The Walking Dead

[bluemeanie]

So I'm not a fan of the Walking Dead comic. Read the first trade, did nothing for me. Wife is a HUGE fan though and has the first 13 books, so I picked up the first episode of this hoping to get her playing it.

She couldnt get into it. I, on the other hand, am LOVING this. Finished episode 2 yesterday.

I'd previously played the Jurassic Park one from the same people which was a bit "meh" to be honest, but this one is seriously gripping. Cool story, excellent voice acting and does a great job of getting you invested in characters then giving you 3 seconds to decide which will live and which will die.

Its totally narrative driven and you are obviously guided with it being so cinematic, but you are given lots of choices throughout which come back to bite you later on. Literally in some cases. Other characters note things you do and say and react accordingly later in the game.

Not gonna be for everyone due to the style of gameplay, but if theres a demo or something out there I'd recommend giving it a shot as the full thing is a hell of a ride

[Modern Panther]

Recently played through this too, and I agree completely.  Maybe one for those of us who remember point and click, rather than FPS fanatics.

Excellent story, great acting and a child character who (surprisingly) you don't want to feed to the walkers after only a few minutes.

With so many game developers considering plot to be an additional extra, its a refreshing change to be asked to make real decisions about how the characters interact and the story develops.

[Pete Wells]

Yeah, I got this yesterday and frikking loved it. It's wonderfully character driven and some of the choices you have to make are genuinely distressing! It's an absolute snip for 400 MS Points too.

Episode 2 tonight!

[Keef Monkey]

These are indeed fantastic. Played the first one when it came out and was genuinely excited all month for the next one to drop. The episodic thing is very well done too, they're just the right length to play through in one late night atmospheric session, and then you've got about a month to reflect on it before the next one appears.

At the price as well it's brilliant, once they've all released I'll have paid less than £20 for them all, and they're up there with the best gaming experiences I've had this year.

[NapalmKev]

Really good series. Episode 3 is excellent; better twists/surprises than I've seen in most films to be honest. I hope they don't lose momentum as this is something that that could run to a second series; (after parts 4 & 5 of course).

Quality 

[Keef Monkey]

Agreed, there were things I had to do in Episode 3 that had me looking around my empty darkened living room and pleading for someone to appear and take the controller from me so I didn't have to. Can't see any other medium offering an experience like that.

[Zeb Oswalt]

Liked this game a lot Finished prt 3 a few days ago. Liked the start and the add ons. Thought 3 was a bit too FPS.  Still, a great gamew and great story telling. I've yet to read the comic or see the tv show. Still, the game is awsome. And fitting the whole humans are a lot more dangrous two you than the Zombies. Great game.

[bluemeanie]

Done the third part

It was harrowing

I consider myself totally harrowed

Some serious shit and it looks like its only gonna get worse in part four. Brilliant storytelling especially for a game. Tricks you into thinking you're calling the shots when they're taking you on their ride.

[The Enigmatic Dr X]

Well, that's a good enough recommendation for me...

...but I'll wait until the next Steam sale. Still got half a dozen games (including both Oblivion and Skyrim and New Vegas) to get through.

[Modern Panther]

Zombies are everywhere.  Kids cartoons, iPhone games, tv, cuddly toys.  They've become figures if fun.  We laugh at their shambling, ramshackle attempts at world domination.

Where Walking Dead succeeds as a game is to remind us that zombies aren't scary because they want to eat our brains; they're scary because they are us.  Every person you meet, everyone you help, or trust, or love, one wrong step and they're the enemy.  You might have given them your last rations, or trusted them with your gun, but you'll still have to smash their skull with a wrench if you want to stay alive.

Increasingly, horror has become cheap.  Its easier to produce shocks than creeping terror, so gone is the uncomfortable feeling that something is stalking you from the shadows, replaced with gratuitous gore and screaming and guaranteed sequels.

Twenty minutes in to the fourth and final chapter, and something frightening just happened.  Not suddenly, or to the screetch of violins, or covered in blood and only shown through deliberately shoddy camerawork.  Something quiet, and slow, which was truly terrifying and entirely real. Something which I'm sure will stay with me for a long time, because it showed me what I'm truly frightened of.

[Pete Wells]

Ooooooh, didn't know part 4 was out. Off to download right now!

[ThryllSeekyr]

I purchased this game four episodes ago and still gotta play the second chapter.

[Keef Monkey]

Four is out, and it's magnificent. I had my hand over my mouth gasping at one point, which is something this game series has done more than most.

4 isn't actually the last episode though, there's one more to go.

[NapalmKev]

Four is out, and it's magnificent. I had my hand over my mouth gasping at one point, which is something this game series has done more than most.

4 isn't actually the last episode though, there's one more to go.

Episode 4 is excellent, especially the end bit. (I got no spoiler function so I won't go into detail for those still playing)!

One of the best downloadable games I've ever played!

Cheers 

[Pete Wells]

Yeah, I've just done Episode 4 and there were some real heart wrenching moments. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.