No more waiting! Its arrived. All the navel gazing style dissection of the trailer no longer has to suffice to feed our appetite. The Walking Dead Telltale game, season 2, episode one, is here. And all is good in game land, for it is, like, awesome and stuff.
Robert Kirkmans mega successful franchise, The Walking Dead, has provided loads of opportunity for the creative explorations of a fan base keen to interact with the world of the zombie apocalypse. Ive written elsewhere about the fervor of
the Walking Dead fanfiction . Another opportunity for such interaction is provided by the Telltale game.
Clementine, once the object of our care and projection, has graduated to hero of the class. This little girl, who the first season portrayed as innocent and vulnerable, having lost her guardian, now has had to grow up and make the hard decisions to survive in the zombie apocalypse.
This great game continues to breathe new life into the adventure game genre. In the process, its winning season one strategy, that avoids lapsing into pedantic puzzle solving, continues with the emphasis being upon dynamic of interactive story telling. And these arent empty choices.
The protagonists choices matter. Not just in the moment, but also in the future. They can lead to surprising and tragic outcomes. The game keeps track of choices, even alerting the player about specific statements or actions that another character will remember. Often these past decisions come back to haunt the protagonist. And this is not only from episode to episode, but it appears choices from last season will affect options in this new season.
Its 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 isnt a huge thing, but it does annoy me a little. And it is worth mentioning considering how much of the games cache and value arises from its interactivity. The dialogue choices frequently struck me as excessively bi-polar. It seems I have to play Clementine as either a waif or a badass. Shes either batting her eyes or spoiling for a throw-down. I think these options are too limited and dont get the most out of the story. Ill be watching that development going forward.
On the flip side of the coin, though, playing a young girl does provide for some interesting options that werent 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!
And, Im happy to report, that Telltales strongest strong suit remains firmly in place here in the first episode of season two. Im 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.
Can we make computers any more adaptable and everyday oriented than the Microsoft Surface? It is a computer that literally functions as a computer and a coffee table. The slick 30-inch tabletop turns into a completely interactive experience. It utilizes a camera-based vision system that allows multiple users to grab, move, or select things with a touch of their hand.