the walking dead - season 1 episode 1

When the Walking Dead game was first announced, you could probably see a general type of gameplay being set for it. After all, taking out zombies is something players have been doing for quite some time. But when it was announced that Telltale would be developing the game, it was clear that this game would be very different from titles such as Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising.

After releasing Jurassic Park in a complete package, Telltale has gone back to their episodic formula with the Walking Dead. Titled 'A New Day', this episode is the first of five coming roughly every month. This first episode gives you a few hours with Lee Everett, the main protagonist whom you'll have semi-control over.

Unlike most Telltale games, you'll actually be able to manually move Lee to a certain extent, but the upside is that all decisions made by the dialogue are all up to you. When speaking to characters in the game, certain dialogue options will appear, giving you a chance to see how certain options you choose can change the story. You'll have to hurry with a few, as some choices are given with a timer making you really commit to what you choose to say. There were numerous times where I wanted to see how picking another option would turn out, so It'll be great to have multiple saves and see how things can change based on my choices throughout the episodes.

Another neat addition with the choices is that your actions will be remembered in the game by characters you meet, which will continue into future episodes.

The visuals of the game are great too. At least to me, they appear to be the comic of Walking Dead in full color as well as being similar to Borderlands in terms of the cel-shading. The actors do a great job portraying their characters and thanks to the game's great ambiance in the sound effects and suspenseful music, you really get immersed into the story. Even if you're just watching a friend play, The Walking Dead can really suck you in with all it has to offer.

With an entry price of $5, The Walking Dead can be experienced by many. It's high production value, dialogue features and interesting characters really make one must play experience. Hats off to Telltale for starting The Walking Dead game with a terrific bang.