The Walking Dead

Developer: Telltale Games
Release: Apr 24th 2012
Platforms:
Adventure
Emotional
Story-rich
Immersive
Timeless
Minor Bugs
The Walking Dead Poster

The Walking Dead Review

The Walking Dead by Telltale Games is widely celebrated as a masterpiece of narrative-driven gaming, even more than a decade after its release. Players praise its deeply emotional storyline, compelling character development, and impactful moral choices that truly make you feel part of the post-apocalyptic world. The bond between Lee and Clementine is often highlighted as a core emotional anchor, with many players moved to tears by the game's ending. Despite its age, the comic book-inspired graphics remain stylistically fitting and immersive, and the game runs well on modest hardware. The gameplay focuses on interaction and decision-making rather than traditional action, offering a unique experience that emphasizes storytelling over mechanics. While some note that choices may not drastically alter the plot, the game excels at making players feel the weight of their decisions. Overall, it remains a must-play classic, highly recommended for those who value story and emotional engagement in games.

Players also appreciate the game's pacing, atmosphere of hopelessness, and minimal bugs, making it a smooth experience. The game’s length is considered satisfying, providing many hours of engrossing content. It’s often hailed as a timeless and emotional journey that redefined interactive storytelling.

Highlights

The Walking Dead's storyline and character development receive universal acclaim, with players deeply connecting to Lee and Clementine. The moral choices and consequences create a gripping emotional experience. Its comic book art style perfectly suits the atmosphere, enhancing immersion despite the game's age. The game’s pacing and atmosphere effectively evoke feelings of despair and hope. Players find the gameplay mechanics intuitive and engaging, focusing on interaction rather than action. The game runs well on low-end PCs and is praised for having minimal bugs, ensuring a smooth playthrough. The emotional impact and storytelling quality remain standout features, making it a timeless classic.

Criticisms

Some players mention that while choices feel impactful, they may not drastically change the overall plot, leading to a perception that choices don’t always matter significantly. The pacing is occasionally described as slow by a few reviewers. The graphics, though stylistically praised, show some texture resolution issues on higher settings. A minority note that the game’s format might feel old-school compared to modern titles. Some wished for more extensive voice acting options, such as additional language support. Additionally, the DLC is sold separately, which some players found inconvenient. Overall, criticisms are minor and do not detract significantly from the experience.

Pros

  • Deeply emotional and impactful storyline with memorable characters.
  • Meaningful moral choices that affect the narrative experience.
  • Unique comic book art style that enhances the atmosphere.
  • Well-paced with a strong sense of hopelessness and tension.
  • Runs smoothly on low-end PCs with minimal bugs encountered.
  • Engaging gameplay focused on interaction and decision-making.
  • Strong voice acting brings characters to life effectively.

Cons

  • Choices sometimes feel less impactful on overall plot.
  • Pacing can feel slow for players expecting faster action.
  • Texture resolution issues on high graphics settings noted.
  • Limited voice acting language options for some players.
  • DLC sold separately, which some found inconvenient.
  • Old-school format may not appeal to all modern gamers.
  • Some minor bugs reported, though rare and non-disruptive.

Rating Criteria

Story
Difficulty
Graphics
Duration
Stability
Worth the Price
Capsule image

A five-part adventure horror series set in the same universe as Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series.

Release Date Apr 24th 2012
Publisher Skybound Games
Developer Telltale Games
Required Age 17+
Platforms

User Reviews

Overwhelmingly Positive (23,059)
97% Positive 3% Negative

Online Reviews

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Metacritic
82