The Walking Dead

pixelburp · 30-08-2012 9:26pm

I really can't think of another game that has such a well crafted, rounded set of characters. Ironic really, considering the comic-styling of the graphics. Ben and Duck were something of a mistep, but the rest of the cast really are deftly handled; it's rare a video game features actual human beings as opposed to caricatures.

My one criticism - well not really a criticism as such - but if feels like the writers have gone out of their way to make it feel that no matter what choice you make, it tends to blow up in your face anyway & p*ss somebody off. I suppose it works well against the world it's all set against, but it can make things feel more railroaded than advertised.

Out of curiousity:

Does Carly always die? Frankly Ben is a useless idiot & on learning he was the one who was stealing the supplies, I was doubly angry Carly got shot.

Also: I thought the bit at the end was very funny:

making it look like you had another choice between who lived & died between Crista & Omid, but then the game pulled a fake-out and the other person appears from off-screen.

Orim · 30-08-2012 9:38pm

pixelburp wrote: »

I really can't think of another game that has such a well crafted, rounded set of characters. Ironic really, considering the comic-styling of the graphics. Ben and Duck were something of a mistep, but the rest of the cast really are deftly handled; it's rare a video game features actual human beings as opposed to caricatures.

My one criticism - well not really a criticism as such - but if feels like the writers have gone out of their way to make it feel that no matter what choice you make, it tends to blow up in your face anyway & p*ss somebody off. I suppose it works well against the world it's all set against, but it can make things feel more railroaded than advertised.

Out of curiousity:
Does Carly always die? Frankly Ben is a useless idiot & on learning he was the one who was stealing the supplies, I was doubly angry Carly got shot.

Also: I thought the bit at the end was very funny:
making it look like you had another choice between who lived & died between Crista & Omid, but then the game pulled a fake-out and the other person appears from off-screen.

Well you always need conflict. If there was a way to get everyone on your side then some people would have a fairly boring experience. I'd count myself as I'm constantly trying to be in the middle but you just can't.

I can't see anything that could lead to Carly not dying. If it was Ben that got shot then it wouldn't have half the impact plus he's needed for the reveal of him actually stealing the supplies. I'm curious as to what it's like if Doug was in the group as a lot of what made that scene was the chemistry between Carly and Lee. I think it'd be less powerful if it was Doug that got killed.

I actually think Ben became more of a full character in this episode.

Especially when you're trying to get the train going. He's showing a lot of bitterness about being stuck on watch and I think it's going to cause some trouble down the line.

pixelburp · 30-08-2012 10:34pm

Orim wrote: »

Well you always need conflict. If there was a way to get everyone on your side then some people would have a fairly boring experience. I'd count myself as I'm constantly trying to be in the middle but you just can't.

It's not the conflict itself I hate, obviously the plot & events need a forward driving force, it just seems sometimes like the game descends into a series of very deliberate, binary situations. To be fair, that is kinda the point of the game - to force you to make horrible, desperate choices in an bleak world - but a little more of puzzle/problem solving and 'actual' gameplay would be nice too.

Still love the game to bits mind you, that must be said.

CastorTroy · 31-08-2012 12:40am

So finally bought the game off Steam. I know that there are points in the game where you make choices that carry on through the episode and into the next, so was just wondering how many of these types of decisions are there per episode? Just so I know how many times I would need to play to get most coverage.
Please place answers in spoilers.
Thanks

Local-womanizer · 31-08-2012 1:32am

Just finished it there, really really enjoyable. It played out very well, can't wait for the next installment.

Can't use spoiler tags on the phone so I would go into detail.

grizzly · 31-08-2012 2:33am

On PC and the E3 update killed my save. Not sure if I should start over or wait for a fix.

Burning Eclipse · 31-08-2012 10:55am

If they keep up the pace and the quality of writing, this has a great shot at being my GotY. At present, it's certainly top 5. Episode 3 was exceptional.

I was genuinely surprised by what happened to Carly, and after that shock wasn't quite prepared to deal with something like Katjaa killing herself; I'd grown to like her a lot. She was a nice counterpoint to Kenny.

So, on the decisions front:

I shot the lady in the car-park, I abandoned Lily (absolutely no f**king way she can be around Clem when she's that unhinged), I talked Kenny down and I put Duck out of his misery (no parent should have to do something like that). Finally, I helped Omid, as he was injured, but boy was he pissed at me. I also pushed him off the bridge, because time wasn't on our side.

That said, I'm almost more interested in the non-pivotal decisions:

I pried (perhaps a bit too much) by asking Christa why she was fighting with Omid, and I pushed Ben again to answer if it was him, before he came clean. I also took the opportunity to tell everyone about Lee's past, except for Clem, to whom I merely told I was 'going to prison', but she found out the whole truth in the end. I also told Katjaa what happened in the cooler room on the farm; wonder how that affected her relationship with Kenny (who killed Larry in my story).

I have to resist the strong urge to start a new game too, just to see how things can play out differently... Will wait for all 5 episodes before doing that.

Also "'high five"

Duck thinks you are incredibly awesome

.

Grumpypants · 31-08-2012 8:37pm

Just posted our review this morning and just now got an email from Lee Everett ! Or at least the voice behind Lee Dave Fennoy.

Local-womanizer · 31-08-2012 8:40pm

Grumpypants wrote: »

Just posted our review this morning and just now got an email from Lee Everett ! Or at least the voice behind Lee Dave Fennoy.

What's the craic with him?

Atavan-Halen · 01-09-2012 1:49am

Just finished episode 3 and defnitely a lot more tense in terms of decisions!

As for what choices I made:

I shot the girl at the start despite the chance of making noise. I left that psycho Lily behind after she shot Doug (I chose to save Doug). I shot Duck, tried to convince Omid to jump by himself but didn't push him. Then hepled him onto the train first because his leg was injured.

Plumpynutt · 01-09-2012 10:14am

Is it just out for PC or is it available on the PSN store too?

Zero-Cool · 01-09-2012 12:32pm

Grumpypants wrote: »

Just posted our review this morning and just now got an email from Lee Everett ! Or at least the voice behind Lee Dave Fennoy.

That is so class man!

I'm fine waiting but sickened I can't read all these spoilers. Gimme the game Sony b*astards!!!!

Simi · 03-09-2012 10:00am

Best episode so far. PC controls remain annoying though.

Took me a half dozen attempts to figure out I needed to press 2 to select the wrench.

The supposedly important decisions you make are fairly flimsy though. No matter what you pick, you are going to get railroaded into following a certain path. The only major decision so far seems to be whether Doug or Carley survived episode 1.

A point made moot by his or her execution in this episode. I really doubt Doug would have been as convincing a suspect as Carley tbh. Guess I'll just have to play through again to find out! :-D

I understand the reason for this, you can't very well have the game shoot off in two entirely different directions, with different locations and different surrounding characters, but a little more variety would be nice.

As for my decisions...

I chose to let the woman get eaten. I brought Lily with me, simply because I didn't want to murder someone else in front of Clem and just let her take the RV cause I was sick of arguing with her. And killed Duck (like I really had a choice :rolleyes:).

Zero-Cool · 03-09-2012 10:24am

Telltale are putting up all their positive reviews they are getting on FB. I opened the comments to see if people are asking about the Euro PSN release. They were but also some c*nt put up the decisions he made in ep 3 and also how you meet a guy who killed ****** in the comics. I managed to close it before I read/understood the decisions but I saw who gets killed in the comics. I'm only 7 or 8 comics behind the current one, that would have been a complete shock an all.

Theres a special place in hell for these spoilers!

Any word on a Euro release this week?

SeantheMan · 03-09-2012 11:33am

Grumpypants wrote: »

Just posted our review this morning and just now got an email from Lee Everett ! Or at least the voice behind Lee Dave Fennoy.

What's he say ? Did you write to him or he read your review ?
He is excellent in it

Burning Eclipse · 03-09-2012 12:50pm

sheehy83 wrote: »

Telltale are putting up all their positive reviews they are getting on FB. I opened the comments to see if people are asking about the Euro PSN release. They were but also some c*nt put up the decisions he made in ep 3 and also how you meet a guy who killed ****** in the comics. I managed to close it before I read/understood the decisions but I saw who gets killed in the comics. I'm only 7 or 8 comics behind the current one, that would have been a complete shock an all.

Theres a special place in hell for these spoilers!

Any word on a Euro release this week?

Ah sheehy83 - You've just let us know that one of the people we met in the game is a murderer (or ends up being a murderer in future).

Zero-Cool · 03-09-2012 12:54pm

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Ah sheehy83 - You've just let us know that one of the people we met in the game is a murderer (or ends up being a murderer in future).

Woops

ah well its safe to say at least one person you meet in every episode is going be a killer at some point so theres still some mystery there

SeantheMan · 03-09-2012 2:25pm

I've stopped reading the comics a while back awaiting compendium no.2

But it's not out till October

Burning Eclipse · 03-09-2012 2:39pm

sheehy83 wrote: »

Woops ah well its safe to say at least one person you meet in every episode is going be a killer at some point so theres still some mystery there

A fair point!

I'm going to start reading the comics... I'm not really a comic guy (and I'm a complete nerd in most aspects), but the premise and story is too good not to give them a shot.

WarZoneBrother · 03-09-2012 6:56pm

sheehy83 wrote: »

Woops ah well its safe to say at least one person you meet in every episode is going be a killer at some point so theres still some mystery there

I hope it and CS GO come out this week.. The EU PSN is taking the p1ss CS GO has been out 2 weeks now..

SeantheMan · 03-09-2012 8:10pm

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

A fair point!

I'm going to start reading the comics... I'm not really a comic guy (and I'm a complete nerd in most aspects), but the premise and story is too good not to give them a shot.

Do yourself a favour ! They're better than the game and the tv series

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Walking-Dead-Compendium-Volume/dp/1607060760/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346699389&sr=8-2

That's the first 50 issues all in one book. Well worth it. I bought it even though I'd read them all, just so I can let other people read them and spread the love

super_furry · 03-09-2012 9:14pm

Finished it over the weekend but a couple of gameplay niggles kept it from being brilliant for me. The inability to invert the controls on the shooting sections were a big downer for me - it made it so much tougher and frustrating to get through and although I eventually did it was a slog. The train section too was irating. The most 'point and clicky' section of the game so far with some needlessly obtuse puzzles that just seemed to drag.

The story points were great I

didn't shoot the girl, dumped Lilly like the dangerous psycho she is, shot Duck (poor Duck, I really warmed to him during the investigation) and saved the girl.

Hawke · 03-09-2012 9:46pm

Worst thing about this game is having to wait another month for next Episode. Loved 3, absolutely fantastic, best one so far.

HigginsJ · 05-09-2012 7:47am

Hawke wrote: »

Worst thing about this game is having to wait another month for next Episode. Loved 3, absolutely fantastic, best one so far.

Any news or sign of it on psn over here?

F1ngers · 05-09-2012 3:16pm

HigginsJ wrote: »

Any news or sign of it on psn over here?

Posted on 5 September, 2012 at 2:21 pm by Vintsukka
So… no The Walking Dead?

Posted on 5 September, 2012 at 2:42 pm by Jawad Ashraf

Not at the moment. It could be next week alas I don’t wish to get your hopes up.

http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/09/05/heads-up-game-store-update-5th-september-2012/

Zero-Cool · 05-09-2012 3:17pm

f*ck sake man

WarZoneBrother · 05-09-2012 3:27pm

Oh dear god, I dont get anything to play this week even CS GO isnt out.. European PSN has gone to crap...

F1ngers · 06-09-2012 11:35pm

Telltale Games ‏@telltalegames Episode 3 of TWD has cleared certification with SCEE, and we anticipate that a confirmed release date will be imminent on PSN in Europe.

https://twitter.com/telltalegames

Nearly there it seems.

WarZoneBrother · 07-09-2012 1:07am

F1ngers wrote: »

https://twitter.com/telltalegames

Nearly there it seems.

Is there any hope in having it before next Wednesday?

F1ngers · 07-09-2012 2:48am

WarZoneBrother wrote: »

Is there any hope in having it before next Wednesday?

Yes.
They did it with the last episode and Machinarium was put out today(yesterday).
They do update outside of wednesdays.

The Walking Dead

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