It's finally over. All the anguished waiting, the microscopic deconstruction of the trailer, at last, the Walking Dead Telltale game, season 2, episode one, is upon us! And there's no disappointment in the heart of this aficionado. It is totally cool.
The Walking Dead franchise has been a major boon for the creative explorations of the interactive fan base crowd. Elsewhere on this site, we've looked at the booming role of the Walking Dead fanfiction . The Telltale game provides another, more structured, but still interactive experience with the world that Robert Kirkman created.
Fans of season one will certainly remember Clementine. She was kind of the object of the first season. The subject, if you will, the acting protagonist, Lee, was largely driven by his desire to protect her. However, as such fans will know, Lee is gone, and now Clementine has to fend for herself. Thus she has graduated to protagonist of season two. When we meet back up with her in season two, we already see how she has had to grow up, forced to make the hard decisions to survive the zombie apocalypse.
The almost universally celebrated game, in its second season, continues breathing new life into the adventure game genre, once left for dead by many a gaming aficionado. Its strength of the past carries through into the present, skirting the danger of lapsing into mere puzzle solving. Instead, the emphasis on dynamic and interactive story telling remains its forte. 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.
It's not all the same though. As great as season one was, there are notable improvements, especially on the technical end, in season two. The graphics are much better: richer and more detailed. And the frame rate seems more stable. Clementine is able to walk now much faster than in the past. That is kind of good when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
My one complaint was that too often I thought the dialogue choices were too extreme. Either Clementine had to be harsh or childish. That's the way I read it and I didn't think that kind of limitation gave either the character or the story the fullness from which it could have benefited. I'll be keeping an eye on that development going forward.
On the flip side of the coin, though, playing a young girl does provide for some interesting options that weren't available by playing Lee. Clementine can be coyly manipulative. This is a new and interesting option - especially for those of us who have never been young girls!
I am happy to report, though, that Telltale's greatest strength is still well on display in season one of The Walking Dead. I'm referring here to the moral ambiguity and dilemmas the player must navigate in finding the protagonist's way in the game world. For instance, are you prepared to make Clementine a killer right from the beginning?
Often to their own surprise and even lament, a lot of early players have done just that. What will be the long term consequences of this choice? We anxiously await what future episodes will reveal. This kind of moral turmoil is the real secret of success for the Walking Dead Telltale games, I believe. So far, in season two, all is looking bright for the future. Well, as long as you're not, you know, caught up in a zombie apocalypse, and the like.
The Walking Dead franchise has been a major boon for the creative explorations of the interactive fan base crowd. Elsewhere on this site, we've looked at the booming role of the Walking Dead fanfiction . The Telltale game provides another, more structured, but still interactive experience with the world that Robert Kirkman created.
Fans of season one will certainly remember Clementine. She was kind of the object of the first season. The subject, if you will, the acting protagonist, Lee, was largely driven by his desire to protect her. However, as such fans will know, Lee is gone, and now Clementine has to fend for herself. Thus she has graduated to protagonist of season two. When we meet back up with her in season two, we already see how she has had to grow up, forced to make the hard decisions to survive the zombie apocalypse.
The almost universally celebrated game, in its second season, continues breathing new life into the adventure game genre, once left for dead by many a gaming aficionado. Its strength of the past carries through into the present, skirting the danger of lapsing into mere puzzle solving. Instead, the emphasis on dynamic and interactive story telling remains its forte. 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.
It's not all the same though. As great as season one was, there are notable improvements, especially on the technical end, in season two. The graphics are much better: richer and more detailed. And the frame rate seems more stable. Clementine is able to walk now much faster than in the past. That is kind of good when gripped in on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense.
My one complaint was that too often I thought the dialogue choices were too extreme. Either Clementine had to be harsh or childish. That's the way I read it and I didn't think that kind of limitation gave either the character or the story the fullness from which it could have benefited. I'll be keeping an eye on that development going forward.
On the flip side of the coin, though, playing a young girl does provide for some interesting options that weren't available by playing Lee. Clementine can be coyly manipulative. This is a new and interesting option - especially for those of us who have never been young girls!
I am happy to report, though, that Telltale's greatest strength is still well on display in season one of The Walking Dead. I'm referring here to the moral ambiguity and dilemmas the player must navigate in finding the protagonist's way in the game world. For instance, are you prepared to make Clementine a killer right from the beginning?
Often to their own surprise and even lament, a lot of early players have done just that. What will be the long term consequences of this choice? We anxiously await what future episodes will reveal. This kind of moral turmoil is the real secret of success for the Walking Dead Telltale games, I believe. So far, in season two, all is looking bright for the future. Well, as long as you're not, you know, caught up in a zombie apocalypse, and the like.
About the Author:
If you want to keep up with all the Walking Dead news , you should check out Mickey Jhonny's articles at the Pretty Much Dead Already blog. Gaming enthusiasts will want to read his review of the best games for PC that is entirely free!
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