Tablet World.pdf

iOS
The Walking Dead
Can’t wait for the second half of Season 3? The Walking Dead brings the
hit zombie outbreak TV show to iOS devices
● Price £2.99 ● comPany TeLLTeLLGameS ● WeBSiTe telltellgames.com
VERDICT
This is more than
just a point-and-click
game, with gore
and drama in equal
measures. It’s also a
lot of fun to play
OVERALL SCORE
REQUIREMENTS
iOS 4.2 or later;
331MB storage
The Walking Dead is an acclaimed comic book series and TV show about
survivors dealing with a zombie outbreak in the American South. It’s about
human relationships, the strain put on these bonds by the need to survive, and
the fact that the walking dead might not be the most monstrous things stumbling
around this planet. These aspects of the comic series are all handled with equal
grace by seasoned adventure-game developer Telltale Games.
While the adventure genre is somewhat worn, The Walking Dead is more
than a point-and-click game. You’ll face quick-time action events where timing
is paramount, you’ll need to execute precise gestures, and you’ll converse with
other characters. Using the iPad touchscreen, you can also drag your character
around the environment, revealing other objects or people to interact with.
This last mechanic is perhaps the clunkiest part of The Walking Dead as your
character handles it about as well as an animated corpse. Thankfully, Telltale buries
this mechanic by not making it the central aspect of gameplay.
The controls aren’t butter, but that fits with the game’s conceit. You are not
an unstoppable hero with a Special Forces background. You’re a University of
Georgia employee named Lee. The game doesn’t give you any kind of introduction
to the what and how of the universe, and so you’re like Lee – vulnerable, unsure
of your surroundings, and just trying to stay alive in the chaos that surrounds you.
It’s effective and scary. The soundtrack and voice-acting are especially well done,
with believable zombie noises, gunfire and some smart dialogue.
If you’re hoping that The Walking Dead is another first-person shooter with a
high body count, you’ll be disappointed. The game is all about choice – and often
under duress. You’ll have to make split-second decisions, not only on responses to
questions, but who to save, who to shoot, and where to go. These decisions have
immediate impact on the story and may backfire on you.
Be warned: this game is gory. Don’t give this to your five-year-old.
The Walking Dead REVIEWS
“The walking
dead might
not be
the most
monstrous
things
stumbling
around this
planet”
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