The Walking Dead originated as a monthly comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Tony Moore, though Moore was replaced by Charlie Adlard after issue 6. However, it's likely that more people will be familiar with the AMC series based off of the comic, created by Frank Darabont. The comics and show focus on Rick Grimes, a Kentucky (Georgia in the show) sherrif's deputy. One day, he is shot in the line of duty, and ends up in a coma for a month. When he wakes, he finds the hospital abandoned, the only people remaining not quite people. These creatures appear human, but devour the flesh of the living, and cannot die unless their heads are destroyed. There's a word for these, but since they don't use it in-universe, I won't use it here. Rick eventually finds his family, and they, along with others, begin making their way across the land, attempting to find some sort of safety and survival.
Now, this is the premise of the show and comic. However, the game has little to do with this. In fact, it seems to be set during the month in which Rick is comatose. Instead, this game focuses on Lee Everett a professor at the University of Georgia. He begins the Apocalypse being taken out of Atlanta in a police car, having just been convicted of the murder of a state senator who had been sleeping with his wife, though Lee claims it was self-defense. Lee is talking to the officer driving the car when they hit a person, careening off the road. Lee blacks out, and when he wakes up, the car is wrecked, the cop is dead, and he must get out of his handcuffs and escape. But once he gets uncuffed, the cop... begins making his way towards Lee. Lee must kill the cop, and begin his attempt to figure out just what is going on anymore.
This is an adventure game, focusing on Lee as he attempts to survive the horde of... walkers, as the show calls them. Lee must find items, and use them to solve puzzles. He also has to interact with numerous other survivors. This actually includes cast members from the show/comic, such as Hershel Graham and Glenn, before they meet Rick. Although, I won't lie, my favorite character is probably Clementine. It's cheap, but adding a child to protect is a good way to get someone invested in a game. It makes me worried that they're going to build up the relationship between Lee and Clementine, only to have something horrible happen to her down the road. Not going to lie, I'll be REALLY angry if that happens.
Graphically, I like this game. From what I've seen, it's similar to what Telltale did with Back to the Future and Jurassic Park, but this one feels more... comic-booky. It's sort of hard to describe, but it feels like these characters actually came out of a comic book. It's really fitting for this game, and I have enjoyed it.
Musically... I have nothing to say. I honestly cannot remember if there even WAS any music, much less what it sounded like. I feel, though, that this works for this game. It gives this feeling of isolation, which really works in a game where you're struggling for survival. I'll take this time, instead, to talk about the voice acting. I really enjoy it. I wish they'd gotten the actors for Glenn and Hershel from the show to voice their characters, but I understand that they probably busy, or Telltale couldn't afford it, or something. Overall, though, I thought the VAs did a good job. I felt comfortable with the characters, and genuinely wanted to help them survive. Except for the assholes, who are still fairly well-written. And then one of the assholes may have been set up as a romantic interest. That was kinda weird...
But yeah, overall, Episode 1: A New Day was enjoyable, and I'll definitely play the rest of them. In fact, Telltale recently announced that they are going to be making a second season of the game, and if the rest of this season is like this episode, I'll certainly plan on getting it.
So, here ends the first review of the day. Be sure to come back later for the next two parts.
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