Do you like horror movies? How about video games? Well written and complex characters that endear you to them despite their flaws? Well, boy howdy do I have a game for you.
Telltale's The Walking Dead is an experience more than it is a game. In the beginning you take the role of a convict named Lee who is being driven to jail. On the way, the cop driving the car hits a zombie standing in the road and rolls the car, killing him on impact. Lee escapes the car only to have to face the cop as the first zombie you will have to deal with in the game. Lee flees into the backyard of a little girl named Clementine, who takes the role of your adopted daughter as you go through the story.
The game combines survival horror with a more modern take on the "point and click adventure". There are a number of puzzles, mysteries, quick time events, and suspense-building scenes that will stay with you long after playing the game. The decision-making aspect makes it really fun to play multiple times to try and get different results and see how the story changes. The music is a big draw as well, as it feels like it would be right at home in a major apocalypse/horror series, perfectly portraying the bleak nature of the situation everyone has found themselves in. I'm not sure how others feel about it, but I feel the comic book style artwork is absolutely perfect for a game like this, giving it an absolute timeless feel.
The characters are the real shining stars here though, let's be real. There is so much life here between the writing and the performances made by the voice actors. It's so easy to get attached to the different groups you encounter and form relationships with. On the flip side though, there are a number of characters I would easily kill the second they arrive in the story. Not Kenny though. Never Kenny.
All in all, it's an incredible experience for first timers, especially if you're not the type who likes fast moving games. It's also a game you can get tons out of by replaying it and its later sequels as each game effects the next. I give it a hard recommend every time.
