The Walking Dead

I never watched The Walking Dead TV series but I have read some of the comics. Despite not being a hardcore fan, I decided to play The Walking Dead video game from the now defunct Telltale Studios. I am definitely a fan of the series now. It was one of the best adventure games I have ever played. It was like being dropped into a TV series. This game was season one (out of four) with five episodes, each of which contained several chapters. It stated, "This game series adapts to the choices you make. The story is tailored by how you play." That was certainly true. I very much enjoyed the story-driven style of play, which focused on multiple characters and their interpersonal relationships. Unlike many point and click adventure games, it didn't have a bunch of overly complicated puzzles to slow down the narrative.

You play as Lee Everett, a convicted criminal who finds himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. Early on, Lee encounters an eight-year old girl on her own named Clementine. Lee decides to look after her and he becomes a surrogate father to her. Along the way, they encounter several other survivors who have yet to be zombified. Their group is elastic with members coming and going and even dying. A lot of the game is presented through dialog choices but there are also some action scenes and quicktime events. I felt the interface served the material well and kept the story moving.

The Walking Dead easily makes it onto my list of All-Time Favorites. I am eager to see how the story unfolds in The Walking Dead: Season Two.