The Walking Dead: PS3 Review

The Walking Dead: PS3 Review

Released by TellTale Games
Platform: PS3

There's no stopping The Walking Dead. In more ways than one.

The zombie show is a massive success, with more and more people tuning in weekly to the AMC / TV2 airings - and the Robert Kirkman comics continue to grow in tandem.

So, it was inevitable a game would make it to the consoles and despite a minor delay getting here, it's now arrived.

Bundled together in five episodes, The Walking Dead is going to appeal to anyone who likes a full on immersive gaming experience. (Though for the purposes of this review, only episode one of the five has been played.)

In this point, click and play adventure, you are convicted murderer Lee Everett. As the story begins, Everett is in the back of a police car, heading to who knows where  (well, prison) with an older cop chatting to you as you go. You choose what path the conversation takes with a series of choices from the button and as you make your way on your journey, it's clear the apocalypse is hitting Georgia.

Cue one crash later, and suddenly, you're on your own in a wood, with an infected cop looking to feed on your brains. It's here the point and click starts to take effect, as you scrabble to escape, scan your surroundings and use a gun to ensure you live to see another day. The game adapts to your choices and actions and if you're slow on the uptake, it means you find yourself on the wrong end of a chomping. A timer on the screen counts down and ends up hurrying some of your decisions, all of which have consequences.

Once you've escaped, it's into the suburban world, and the life of a little girl called Clementine, who's waiting for her parents to return. But, as you discover, things are not quite as simple as that and soon Clementine and Lee are on the run, teaming up with others to try and survive.

Aesthetically, The Walking Dead is to all intents and purposes, a stop motion comic, resembling very closely the world Robert Kirkman envisaged. It's quite strikingly different on the looks front and it means the game stands out from the start. Despite the somewhat baffingly long loading times, the game plays out in a way which grabs you as it unfolds without you realising that's the case. It doesn't take long to adapt the point and click element and then you're off and away. Plus, with a story that immerses you and involves you, you're nothing but engaged all the way.

I'm intrigued to see if by making different decisions, the game plays out differently so in that way, I guess there's a longevity to the storylines and how they conclude. I'd want to play the rest of the game before making a fuller judgement, but based on episode one, The Walking Dead is a rich gaming experience which has two emotionally impressive leads in Lee and Clementine. You care about these characters more than you realise and rather than making rash decisions, you end up really taking the time to ensure the best for them.

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