The best way to experience The Walking Dead

With the return of The Walking Dead to our tv screens, we’ve definitely been more than excited to revisit the TV adaptation of Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard’s zombie masterpiece. With the first episode about to air, take a look at our own recommendation for the best way to experience The Walking Dead – right after this trailer.

So put aside your nachos and guacamole dip, or your cheezels and coke – here’s the real secret to experiencing The Walking Dead. First – change the channel on the TV or close the window on the computer where you watch The Walking Dead. Nope, don’t even open the latest issue of The Walking Dead (now at #102). In fact, sit in front of your computer, Xbox or PlayStation 3, and fire up TellTale Games’ The Walking Dead.

That’s right – if you’re a zombie fanatic, you should have taken a taste of the amazing adventure game featuring The Walking Dead’s universe by now. Featuring the character Lee, who starts to take care of a young girl Clementine who he found while escaping from walkers (and his past), Lee runs into various survivors throughout his attempt to find safety in a world gone biting mad, and things always don’t go smoothly. Fans of the series might even recognise Glenn and Hershel – who both make their appearence in episode 1 of the game.

It’s perhaps the most feels I’ve had while playing a game – over the span of the 4 episodes so far I’ve felt fear, shock, anger, sadness and despair – and even slight bubbles of joy. It’s a roller-coaster ride of awesome – I’ve never felt so strongly about fresh new gaming characters so quickly, and those devious minds at Telltale really know the best time to rip the rug from right under your feet. While there are puzzles for you to solve, they never really get in the way of the tension – sometimes making the games more like an interactive movie than what some might consider a game.

However, I’m guessing that some undead lovers either aren’t gamers or haven’t heard of the game – if you belong to either group, it’s time for you to change that, and here’s a few reasons why.

1. Hated the pacing problems that plagued season 2 of The Walking Dead? With just 5 episodes and with 4 already released, you’re not going to have any of that in the game. While the game does have it’s quiet, silent moments, you’re definitely using all that time absorbing what just happened to you and your motley crew – that and you know you’re just steps away from the next crazy, tension-filled moment.

2. You’re directly involved. While you do play as Lee, you’re constantly faced with moral dilemmas such as who to side with or even who to save. After all, if you were truly interested in the zombie experience, you’d really want to know how you’d react, and in this game it becomes really clear. Many of the choices you have to make are made under duress as a timer winds down while the choice is presented to you when you least expect it – and there are many times I regretted a selection, but on hindsight knew that’s exactly what I would have done. In episode 4 I had it the worst – one really painful choice felt necessary, another really changes what I might go through in episode 5.

3. It’s an amazingly written story. Sure, it deviates even more from the original comics than the TV series – but if you didn’t mind that, why mind this? After all, you’re following a totally different group of survivors in an extremely large country, there’s truly so much storytelling potential to be made. The latest writer? Gary Whitta wrote episode 4 – he’s the same guy who wrote The Book Of Eli, so there’s lots of pedigree there. And let’s not forget – even Kirkman has given his seal of approval.

4. And even if you don’t love zombies – the game is really good. Let’s put it this way – I put down one of my most anticipated games of the year, a game almost 20 years in the making, and stopped playing that for episode 4 of The Walking Dead. It’s that good. It’s still my pick for game of the year – you might think differently but you won’t know until you try.

With the latest episode of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, episode 4, having just been released, there’s just one more episode left to go. And even with the TV series just moments away, what I’m really looking forward to is episode 5, No Time Life – and unless you’re a lifeless zombie, you’d be waiting with me. Still not convinced? Your best bet is to just try it out – after all, as much as it’s a game, it’s easy for anyone to get into it.

Want to know more? Check out Telltale Games.