I don't like either of those choices!

So this past Thursday, I had completed season one of The Walking Dead game. First, I want to say one thing. This game is officially one of my favorite games of all time and is GOTY worthy. This is not what I want to talk about though. What I do want to talk about is what TWD brings to the table as far as story, immersion, and finally the illusion of choice.

Story is by far one of the most important things, in my opinion, that makes a game great. Whether the story itself is a grandiose narrative (Final Fantasy) or subtle gestures towards a simple concept ( Limbo). What TWD does well is have a large narrative over five episodes, but each episode has its own compact story. The reason why this game stands strong is because it is set in the same universe as the show and the comics, but it is a completely different story from its predecessors. The story itself is extremely well written and keeps  the player interested and even emotionally invested. Where many games fail, the story is where TWD rises above many AAA titles and other "point and click" adventure games.

So I spoke of immersion in my introduction and this game accomplishes that. The reason I bring this up is because the world of TWD is truly brought to life (that is a bit of an oxymoron, but fuck it I do what I want). The comic book art direction and the tone are almost perfected. And much like the rest of the other forms of media within the series a sense of danger is always present. What is even more effective in creating this atmosphere is the dialogue in the game.

This is where I want to talk about the illusion of choice. Unlike Mass Effect, Fable, or any other game with choice, it does not have a diamond shaped decision tree. What you do get to choose is how you interact with each character and how they react to already predetermined events. Throughout the game, relationships change and shift often and quickly. What is even more interesting about these decisions of dialogue or actions is the time. Many choices you are given, you have mere seconds to choose what you feel is right, or sometimes the lesser of two evils. These major decisions may not change the overall narrative as a whole, but they change your interactions with others and the world around you. No matter what you choose, certain characters will die or leave, and at the end of the day you have to live with that. TWD has given one of the most uncomfortable and intense experiences one can get within a videogame to date. Often times you are presented with difficult choices and makes you yell WTF I don't like those choices, why do I have to be the one to make this decision.

Overall the game has a somewhat linear narrative, but gives the player the room to play how they would like to. This game is not without flaws by any means, but I feel that it is something you should experience. The game is coming out soon on disc with all five episodes for $25 or you could just download it. Well this post turned out longer than I wanted it to. See you later.

-Smi13y out