The Walking Dead franchise is one of the most successful of its kind. Unlike other Zombie-based series, it focuses on the characters’ choices instead of horror. Introduced in late 2003 as a comic series by Robert Kirkman, the franchise included even a massive hit TV series, among others. AMC’s The Walking Dead is one of the most popular TV series of all time, leading to more TV shows based on it, creating the Walking Dead Universe.
Following the colossal franchise success, Gaming Industry didn’t take too long to take advantage of it. The result was a wide variety of The Walking Dead titles with mixed success and reception. Among the most successful, and for a good reason, is the present article’s game, Telltale The Walking Dead. Today, I’d like to welcome you all to a world where your choices matter. In a world where the dead are not as dangerous as the living ones. The world of Telltale The Walking Dead.
A few words
The Walking Dead series by Telltale Games was first released in 2012 and concluded in 2018, followed by many development problems. Telltale had almost filed for bankruptcy, and that made things even worse. Its studio released only the first two episodes of the final season. After financial adventures leading to Telltale’s business termination, Skybound Entertainment took charge of the project. As a result, the final two episodes were released under Robert Kirkman’s company.
The gaming community praised that move. But there was a caveat. Skybound Studio made the game available exclusively through Epic Store for PC users. The Steam platform removed all of its content, and only users who had bought the games had the right to download them. Luckily this didn’t last for long, and the game was available again through Steam after a short period. I have to write about these to show you that even the game’s background has proved to be a real adventure. A thrilling adventure.
Gameplay and Zombies
The Walking Dead game is an interactive drama where the user’s choices are essential for the story’s development. Most choices have a limited time to be made, and silence or no action is also a valid option. It utilizes the Telltale tool, and its graphics are comic-inspired. The atmosphere is closer to the comic series than the TV show. It is primarily a third-person game. The series consists of 4 seasons and an extra independent spinoff. More about these at their corresponding headings. What makes it genuinely horrifying is not the zombies that are lurking everywhere. No, the “walkers” are the least of your concern.
Your choices and the rest of the living people you interact with are the real deal. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? I must admit that the game’s graphics are a little messy sometimes. Stuttering is a real problem. Some optimization would have been welcome. Graphics quality and environment, on the other hand, are satisfying. It helps you to acclimatize well in this world of drama and horror. But what matters the most is the story. So, in the end, it doesn’t even matter.
The Walking Dead: Season One
The Walking Dead: Season One is the first installment of the series consisting of five main episodes and an extra DLC episode that doesn’t immediately impact the story. It is highly recommended to play the extra episode if you have the chance to, though. It was released between April and November 2012. The game was critically acclaimed and received over 80 awards, including Game of the year, and was a substantial financial success. It was also distributed to almost every available platform, including Android and Nintendo Switch, among all others.
The main character of the first season is Lee Everett. He is a convicted criminal for a crime of passion. After a police car accident on his way to prison, Lee wakes up injured in a strange world. Shortly he realizes that he isn’t safe. Something is wrong. Very wrong. And the dead ones aren’t dead. No, they surely are not. They turn into zombies. The whole city seems to belong to them. And “them” are dangerous. And you don’t want to be their dinner.
After entering a house to seek help, a surprise awaits him. A little girl is trapped in a tree house. Her name is Clementine. Lee manages to save the girl and decides to help her find her parents and protect her. Their adventure has just begun. Will they be able to find her parents? Will they even survive themselves? The rest of the story awaits you to play. I can only warn you that sometimes the game can be heart-breaking. Even the toughest person might break. Do you have what it takes?
List of Episodes
- “A New Day“
- “Starved for Help“
- “Long Road Ahead“
- “Around Every Corner“
- “No Time Left“
Extra DLC Episode: “400 Days”
The Walking Dead: Season Two
The Walking Dead: Season Two is the second installment of the series consisting of five main episodes. It was released between December 2013 and August 2014. Following its first brother’s success, it was also critically acclaimed and cross-platform. Moreover, it was a financial success, too. In this season, we follow little Clementine trying to survive this nightmare. Good people, old familiar faces, and walkers are there to haunt her. Will she be able to get alive from this? Do people still care for children as they used to? How many skeletons in the closet some of us might have? There is only one way to find out.
List of Episodes
- “All That Remains“
- “A House Divided“
- “In Harm’s Way“
- “Amid the Ruins“
- “No Going Back“
The Walking Dead: Michonne
The Walking Dead: Michonne is a Telltale independent mini-game mostly related to Robert Kirkman’s comic series. It follows the adventures of one of the series’ most iconic characters, set between issues 126 and 139 of the comic books. This is when Michonne departs from the group for a while. It was released between February and April 2016, keeping its cross-platform agenda and graphics design. The reception was mixed and didn’t share the same success as the main game series. A vast portion of the series’ fans found it rather indifferent. And for a good reason, if you ask me.
The mini-series follows Michonne’s adventures and mainly relies on her past and her children. It is heavily psychology based and haunting at the same time. If you are a huge fan of the series, it might be worth spending your time on it. It won’t disappoint you, but it won’t satisfy you either. Do you think that you know Michonne well?
List of Episodes
- “In Too Deep“
- “Give No Shelter“
- “What We Deserve“
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
The third season of the Walking Dead was released between 2016 and 2017. Like its predecessors, it was cross-platform. This time we follow the story of two brothers with a somewhat problematic relationship. We meet Clementine again, as one of the main characters. Her presence is still essential for the story as well as revealing. The graphics of the game were improved. But still, glitches overshadowed the overall experience. Though it was a commercial success received mixed reviews. Many fans mentioned that the story was too weak for the quality and thrill of the previous games. If you ask me, it could have been better. But it’s not a bad game overall. Can we survive this five-episode nightmare? Does being a brother means that you can count only on that? Is a woman’s heart worth the risk for everything?
List of Episodes
- “Ties That Bind – Part One“
- “Ties That Bind – Part Two“
- “Above the Law“
- “Thicker Than Water“
- “From the Gallows“
The Walking Dead: The Final Season
The fourth season of the game is also the conclusion of the series. As was stated, the production of the game went through a lot. Finally, it was released in 2018 by Telltale and Skybound, with each studio offering two of the complete four episodes. The first two were released by the Telltale studio, and the final two by the latter. The game was a commercial success and was critically acclaimed by reviewers and fans. It was available for all major gaming consoles and Windows OS. The protagonist of this season is, again, Clementine. We follow Clementine through her adventures and her journey of maturation. Could a young girl protect people who need her? Is this world suitable for children? Would Clementine survive this nightmare? Only if you dare to enter this post-apocalyptic drama you will find out.
List of Episodes
- “Done Running“
- “Suffer the Children“
- “Broken Toys“
- “Take Us Back“
Epilogue
The Walking Dead might not be a game for all of us. Some of us might find it a bit boring. But this is a matter of personal gaming taste. The Telltale series won’t give you horrifying scenes and unnecessary killings like Resident Evil, par example. It will reveal a part of yourself. It will prove to you that everyone is capable of anything, both good and bad. The only thing that matters is what you choose to be. Zombies are dangerous but also the victims of a series of unfortunate events. They might be your girlfriend, your parents, your boss, etc. They could be anyone. It would be best if you only worried about the living ones. And as Robert Kirkman wrote himself: “In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living.“
