Title: The Walking Dead Game Season 2 Ep1: All That Remains
Format: PS3(reviewed), Xbox 360, PC,
Release Date: December 17, 2013
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Price: $4.99
ESRB Rating: M
Season 2 of the critically acclaimed Walking Dead series from Telltale Games has arrived, and it continues the story of Clementine. The first episode doesn't have the same gut-wrenching moments we've come to expect, but it does prove to be a great first step for a stellar season ahead.
Story and Presentation: If you've played the last season of the Walking Dead, then you know that Lee is now gone, and Clementine is now basically on her own. The narrative is a bit of a departure from Season 1, since you're not playing an adult anymore, the father daughter themes are long gone. Survival is the number one theme here, and it continues to be a driving force for these types of games involving the undead. Lee was a great lead character, and I was unsure as to how Clementine would to do as a main protagonist, but I was pleasantly surprised at the new direction the devs are taking her. I won't spoil any of the story for you, but Clem gets put into a number of tough situations that are surprisingly bold. The game does a good job at letting you choose what kind of person you want her to become, with a wide array of dialog choices to select. Since she's so young, you feel you have a stronger influence than we had with Lee. The voice acting is just as superb as before, with some truly hauntingly beautiful music to back it up. The score is new, but they're are themes that sound vaguely familiar to season 1's music. You won't find any improvements from the last season in terms of visuals, the game uses the same comic book like visual style that Telltale is known for. The game also suffers the same stutters and technical hiccups that I've come to loathe in these games. This is mostly apparent on the console versions, as the PC version proves to be the smoother ride once again.
Core Gameplay:The core gameplay hasn't changed as much from the previous season, but Telltale has made some improvements to the action sequences, similar to what we've seen from The Wolf Among Us. There are more button prompts this time around, you're simply not pressing the X or Square button, there are analog and compound movements this time around. There's not a ton of action this time around, which I fully expected, the first episode focuses on exposition and character growth. Like I said above, the numerous dialog choices not only shape the person Clementine is becoming, but how other characters around feel about her. If you enjoyed the gameplay from the Wolf Among Us, then the first episode in The Walking Dead season 2 will feel right at home for you. The first episode ended pretty abruptly, making this one of the shorter episodes from the entire Walking Dead lore. The cliffhanger at the end of the episode will make any fan anxious for the next, hopefully we won't have to wait long for the next episode.
Final Thoughts:The first episode featuring Clementine as a main character was a great one, and it's the perfect setup for another terrific season of heartbreaking and gut-wrenching moments.
S&S Rating: 8.5/10 @whatsPlay
