Tag Archive: Telltale Games


EGM Review: Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead

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September 5, 2012

Lee walks a lonely road

We play a lot of games here at EGM. So many, that as much as we may enjoy a game, fall in love with its characters, or gush about its premise, it’s difficult for us to find the time to ever get back to a game after we beat it that initial time through for review, unless we make a concentrated effort. After playing just the third of five episodes to be released by Telltale in their The Walking Dead series though, I swear I will make that effort and find time to play this through from the beginning once all five episodes are out. Episode Three, The Long Road Ahead, sealed the deal because the story is just that damn good and I don’t just want, but need to play through it all again to see how some of the critical, and even no so critical, choices I’ve made so far have affected my game play experience.

And that’s the beauty of what Telltale has crafted here. The replayability for this game is through the roof because they successfully found a way to consistently make you care about these characters via every decision you make, because you don’t want to end up regretting something. And this is mostly because the zombie apocalypse, much like in Kirkman’s original Walking Dead comics, is just a setting as this franchise has always really been more about the human condition and how people react in crisis. And this episode is no exception. There were literally moments that had me laughing out loud followed up immediately by moments that shocked me so much I dropped my controller. There are few other stories in gaming that have ever sucked me in and wowed me like this series has with its brilliant plot development.

Speaking of plot, this episode starts about three months after since Lee and Clementine had their fateful meet-up outside her tree house and the Motel has all but run its course in terms of usefulness. Lilly and Kenny are still at each other’s throats, with the events of Episode Two having only driven them further and further apart, culminating in Lilly refusing to leave and Kenny ready to just barrel out of there in his RV with just his family. The title, The Long Road Ahead, kind of hints at what happens, but I can’t in good conscience tell you more about the story. Not to mention, I’m sure that depending on the decisions that you make in the first two episodes, your story might set up completely different from mine beyond that.

The pacing of the episode was a lot quicker this time around and transitioned better, a major problem I had with the more leisurely paced Episode Two, and so in that regard The Long Road Ahead took a nice step forward as I was constantly progressing it seemed by doing even the most menial tasks.

There was one minor annoyance this time around though and it came in the form of a shooting gallery mini-game where Lee was wielding a sniper rifle. I understand Lee may not be the best shot in the world, but I felt like I could never line up my shot just right because of the lack of proper crosshairs and the controls’ sensitivity. This can be somewhat forgiven though since, after all, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is more of a point and click style adventure game and not some Call of Duty-like shooter.

Once again though, the key for me was seeing the evolution of the characters over just one episode, and how the group dynamic shifted as the roster of characters changed once again, sometimes very rapidly. If you care about The Walking Dead, zombie games, or just spectacular storytelling, The Long Road Ahead will hook you to this series if you weren’t already. And if you were hooked to begin with, then you’re like me probably, begging Telltale to get on it and release the next episode already.

SUMMARY: Somehow, Telltale finds a way to keep working in emotionally powerful moments with this series that range from humorous to heart wrenching. Either way, these moments make only one thought come to mind…that we can’t wait for the next episode!

  • THE GOOD: Finds a way to yet again amp up the emotion and consequences for your actions
  • THE BAD: A couple of rough/out of place shooting sequences
  • THE UGLY: The human condition

SCORE: 9.0

The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – The Long Road Ahead is available on XBLA (Xbox 360), PSN (PS3), and PC. Primary version reviewed was for XBLA.

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EGM Review: The Walking Dead: Episode 1

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June 2, 2012

A New Day

With an abundance of zombie games in recent years, it’s not an easy thing to differentiate yourself from the mindless crowd when a new one is announced. But when you have one of the most popular comic book and TV series of the past few years as the basis for your game, that alone will turn a few eyeballs your way. Combine that hit franchise then with the unique perspective that only a developer like Telltale Games can give and suddenly your shambling ahead of the rest of the crowd.

The Walking Dead: Episode 1 does just that. Instead of focusing on action and how many NPCs can be fit on screen at once, The Walking Dead: Episode 1 revolves around problem solving, character development, and difficult choices. And zombies. This first episode takes place about a month before the comic starts, at the very beginning of the outbreak, and you play as Lee, a felon being transported to the county jail when the zombie apocalypse hits. After the cop car wrecks itself against a zombie shambling in the middle of the road, you find yourself free from the backseat and trying to survive this brand new world before you, where the dead walk amongst the living.

What impressed me the most was that because you’re not running around collecting tons of crazy guns and ammo and blasting everything that moves, but instead must point and click on key interactive items in the world to progress the story, those few instances, where you have to do the correct button prompts when you actually do square off against a zombie, are some of the most pulse-pounding, tension filled moments you’ll get in a zombie game. Include the need to win people over by building relationships with other survivors as you explore different areas of the world and you have enough action/adventure and RPG elements that should whet the appetite of people aren’t used to this genre of game, but are fans of the franchise or at least just zombie horror.

Another small aspect that I loved was that at the end of the episode it tells you what the five most major decisions were and how other people who have played the game reacted to the same situation. And they are truly major as some people’s lives literally hang in the balance. Throw in some The Walking Dead cameos by fan-favorites like Glenn and fans of the comic should be hooked.

The only real drawback for The Walking Dead: Episode 1 is that the episode lacks immediate replay value until you collect the entire series as the decisions you make here will carry over down the line into the next episode and beyond. And because of that, the waiting may just be unbearable for some. The cel-shaded graphics may also turn off some folks who prefer more realistic tones to their rotting flesh. All in all though, if you love The Walking Dead, zombie games, or other point and click adventure from Telltale, this game is more than worth the price of admission.

SUMMARY: Fans of The Walking Dead comic book or TV show will love the character development and attention to detail this first episode takes. The only downside is a lack of replay value and the waiting for Episode 2.

  • THE GOOD: Serious ramifications for nearly every decision you make
  • THE BAD: Lack of instant replay value, waiting for Episode 2
  • THE UGLY:  No matter how cel-shaded you make them, zombies are never not ugly

SCORE: 9.0

The Walking Dead: Episode 1 is available on XBLA (Xbox 360), PSN (PS3), PC and iOS. Primary version reviewed was on XBLA.

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EGM Preview: LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes

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March 16, 2012

Where Does He Get Those Wonderful Toys?

We all kind of know what to expect from the LEGO series of games now, whether it’s Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, or Harry Potter. But with one branch of the LEGO franchise, Telltale Games has decided to be a bit different this time around. Yes, LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes looks to be the biggest and best game in the LEGO universe yet and from the demo we saw at GDC, anyone who is fan of LEGOs will not want to miss out on this title.

It’s hard to know where to start with this one as there is so many new features added in that differentiates this game from all those that came before it, but we’ll begin with the story. In a plot that reminded me of the Adam West Batman, the Joker has crashed the Gotham Man of the Year Awards, angry that HE wasn’t this year’s recipient. Thought to have been locked away safely in Arkham Asylum (yeah right), Batman knows he must get to the bottom of it and realizes Joker had help. Lex Luthor busted Joker out for reasons still unknown and so Batman realizes he needs some help. Enter the Justice League.

Now we don’t know how deep the roster is for the JL, but knowing the LEGO series, I don’t see them pulling out any stops with this and so we can expect a lot more than just Green Lantern, Cyborg, and Superman, who were just a couple of the members we saw briefly in action during our demo. And Superman’s entrance was epic in how he drifted down from the sky set to his movie theme, much how a lot of LEGO Batman’s scenes have Danny Elfman’s classic 1989 score in the background as well.

The most stunning aspect of the demo though was the central HUB world. Instead of being restricted to the Batcave like in the first game, all of Gotham, including landmarks like Wayne Tower, Amusement Mile, and the Botanical Gardens, are fully realized in a LEGO 3D environment that you can explore by flying around with Superman or one of the other JL members or drive around in one of Batman’s preferred vehicles. This also leaves a lot of opportunity for teaming up as we special LEGO blocks that could only be picked up by Batman, but needed Superman to melt special gold grating first with his heat vision.

And Batman isn’t alone on the power front. Much like in the first game, him and Robin see brand new specialized suits appear for certain situations. We saw Batman’s Electricity Suit, which makes him immune to electricity and can power up machinery, his Sensor Suit that makes him invisible to security cameras and can let him see through walls, and his Power Suit that gives him rocket launchers and limited strength abilities. We also saw a pair of Robin suits where Robin channels shades of both Tim Drake and Dick Grayson in his Acrobat Suit, which includes a bo staff and the ability to do Prince of Persia style flips from poles and his Hazard Suit which allows him to put out fires and swim underwater.

We were also told that a few new additions were inspired from critiques of previous games on the fan forums. These include mid-level saves for the longer levels, split-screen for when playing in co-op mode to allow for more individual player freedom, and for the first time ever in a LEGO game, voice actors. Yes, finally all the heroes and villains of the DC LEGO-verse will speak. There was no reveal of who the particular voice actors were for each character, but it was hinted at that fans would not be disappointed.

Honestly, I went into this meeting at GDC and had my mind blown by the differences we saw between the first LEGO Batman and this new game and the idea of exploring LEGO Gotham had me a lot more excited than I thought it would. It made me feel like a kid again and I think that’s what has always been part of the appeal of the LEGO games and already with an early build, this game has succeeded on that front for me. Now it’s just a matter of trying to develop some patience before LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes’s Summer 2012 release.

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