The Walking Dead (The Videogame)

[Blotus]

So if one of these six will be the main protagonist, who would it be?

-Bonnie and Wyatt seem too weak
-Russell is too young
-Vince shares a similar story origin as Lee
-Definitely won't be Tavia

If anyone, probably Shel. She was my favorite of the bunch anyway. Though I cringe at the thought of looking after her shitty little sister the whole time.

Or it could be someone entirely different at the truck stop.

[Shrinweck]

Shel was good but a bit too much of a big sister type for my liking as a protagonist - I liked Vince the most though. The problem is they're all capable of being decent main characters (the ex-junkie redeeming herself, the young graduate finding who he is, the sister making tough decisions in the midst of a corrupted little sister, the well meaning criminal, the.. okay wyatt's just comedy relief at this point) and I thinks that's what they're doing. Maybe each episode in the new season will star one of them.

Spoiler: show

If Bonnie is the only one who definitely leaves then smart money would be on her for being the first episodes protagonist if I'm right about the view point jumping by episode.

[kali o.]

And what was that shit where you hold down the mouse button and roll it slowly forward/quickly to sneak/lurch out? I tried that out like five times and it was the exact same thing every time lol

Lol, I never actually figured that shit out. One time I managed to actually move a foot or so before the what's his face jumped the old guy. (see...I can't even remember the names in this ep...)

As for Bonnie (junkie right?), I agree. I may be wrong, but I seem to recall Telltale saying Season 2 would have a strong female lead...I think at the time, soms people speculated it would be Clem. But this makes more sense.

EDIT: I can't find a link for that claim, so maybe it was just fan talk I am misremembering (or my google-fu sucks).

[Zeus]

I haven't played Walking Dead so I haven't commented on it specifically. I've played Back to the Future...

That does explain a bit. Walking Dead is like B2tF...except with LESS actual gameplay.

I am of the opinion Telltale should just ditch all pretense of gameplay and focus on meaningful choices. The walking around and lame QTEish moments aren't padding game time all that much anyway.

See, I wonder if people would actually like that. What you're talking about is video game version of Choose Your Own Adventure. I think the industry has been reluctant to do something of that nature because it eliminates what makes a game a game: gameplay. Personally, I think it would work, especially with today's graphics. And they would work best in a downloadable setting at $5 a pop over 5+ episodes and 2 hours each.

Eliminating the gameplay would save a ton of development time....but not necessarily a lot of money since it's the artists and programmers that get paid everything and they would still have to do the cutscenes. Question is: do consumers wanna not actually play a game and do the interactive movies that everyone thought was gonna be the rage 15 years ago? I'm not sure and I don't think any developer would wanna try it since they're not actually developing a game anymore

[Shrinweck]

It isn't something that'd sell a bazillion copies but anyone who's up for enjoying an interactive story would buy it. Bioware has already started instituting difficulties so easy that it makes the combat portions of ME3 a joke as some kind of storytelling difficulty. Honestly, I think these people who use this difficulty are probably better off watching Youtube videos. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't watched a Let's Play to see the story of something without engaging in what I knew would be more annoyance than pleasure in the actual gameplay.

But, yeah, there's definitely an audience for a good interactive story. That's basically already what The Walking Dead is. There's like, a what, 5:1 ratio of cutscene to gameplay minutes already isn't there? And in this DLC it was probably 10:1. The core Season One had something like two or three QTE equivalent moments that even after looking up the solution I would have just thrown in the towel and stopped playing if the story wasn't so particularly interesting for me. They should really just knock it off... The adventure game type stuff where you get to freely investigate/talk to people could probably stay though.

[bovine]

It was a good episode. Vince did not join the party in the end, and that was a bummer. I have enjoyed these episodes as a single-run, as I don't want to think of it in mechanical, normal game terms of looking for the branching paths.

The thing that seems to separate this from Last of Us, to me, is that you are forced to make a choice, where as Last of Us makes all the choices for you. That makes it impactful in an entirely different way.

[Shrinweck]

San Diego Comic-con reveals from PC Gamer (light season one spoilers so I'm spoiler tagging it):

Spoiler: show

The announcements were made during San Diego Comic-Con, where a panel revealed that Clementine “will definitely be a part of” the story. How much involvement she’ll have was left unanswered, but a teaser image showed what appeared to be Clem, sitting next to a child in the rain.

The panel also hinted that the ultimate fate of Kenny “will be explored”. As of yet, we don’t know whether these characters will be playable, regulars, or just cameo appearances. For that, we’ll have to wait for this Autumn, when the release of the second season is planned.

[Shrinweck]

Hnnnng 10% off Season Two on Steam I had to buy it. Clementine is ALL OVER the screen shots since I guess the game is played from her perspective. I fully support this design decision. I liked playing a father figure but I bet playing from a kids perspective will be really interesting too, since she's no fool, and I'm going to assume a lot of the story is going to be adults not taking her seriously. Great voice actress too.

If PSN is a reliable source then I guess the release is the 20th, but Steam still just says November.

I guess she'll run into the group of survivors from 400 Days at some point.

[zoeyku]

Back to the Future got panned in every review I read.

[Shrinweck]

This guy sounds smart

[Zeus]

This guy sounds smart

Fucking bot has no idea what it's talking about :-)

[Shrinweck]

Lol he quoted me in two out of the three threads. Clearly it has SOME amount of taste.

[SineSwiper]

Back to the Future got panned in every review I read.

You must read some pretty shitty reviewers

[Shrinweck]

Was talking about the game :P

[SineSwiper]

Fuck that. We're talking about Back to the Future now

[Shrinweck]

First episode of season two didn't even take 90 minutes for me to cut my way through. Fucking lame. In what world do they think it's acceptable to make these even shorter? If the next few episodes aren't longer then I'm probably not going to continue buying this series. Four hundred days or whatever was one thing but the episodes in the core series should definitely be 2-4 hours.

Was still good though and they didn't pad what little there was with bullshit though.

[kali o.]

Agreed. Was far too short.

What was there was exceptionally good though.

[Shrinweck]

After a day to think on it, the end on this really kind of blows in comparison to other Telltale game episode endings. The ending of the episodes of The Wolf Among Us and Season One involved an actual, you know, ending of some kind with a cliff hanger. This episode kind of just... stopped in the middle of the story. Really, it feels like there could possibly be a patch that adds an extra thirty minutes to the episode. I guess on the plus side, the flash forward trailer of the next episode looks like they're covering a lot of ground so it'll probably be longer.

While the 90 minutes were really well crafted basically nothing happened in this episode but set up and an establishment of Clementine having learned well from Lee. It was basically a really well written shitty episode that did nothing but set up the next episode that will likely blow our socks off.

[Lox]

Am I too late to this party? Haha

I just finished the first season (but not the DLC). I really, really liked it.

Spoiler: show

That ending. THAT ENDING. It doesn't help that practically anything involving a father/daughter scenario almost always makes me tear up since having daughters of my own.

I want to jump on the next season right now, but I have so much else to play that I know I should wait and it sounds like you guys weren't blown away by it so far.

[Shrinweck]

It's all great it's just what's out is SO SHORT. Wait for a sale. Like wait until the 400 days DLC is less than $5 and wait until Season 2 is less than $15 (if I were more patient I'd wait for under $10 or under). There isn't even 3.5 hours of content combined between 400 Days and the first episode of season two.

The first episode of season two had one of the most uncomfortable moments I've ever had in gaming. If you've seen Captain Philips it's similar to Tom Hanks in shock at the end of the movie.. it makes the viewer feel similar to that. It's masterfully done... it's just.. so short.

[Lox]

Ah, ok. Thanks for the recommendations.

Apparently 400 Days is included on the Vita cartridge so I'm playing that right now.

I'll probably wait for both TWD Season 2 and tWAU to come out as a collection.

[Shrinweck]

Next season two episode comes out this Tuesday woohoo. Hopefully it's longer but I'm not going to hold my breath. Either way I'm looking forward to it. It's nice to see Telltale Games not dragging their feet with their release schedule after being a little sketchy about The Wolf Among Us' episode two release date. One would think that these games would not be that hard to produce once the first episode has been released, but then I'm just talking out of my ass.

[Shrinweck]

Another solid episode with one of if not the best choreographed zombie fight so far. Still too short, coming in at around 105ish minutes (Edit: Oops.. I just remembered I got up for ~10 to make tea and a snack at one point.. so yeah game still isn't ideally long at all), but at least it's a step in the right direction. I quite like the new antagonist. He doesn't seem super lame like that crazy guy at the end of season one or the cannibal family. It's still really fun getting to be Clementine and I think I like it more than Lee.

I like the connection they finally made with the 400 Days DLC and I'm interested in seeing where that goes from where episode two ends.

I'm definitely going to have to play through the first two episodes again since there are some interesting choices to be made.

Voice acting is definitely a ten out of ten again. While the zombie fights are kind of cool sometimes, I don't understand why they even bother with some of the adventure game bits. If there are only three things to look at and one thing to do then just don't even bother giving me control. And if all my character is doing is prying a lock under no pressure of being attacked (or whatever) then having some dumb "Tap Q!" quick time event is adding NOTHING. But still, other than some minor gripes this was really solid.

Edit: I went throush S2 episode 1 again and I think the guy that

Spoiler: show

(edit 2 for clarity: the dude Clementine sees again when he's dying on the riverbank and she can choose whether or not to give him water) was part of the group attacking Christa in the beginning probably survives. I bet he pops up later and probably remembers whether or not you gave him water

[kali o.]

Too short for me...and real "choice" doesn't exist.

I realize I may be asking a lot...after all, if there are just two real choices for every chapter, you are dealing with a complex web by episode 5.

But $10 bucks for a 90 minute interactive episode with real choice that I will *want* to play multiple times is more exciting to me than the QTE, ladder climbing short linear game it is now.

[Shrinweck]

A good game that offers real choice is pretty rare and I imagine next to impossible to pull off when you're talking about a game that lasts hours and hours and spans continuity to the next game. Unfortunately, when it comes to developers attempting to put 'real' choice in games, EA/Bioware are the pioneers, so we're basically fucked. I'd say the only game that I've ever been given an actual choice that completely changed the game is The Witcher 2. It has three acts and the second act is both lengthy and dramatically different depending on whose side you take.

The third episode of this came out today. It's probably the best one so far and finally properly ties characters in from the 400 Days DLC, even if everyone else is very superficially in it compared to Bonny (who is the only person who has a 100% chance of going with Talia no matter what you did in the DLC). It's also probably the darkest episode in the entire series (although the cannibal episode is probably technically darker it was kind of goofy).

And, yeah, this is another 90 minute episode.

Kumail Nanjiani plays Reggie which is pretty cool. He's really good.

[kali o.]

Mmm...good thing I stopped by - no idea it was out.

If it wasn't 3am, I'd punch out a playthrough. Will have to wait until tomorrow I guess (and then another 2 month wait...lol).

[Shrinweck]

Next episode out on Tuesday. Hopefully there's less "How is she this bad ass?" Clementine without resorting to making her some child that's constantly getting her ass handed to her and having to run away.

[Shrinweck]

Not a bad episode but with the last one approaching I'm going to go ahead and say that the fourth episode of season two is probably going to be the worst episode this season. It just felt a lot more on rails then even these games feel. There's unavoidable character death and basically none of the decisions matter. Certain people get pissed off, others die and leave, and the end plays out the same way even if you play differently.

I got out of this episode and I don't feel like I know any of the characters better than I did at the end of episode three (with maybe one exception). I don't even LIKE any of the characters more than I did before playing the episode.

In a series where the writing and characters are 100% carrying the meaningless game play and choices, this episode just wasn't good. Whoever was responsible for writing in the illusion of choice just really sleepwalked through this one.

About 100 minutes play time. Despite all this still looking forward to the ending.

[Shrinweck]

This ended. It wasn't great, and it definitely wasn't as good as season one, but it was still good. Season three will be interesting.

Spoiler: show

The multiple end states of season two makes me think that they will follow another protagonist in season three. My wild ass guess is that it'll be that woman from the end of season one with the ice pick. Bonnie also wouldn't be the worst choice of a new protagonist. I also had a thought that Luke could still be alive, but he's too close to things. There's a good chance that if he did survive, he'd end up going for Wellington or back to the grocery store, which would require too much effort on TTG's part to write/program/animate all that shit and still have it end up going to the same place as it would. Also Luke is uninteresting and would be a shittier protagonist than even Bonnie. Ice pick girl seems like a good choice since she goes off on her own and is an established character that people seemed to like. I guess Christa is another possibility, but I never found her terribly interesting.

I ended up siding with Jane. I knew exactly what shit she was pulling the second I saw her walking through the snow storm without the baby. Kenny seemed like a lost cause of rage and depression, and even though he apparently comes to his senses if you choose to side with him, I wasn't willing to give him the benefit of doubt. Jane and Kenny both end up realizing that they were being complete and utter shit heads. What ultimately lead me to side with Jane was Bonnie's whole spiel about no one respecting Clementine and how her life upon reaching that group was constantly men making up her mind for her. I don't really get why Clementine couldn't have aimed for his fucking arm or shoulder or some shit, but, hey, I guess it's a better either/or story this way.

[kali o.]

I don't even know who you are or what planet you are from....! The ending(s) were fucking great. Especially...

Spoiler: show

...the Kenny ones. Now I chose Jane as well, because it seemed like the right "survival" choice (this was even with thinking that she really did kill the baby...which I was Ok with) but on retrospect, Jane is a bit of a sociopath here. At any point during the fight, she could have admitted the baby was safe and still have proven her "point".

So after that, I reloaded and let Kenny kill Jane. I let him leave us at Wellington. That was a pretty powerful ending...impactful enough that I couldn't bring myself to try the 'let Jane die and then shoot Kenny'. I had to youtube it instead...which is pretty interesting. Telltale made Kenny pretty fucking real (to me) with that ending and some how made my allergies kick in hard. Well done.

Edit: I don't see Bonnie being an option. Too many players hate her and want to put a bullet in her. Plus, I am not positive if she "made it" in each play through (see: lake chocies). Also...Luke's fate is pretty much sealed. At least in my playthrough.

[Shrinweck]

In defense of what I said about

Spoiler: show

Kenny's endings I didn't actually watch any of them as much as I read about them after. I'm 100% sure they would have melted the shit out of my heart.

I think what makes this series great as opposed to the comic and the television series is that it never really settles down. They're never in one place for more than one episode which keeps things fresh. I also like how it seems that everyone has a good chance of either dying or being split from the group to (maybe) never be seen again. It's always good to make a character temporarily go away, take them into account in retrospect, and if a lot of things were working then write them back into the story.

I also loved how they had Lee return in that dream sequence. It came at the perfect moment and it was just nice to see things slow down after all that craziness.

And, yeah, Jane was clearly going absolutely crazy, but I still trusted her more then Kenny.

[kali o.]

Worth watching or playing to those endings. For sure not the same just reading about it.

Spoiler: show

As for trust...I am not sure "trust" was something I had for her. At least, trust isn't the right word, I think. She was unpredictable and the ending just highlights that. If Jane left again the next day, because it was best for Jane, I wouldn't be surprised. She was a survivor and practical...I suppose that's why I initially chose her. With Kenny -- you could trust him. Unpredictable in some actions, right or wrong, you knew Kenny was looking out for you and had your back.

I'd like to think I could be practical and calculating in a similar situation...but even still, I have to respect Kenny's loyalty. I betrayed that loyalty when I shot him...and regretted it.

[Shrinweck]

I think

Spoiler: show

both Jane and Kenny will stick with Clementine for the forseeable future depending on who lived. Both of them going crazy and killing someone was just the reminder they needed to stop being fuckheads all the time. On the other hand, it'll be interesting to see how they 'write out' the characters if the perspective sticks with Clementine. Maybe they'll just be very secondary seldom used characters like Carly and that guy 90% of the dudes who played let die.

I guess there could also be a time jump that invalidates any of the end states, with Clementine ending up in the same place after it, and gets dealt with with some throwaway conversation or some such. While kind of being a cop out, maybe they've kind of mined all the value of playing a ~12 year old girl and she can be older now. I think the writers are probably too enamored with Clementine to let her go. She's a good protagonist and god damn that voice actress really knocks it the hell out of the park. I'm not sure there's been a single moment where the acting wasn't amazing when coming from her.

Raising a kid from birth is completely untapped potential in a story like this. It'll be cool getting to skip the years where it can't put a sentence together.

[kali o.]

I'd be surprised if it continued to follow Clemintine. I think it should...but i'd be surprised.