Here we are a month later than it was originally planned to be released and the second episode of The Walking Dead game from Telltale was well worth the wait. Right off the bat Telltale completely throws expectations out the window in only the second episode of the eventual five. The Walking Dead may be synonymous with zombies but as any fan of the popular comic book and television show will tell you the zombies are the least of the problems. The emphasis in this episode is on tough moral decisions, granted this isn't anything new in videogames. Plenty of games have implemented some sort of moral/ karmic system, but I stress and please do not take this lightly, The Walking Dead has some of the most intense, gut-wrenching and outright polarizing moral dilemmas in any game. When one of the most stressful moments in the game is how are you going to ration the food the developers must be doing something right.
Telltale continues to build upon the last games fantastic story and character development, the characters in particular are (no exaggeration) some of the best in any videogame. This episode focuses on the survivors left in a world gone to hell, zombies take a backseat this time out. The game as it makes clear in the intro unfolds based on the choices you make, again nothing new for videogames but the consequence are much more grounded and quite honestly are emotionally draining. As Lee Everett you'll have to chose sides which will gain you support or disdain in later scenarios, the threat in this games doesn't come from zombies but from the consequences of a world with a shattered moral compass. Dramatic things will happen depending on how you chose to handle any given situation and the game is great at intensifying the stakes and forcing you to stick with your choices, with a countdown and a healthy use of auto-saves. You will live with the consequence of your decision and I love that. Most games don't take it to such extremes and when you have a world that is so raw and grounded like the one in The Walking Dead it makes it all the more engrossing and terrifying. Unfortunately you do have to play the game and clunky animation, rough cutscene transitions, and slightly off lip-syncing pull you out of an otherwise riveting story. Word of caution, this game is not for the squeamish, the opening scene of the game is one of the most violent scenes in any videogame, it's not the action so much as the emotion behind it all. The screams and camera shots are used brilliantly. Telltale should be greatly applauded for their efforts to stay true to the source material, you won't be head shooting zombies, instead you will be fighting to defend your morals or talking someone down from doing something heinous.
The Walking Dead is only in its second of five episodes and it has already clawed its way to being the best adventure game series of the past several years. I griped my chair in suspense as I investigated the suspicious new survivors, I gasped when a character saw through my lies and ended a life, and I immensely regretted previous choices when certain people were put in grave danger. Telltale masters something most games fail miserably at in this episode and that's suspense. The entire episode slowly builds to a crescendo something most games never take the time to do and as scenes unfurl and decisions begin to stack up you will undoubtedly find yourself with an internal struggle over every single choice. The game is intense and by the time the credits had finally rolled I let out my first breath since the game began. I was so caught up in the moments I honestly forgot I was actually in control. Kudos to Telltale who masterfully crafts an experience that will have you second guessing yourself and the way you would react in any one of the events within the game. There is some pretty crazy shit in only the second episode of the series and so I await with bated breath for the next episode to follow these characters and see where my choices lead me next.
(5 out of 5)
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