At last the waiting is done. All that vaguely obsessive compulsive analysis of the trailer need no longer suffice for the hungry fans. It seemed like it would never happen, but finally, the Walking Dead Telltale game, season 2, has arrived. Episode one is ready for our thrilled exploration. And you'll hear no discouraging words from this aficionado. It rocks.
The world of the Walking Dead has been great for a fan base totally taken with the prospect of interacting with the Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalypse. Elsewhere I've discussed the thriving domain of the Walking Dead fanfiction . Telltale's super game provides further opportunity for interacting with this desolate, creepy and fascinating world.
Clementine, once the object of our care and projection, has graduated to hero of the class. This little girl, who the first season portrayed as innocent and vulnerable, having lost her guardian, now has had to grow up and make the hard decisions to survive in the zombie apocalypse.
This great game continues to breathe new life into the adventure game genre. In the process, its winning season one strategy, that avoids lapsing into pedantic puzzle solving, continues with the emphasis being upon dynamic of interactive story telling. And these aren't empty choices.
The protagonist's choices matter. Not just in the moment, but also in the future. They can lead to surprising and tragic outcomes. The game keeps track of choices, even alerting the player about specific statements or actions that another character will remember. Often these past decisions come back to haunt the protagonist. And this is not only from episode to episode, but it appears choices from last season will affect options in this new season.
It's not all the same though. As great as season one was, there are notable improvements, especially on the technical end, in season two. The graphics are much better: richer and more detailed. And the frame rate seems more stable. Clementine is able to walk now much faster than in the past. That is kind of good when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
If there's one thing about which I'm not thrilled, it would be with some of the dialogue options; they struck me as too often too dichotomous. It seems that Clementine either has to be a child or a badass. She's either excessively innocent or excessively confrontational. At least, that's how it seemed to me. I don't think that's getting the most out of the opportunities. I'll be keeping an eye on that situation as the season progresses.
The other side of the coin, though, is that it is an interesting change in the game dynamic to have the options made available by a young girl protagonist. Certainly playing Lee didn't provide the opportunity to be coyly manipulative, as is possible with Clementine.
But of course what Telltale does best, well exhibited in season one of The Walking Dead, is still on display here in the first episode of season two. That is the moral ambiguity and dilemmas that forcefully confront the protagonist. Are you going to turn Clementine into a killer right from the start?
Many early players have done just that: often to their surprise and ambivalence. What will be the consequences? Not to be too pun-ish about it, but only future episodes will tell the tale. This confrontation with the morally challenging, I believe, explains the great success of the Walking Dead Telltale games. I suspect the challenges are even going to become greater as we go on. It's a bright future for gamers everywhere. At least, provided you're not actually inside of the zombie apocalypse...and all that.
The world of the Walking Dead has been great for a fan base totally taken with the prospect of interacting with the Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalypse. Elsewhere I've discussed the thriving domain of the Walking Dead fanfiction . Telltale's super game provides further opportunity for interacting with this desolate, creepy and fascinating world.
Clementine, once the object of our care and projection, has graduated to hero of the class. This little girl, who the first season portrayed as innocent and vulnerable, having lost her guardian, now has had to grow up and make the hard decisions to survive in the zombie apocalypse.
This great game continues to breathe new life into the adventure game genre. In the process, its winning season one strategy, that avoids lapsing into pedantic puzzle solving, continues with the emphasis being upon dynamic of interactive story telling. And these aren't empty choices.
The protagonist's choices matter. Not just in the moment, but also in the future. They can lead to surprising and tragic outcomes. The game keeps track of choices, even alerting the player about specific statements or actions that another character will remember. Often these past decisions come back to haunt the protagonist. And this is not only from episode to episode, but it appears choices from last season will affect options in this new season.
It's not all the same though. As great as season one was, there are notable improvements, especially on the technical end, in season two. The graphics are much better: richer and more detailed. And the frame rate seems more stable. Clementine is able to walk now much faster than in the past. That is kind of good when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
If there's one thing about which I'm not thrilled, it would be with some of the dialogue options; they struck me as too often too dichotomous. It seems that Clementine either has to be a child or a badass. She's either excessively innocent or excessively confrontational. At least, that's how it seemed to me. I don't think that's getting the most out of the opportunities. I'll be keeping an eye on that situation as the season progresses.
The other side of the coin, though, is that it is an interesting change in the game dynamic to have the options made available by a young girl protagonist. Certainly playing Lee didn't provide the opportunity to be coyly manipulative, as is possible with Clementine.
But of course what Telltale does best, well exhibited in season one of The Walking Dead, is still on display here in the first episode of season two. That is the moral ambiguity and dilemmas that forcefully confront the protagonist. Are you going to turn Clementine into a killer right from the start?
Many early players have done just that: often to their surprise and ambivalence. What will be the consequences? Not to be too pun-ish about it, but only future episodes will tell the tale. This confrontation with the morally challenging, I believe, explains the great success of the Walking Dead Telltale games. I suspect the challenges are even going to become greater as we go on. It's a bright future for gamers everywhere. At least, provided you're not actually inside of the zombie apocalypse...and all that.
About the Author:
If you're keen to have the scoop on all the Walking Dead news , you should be following Mickey Jhonny's articles at the Pretty Much Dead Already site. Gaming fans will want to read his piece on the best games for PC that is entirely free!
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