I know, it's a decade old by now and could almost go for retro gaming but I just got around finishing Season 1 of The Walking Dead.
Adventure games aren't usually my forte, definitely not pure adventure titles. So, your mileage might vary.
But for the most part, I had a really good time with The Walking Dead. Hopefully, the sequels become even better and deeper.
By now, you probably watched or at least heard of The Walking Dead franchise. It's a zombie apocalypse setting without any fantastical themes. It's rather grim and realistic in its tone which makes it even scarier, to be honest.
The story follows Lee, a convict who experiences the zombie outbreak firsthand and quickly ends up taking care of a small kid, Clementine.
After that, it's basically all about survival. Along your journey, you meet a nice and diverse cast of characters.
I enjoyed the small scope of the story that emphasizes how every little step in this dangerous world is a massive undertaking. The writing and characters did a great job of immersing me, too.
Without spoiling a decade-old game, there were some plot twists I saw coming but to my surprise plenty of others that literally had my jaw drop. Think that's an excellent sign that despite the game's shortcomings, Telltale succeeded where it counts. Getting me invested in the fate of the cast.
Speaking of downsides. There are a lot but once you stop focusing on them, they become a footnote.
Technically speaking, the game feels low-budget. Thanks to outstanding voice work, you forget it quickly though.
Other than the natural signs of a 2012 title like low poly models, limited number of models, low-resolution textures, there's nothing radically wrong here.
Better ultrawide support would have been nice, but it's nothing the Flawless Widescreen program didn't solve.
It plays out like a "Chose your own path" novel without really massive changes to the story. Guess it would become simply too overwhelming of a workload for the devs. Anyhow, since there are not really that meaningful changes, it feels more like a one-time experience. Alas, I don't really see a lot of value in replaying it.
In case you're a diehard adventure aficionado, the puzzles here might be too simple. As a relative outsider to the genre, I found them pretty braindead too but just fitting to keep the story going nicely. And that's what I loved most about it. The characters and their struggles. I'd wager anyone who doesn't fall in love with Clementine after playing the game has no heart anymore, haha.
Oh yeah, I also played the 400 Days DLC afterward. It's a fun but brief side story that is entirely separate from the main game. New characters, new story etc. just takes place in the same world. It's a fun half-hour but not really essential to play whatsoever.
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