After the second episode I didn't think Telltales episodic tale set in the post apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead could A) get any darker or B) surprise the living shit out of me; but I should have known better. Episode 3 continues the astronomically high bar set by the previous two installments and raises it even higher. If the quality remains the same for the last two episodes, which at this point I have no reason to believe it wouldn't, this adventure game series from Telltale is poised to be my favorite game of the year if not the past few years. I wish, I really do wish I could convey the absolute train wreck this episode left me in, the best I can do is describe moments that occurred to me in the process of playing through this particular episode.
The game states up front "This game changes based on your actions and treatment of other characters". Characters you once trusted begin to reveal their true nature, brilliantly forcing you to question your allegiances and expect the worst from every situation. Fitting for a game set in the zombie apocalypse which in true Walking Dead fashion is actually about the other survivors as the zombies simply act as an obstacle. Telltale masterfully leads the player in certain emotional directions eliciting gut responses that are quickly and brutally followed up with a kick to the groin. Nothing is going to turn out the way you expect, and a particular situation I thought I had under control blew up in my face and someone payed the price with their life, and that is on me. And I honestly can not believe how hard I'm taking it, the moment is so perfectly and infuriatingly horrendous that it made me actively respond in an instinctive and brutal way that I didn't think I had in me, and even scarier, I in no way regret it. There was another moment that I won't spoil but it's a dream sequence, and in that one instant it scared me to death, not simply because of its jump scare delivery but because for the briefest of moments I felt like I failed in the one task this game has entrusted me with and that I had dutifully accepted. The entire experience of playing this episode was fucking phenomenal I was emotionally exhausted by the end, and yet wanted more.
For me this series is all about the story and the characters but I'd be remiss to not at least mention some other things. For instance this is still an adventure game and that comes with the typical tropes of the genre. Sometimes that involves trail-and-error puzzle solving, item combinations and, some aimless wandering around until you figure out the problem. Thankfully The Walking Dead is better written than most adventure games and some simple foreshadowing and off-handed character remarks make sure any given solution isn't to difficult to solve. The games visuals are also still impressive, with the comic book aesthetic really bridging the gap between these games and their paper-bound inspiration. The Walking Dead is an impressive piece of reactionary fiction (like that, just came up with that) not unlike Mass Effect but more grounded and for lack of a less coarse description, FUCKED UP. The characters are insanely well developed and aren't predictable, their thoughts and opinions change as often as yours do and that often leads to some major jaw dropping moments and high stakes drama. Do yourself a favor and start playing this series their cheap, at only $5 an episode, and experience one of the best character driven stories of this entire generation.
(5 out of 5)
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