At last the waiting is done. All that vaguely obsessive compulsive analysis of the trailer need no longer suffice for the hungry fans. It seemed like it would never happen, but finally, the Walking Dead Telltale game, season 2, has arrived. Episode one is ready for our thrilled exploration. And you'll hear no discouraging words from this aficionado. It rocks.
The world of the Walking Dead has been great for a fan base totally taken with the prospect of interacting with the Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalypse. Elsewhere I've discussed the thriving domain of the Walking Dead fanfiction . Telltale's super game provides further opportunity for interacting with this desolate, creepy and fascinating world.
Clementine has moved center stage. The young girl, so vulnerable and sweet, that season one's protagonist, Lee, was so concerned to protect, having lost her devoted guardian, now must survive on her own. And it's not going to be easy.
The extensively decorated game, with award wins and nominations coming out of the wazoo, in this first episode of its second season continues to show its excellence, continuing to breathe new life into the adventure game genre. Likewise it continues its winning strategy of avoiding the risk of lapsing into mere puzzle solving and emphasizes the dynamic of interactive story telling. And these aren't empty choices.
The results of character's choices resonate throughout the game. They lead to practical and often unexpected consequences. Not only do those consequences reverberate from episode to episode, but it appears choices from last season may yet affect options in this new season.
All this is not to say that there are no changes in season two. And most of them are definitely improvements. The technical improvements are particularly noteworthy. I found the graphics much improved in the second season; they are more richly detailed. Frame rates are also improved, being more stable. Clementine walks about at a much advanced clip, now. A welcomed addition, when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
If there's one thing about which I'm not thrilled, it would be with some of the dialogue options; they struck me as too often too dichotomous. It seems that Clementine either has to be a child or a badass. She's either excessively innocent or excessively confrontational. At least, that's how it seemed to me. I don't think that's getting the most out of the opportunities. I'll be keeping an eye on that situation as the season progresses.
The other side of the coin, though, is that it is an interesting change in the game dynamic to have the options made available by a young girl protagonist. Certainly playing Lee didn't provide the opportunity to be coyly manipulative, as is possible with Clementine.
And, I'm happy to report, that Telltales' strongest strong suit remains firmly in place here in the first episode of season two. I'm referring of course to the moral complexities confronting the protagonist. For instance, are you prepared to make Clementine a dead cold killer right from the get-go?
Lots of people already have. What are the consequences of that? Only future episodes will tell the tale. This is why the Walking Dead Telltale games have been so successful and so compelling. So far, the future looks bright. At least, from outside of the zombie apocalypse...and all that.
The world of the Walking Dead has been great for a fan base totally taken with the prospect of interacting with the Robert Kirkman's zombie apocalypse. Elsewhere I've discussed the thriving domain of the Walking Dead fanfiction . Telltale's super game provides further opportunity for interacting with this desolate, creepy and fascinating world.
Clementine has moved center stage. The young girl, so vulnerable and sweet, that season one's protagonist, Lee, was so concerned to protect, having lost her devoted guardian, now must survive on her own. And it's not going to be easy.
The extensively decorated game, with award wins and nominations coming out of the wazoo, in this first episode of its second season continues to show its excellence, continuing to breathe new life into the adventure game genre. Likewise it continues its winning strategy of avoiding the risk of lapsing into mere puzzle solving and emphasizes the dynamic of interactive story telling. And these aren't empty choices.
The results of character's choices resonate throughout the game. They lead to practical and often unexpected consequences. Not only do those consequences reverberate from episode to episode, but it appears choices from last season may yet affect options in this new season.
All this is not to say that there are no changes in season two. And most of them are definitely improvements. The technical improvements are particularly noteworthy. I found the graphics much improved in the second season; they are more richly detailed. Frame rates are also improved, being more stable. Clementine walks about at a much advanced clip, now. A welcomed addition, when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
If there's one thing about which I'm not thrilled, it would be with some of the dialogue options; they struck me as too often too dichotomous. It seems that Clementine either has to be a child or a badass. She's either excessively innocent or excessively confrontational. At least, that's how it seemed to me. I don't think that's getting the most out of the opportunities. I'll be keeping an eye on that situation as the season progresses.
The other side of the coin, though, is that it is an interesting change in the game dynamic to have the options made available by a young girl protagonist. Certainly playing Lee didn't provide the opportunity to be coyly manipulative, as is possible with Clementine.
And, I'm happy to report, that Telltales' strongest strong suit remains firmly in place here in the first episode of season two. I'm referring of course to the moral complexities confronting the protagonist. For instance, are you prepared to make Clementine a dead cold killer right from the get-go?
Lots of people already have. What are the consequences of that? Only future episodes will tell the tale. This is why the Walking Dead Telltale games have been so successful and so compelling. So far, the future looks bright. At least, from outside of the zombie apocalypse...and all that.
About the Author:
When you want to keep up with all the Walking Dead news , you should be following Mickey Jhonny's posts at the Pretty Much Dead Already blog. Gaming fans will want to read his review of the best games for PC that is entirely free!
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