The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day
Score: 93% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Telltale Games Developer: Telltale Games Media: Download/1 Players: 1 Genre: Survival Horror/ Puzzle/ Adventure
Graphics & Sound: First transitioning from the comic strip to the television screen, The Walking Dead franchise now arrives on your favorite console or operating system in the form of downloadable episodic content. Sticking with the graphic style that originally sparked a cult following, The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day delivers on a visual presentation that will turn a few heads. While the game is in full 3D, the artistic comic book style of the characters and environments holds true to the series. In fact, it was the initial presentation that hooked me from the start, and kept me wanting to play more. Both the comic-book style rendering and the thematic music help give The Walking Dead download an emotional feeling from the start. Delivering on a presentation that rivals the television show at some moments, The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day will certainly keep you interested, from camera placement to switching between third and first person views at just the right times. And then come the zombies... Not for the faint of heart, A New Day also delivers on the "graphic" nature of the series. The first time I encountered this, I honestly made an 'ohhhhh' sound... out loud... in the dark... in the middle of the night. Sorry, neighbors. But hey, that's the best time and way to play a game like this. I have to also say that there's just something about bashing a zombie's head in that makes you feel good. Is that weird? From an audio standpoint, the music is the most impressive. In a way that helps follow the mood and tone of the game, the music perfectly complements the gameplay and cinematics. The voice acting is generally pretty good too, although the dialogue sometimes feels a bit bland. Just like the visuals, if you are easily offended by harsh language or are wondering about this game for your children, you may want to steer clear due to its uncensored nature. If you can get past these factors, however, The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day excels and stimulates all of your senses.
Gameplay: The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day does a great job in gameplay with a design that acts as an interactive movie. As you load the game and the starting credits roll, you'll take control of Lee Everett, a man in the back of a police car with a back story that isn't all that honorable. As the game teaches the user how to interact, you'll quickly learn how to have interactive conversations with the non-player characters in the game. Talking with the officer in the front seat, you begin to relax with the lackadaisical play. What happens next sets the tone for the whole game. The core gameplay of The Walking Dead episodic is what basically amounts to a point-and-click style game which allows you to "mouse over" (with your analog control, of course) items and characters to interact with them. As you do, you'll have up to four interaction or dialogue options to choose from. By doing so, you'll have to choose the reactions that you want to have with each character in the game, which will in turn affect how they react back with you. In the same manner, The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day also presents you with core interactions that will more drastically affect the rest of the game, and presumably, future downloadable episodes. Some other conversations that take place may affect things on the surface, but only branch the storyline for a little while... with the story coming back to the same point it would have anyway. That is really the only beef I have with the gameplay. Some choices just don't affect the drama that is unfolding as much as they should. Still, the fact that some of the choices do matter makes the game replayable to a degree. As far as the storyline goes, there are some similarities between the types of characters depicted in the game as with the comics and television show, but hardcore fans may find the game harder to swallow. Don't let that hinder the experience, however. Main character Lee Everett is a gem because he can be taken in any direction you choose, from gruff game character stereotypes to soft-spoken and extremely companionate. His facial reactions are generally outstanding too, bringing out the emotion of the situation very well.
Difficulty: The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day really isn't a difficult or challenging game in any sense of the words. But it isn't really meant to be. Instead, it is meant to be an interactive movie, and it does an excellent job of doing so. The only real option you'll have in making The Walking Dead more difficult is the ability to turn off prompts from the Menu. If you were to do so from the start, it may add a bit more than if you first play through with prompts on, honestly. Unfortunately, the game is really short and object interactions aren't dynamic like they are with character interactions, so remembering exactly where things are in the environment isn't that difficult. There is one other added difficulty that should be mentioned, however. There are certain circumstances where you'll need to react rather quickly to events that are taking place, or to dialogue responses that require a bit faster reaction. With that said, they are still point-and-click style, and unless you happen to be dosing off, they still aren't that worthy of an opponent. For the record, I did die once due to slow reaction time. However, dying is not a common occurrence. The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day is not like other games in the genre. Instead of heavily action-based, this one is more about character development and player emotion... exactly what makes this series stick out in a positive and refreshing way.
Game Mechanics: The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day is a point-and-click interactive movie. As such, simple character control allows for anyone to play, from young kids to non-stereotypical gamers. Whether or not young kids should play is another thing. Being based off a graphic novel / comic books has its perks. The visual style is outstanding, save for some low-res texturing likely due to saving download space. The music is very emotionally-driven, as is the character dialogue. In short, the presentation is outstanding. But parents be warned, The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day has some harsh language and a few disturbing images, whether they look hand-drawn or not. Fans that have been following the series may find a bit of disappointment that the main character is not Rick Grimes, but shouldn't be deterred by this. The game does a great job of presentation that really does capture the feeling of The Walking Dead universe, from camera angles to the drama that unfolds. The only real complaint that one may truly have is that as an episodic game, the amount of actual gameplay time does feel short. At only a few hours long, you'll likely want to play through multiple times, making different decisions that will affect your character's personality in the future. It's a good thing there are three save slots. So grab a hammer or a fire axe, and let the drama begin. PLEASE NOTE: The following trailer may contain spoilers. Video Choice Matters Trailer
-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele
Related Links: The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day Official Website
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