game with a heavy emphasis on storytelling. In truth, it feels less like a video game and more like a great TV show where the player is one of the characters. Although there’s plenty of action in this game, it is more focused on cutscenes where characters plan how to survive but also fight each other, and the player will always have the opportunity to speak their mind and interact with the other characters. In this case, the player assumes the role of Lee Everett, a professor who was on his way to prison just before ‘walkers’ arrived. He meets a young girl named Clementine, and takes care of her throughout the first season of the game. Throughout five episodes, the player has to make tough decisions that will affect how the other characters think of them.

Although the player’s decisions don’t have a major impact on the story, meaning that they can’t take it in a totally different direction on a second playthrough, the story is engaging and immersive, the characters are lively and believable, and the game as a whole offers a new take on the zombie genre of games which has largely been ignored in favor of action. It is an excellent game, and I want to emphasize that players don’t need to know anything about The Walking Dead TV show to enjoy this game.