Welcome to Spoiler Alert, a new article series that takes a look back at the highlights from one of the more popular games to hit the video game scene, analyzing what makes the storytelling so remarkable and – chock full of spoilers – breaking down some of the bigger twists within the game.
We don’t have to tell you that if you haven’t played all the way through the game yet, you’re probably better off avoiding reading this article until you manage to finish it. Otherwise, you might miss out on the experience that the developer had in mind.
SPOILERS for The Walking Dead AHEAD
Our first edition of Spoiler Alert features Telltale Games’ five-episode series The Walking Dead, which came out last year and eventually wrapped its story with one shocker of an ending, wondering what’s going to happen next.
The impact that surrounds every gritty turn you make in the game with escaped convict Lee and young child Clementine really depends on your decision making. Eventually, it all comes full circle to crucial points in the game, particularly one where Lee, despite going on his path to redemption by taking care of Clementine, can’t help but succumb to the zombie scourge.
Over the course of the game, players will have to come across some horrid decisions, mainly revolving around the conditions of the cities that the survivors visit in the wake of this harrowing new world. Walkers are everywhere – and we do mean everywhere. They manage to make their way to Hershel Greene’s farm – in the middle of nowhere – and make short work of his son Shawn, who bites it due to Duck’s inept handling of a tractor. They also manage to get attracted by loud noises, like when the alarm goes off in the pharmacy as Lee goes looking for medical supplies.
The shocks aren’t just left to the walkers. Over the course of The Walking Dead, you’ll also run into unfavorable types that happen to be alive. Take, for instance, the St. Johns, a group that offers their help while Lee and his fellow survivors have camp set up in the hotel.
At first, they seem like a decent bunch to trade goods with, and their timing couldn’t be better, as Lee’s group is dwindling down to the last of their supplies. However, it’s soon learned that the St. Johns have their own diabolical deeds, as they’ve resorted to cannibalism in an effort to stay alive. (Luckily, Lee and his group manage to escape, leaving these horrid people in the hands of the walkers they were trying to keep off their farm.)
Another problematic bunch are the bandits, who originally had a beef with the St. Johns and made a deal with them to keep them off their farm. With them dead, however, they turn their attention to Lee and his motel group, making enough noise to attract the walkers and forcing that group to flee.
There are also those who aren’t quite right mentally, and you can see the strain that impacts them throughout the game. For instance, Katjaa, a mother, can’t bear the thought of losing her son, Duck, who is bitten by a walker and forced to be euthanized by his father, Kenny, along with Lee, so she takes her own life.
In addition, a stranger, whose car is ransacked when Lee’s group takes the supplies from it (following their escape from the bandits), takes Clementine hostage, leading to the inevitable showdown at the conclusion of episode five, one where Lee – in his final moments of life, after being bitten by a walker – has to eliminate him.
As you can see, harsh decisions happen quite often in this game. But considering that Telltale Games was trying to capture a similar tone to Robert Kirkman’s comic books (and the AMC television series), you can see what they were aiming for.
What’s great about The Walking Dead is the definition of Lee’s character. Here’s a man, convicted of a murder that he knows he committed, who finds himself in a situation where he swears to protect the life of a young child. Not everyone believes his story (people like Vernon and Hershel clearly see holes within it, and judge Lee as a result), but the fact of the matter is, it’s a path of vindication for him, even if it’s forced upon him.
Sometimes it’s a little overwhelming – and the fact he has to see Clementine come upon her parents, now turned into zombified walkers – is emotionally overwhelming. But in the end, despite his inability to save himself, he holds true to his word, even though Clementine’s safety is in question by the end of chapter five, where she comes across two figures in the distance, wondering if they’re survivors or walkers.
There’s no question that Telltale Games has done some of their best work with this series, not only assuring that no one is safe – a number of your fellow survivors end up dying no matter what decisions you make – but also staying true to the tone of the series. It’s shocking, sure, but what did you expect from a series called The Walking Dead?
It’s going to be interesting to see what Telltale Games does with the next chapter of its series. Will Clementine return and team up with a new group of survivors? Will we see an entirely different plotline, perhaps one that also has loose tie-ins with the TV show (not necessarily featuring main characters, but side ones like Herschel)? It’s hard to tell. But if it’s every bit as good as this series was, we can’t wait to see what’s next. Even if it scares us to the bone.
The Walking Dead is available now for Steam, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and mobile.
