I first played the first season of The Walking Dead a few years ago. I thought I’d played the second season as well, only to learn (by the time they were available on PS4) that I hadn’t. Being the trophy whore that I am, I decided to play the first season again on PS4 and play seasons two and three (A New Frontier) as well.
I haven’t watched the show, I can’t give a reason why, I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I love the games though, and if they represent the show in any way, I’m certain I’ll love the show too. Ever since Indigo Prophecy (at least, gaming wise, book wise, it was the Goosebumps: Choose Your Own Adventure), I’ve been a fan of stories that allow you to alter it by the choices you make.
With The Walking Dead those choices were typically life and death, and even the smallest of choices could lead to a life or death decision. I cared about the characters, especially Lee and Clementine. Clementine is my favorite child character from any video game.
Right after the first season, I went right into the second season. I really enjoyed the updates to the graphics and the gameplay, but most important, I loved the character development of Clementine. In season one, she was a little girl who didn’t understand what was happening and there were many heartbreaking moments where she was forced to understand for her own survive.
The Clementine you see in season two is wiser and more self-sufficient and she continues on that path as the season progresses, and more difficult choices are thrown your way. By the time you encounter Clementine in A New Frontier, she is miles away from that little girl she was in season one. She is a hardened survivor, but every now and again, you’d see bits of that little girl underneath. It was an amazing story, and she is set to come back for the final season next year, I’m so excited. Also, you can have your decisions from one season carry over to the next, which I love.
Though I tend to favor vampires of all the fantasy creatures, I do have an interest in zombie games, stories, movies. Playing through The Walking Dead even inspired a story idea of my own. I’m currently fleshing out the outline (which is always the easiest part for me) and hopefully I’ll write the script some time next year.
If you’re a gamer and like TellTale games, or point and click games in general, I highly recommend giving The Walking Dead a try. If you are more about gameplay than story, these might not be the games for you.
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