Before we begin, I'mma just address the elephant in the room here and say: What a cheesy fucking name for a review right? iReview? Hell it's probably been used a bunch of times and i'm just too lazy to look for it here. Yeah well it's 3 AM, so my brain isn't entirely functioning. Bear with it because it may stay like that if I want to continue doing this, it does seem like a good idea. To me at least. Anyway, I should probably get this show rolling shouldn't I?
Overview
The Walking Dead originated as a comic book series was published in 2003 by Image Comics [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_Comics][footnote]This is a feature I decided to add to my reviews because i'm a lazy jackass who doesn't wanna spend half of a review explaining who everyone who created everything is.[/footnote], created by writer Robert Kirkman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kirkman] and artist Tony Moore [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Moore_(artist)][footnote]I would just like to point out that this guy worked on a comic called Battle Pope.[/footnote], later replaced by another artist who goes by the name of Charlie Adlard [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Adlard]. The comic told the story of a group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. It was critically acclaimed, winning the Eisner Award for best ongoing story of 2010 which is certainly quite a feat. Not only that, but many of its characters were ranked quite high in IGN's and Wizard's Top 100's[footnote]Rick Grimes as 26th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time, Michonne as 86th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time, The Governor as 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time(IGN) and finally, 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time (Wizard)[/footnote]. Because of these achievements the comic is still ongoing and is now in a weekly format, making 1 comic a week. The comic eventually got a TV Series going by the same name and following the same story I.E: A group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, created by Frank Darabont [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Darabont#Success], known by most for directing movie successes such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, airing October 31st, 2010. In short, this show has A LOT Going for it. This version of The Walking Dead was also a smash hit, gaining critical acclaim by most reviewers for its writing. The series has 2 seasons, and is currently getting ready for a 3rd season after the Season 2 premier broke cable records in the 18-49 demographic. It would go on to be nominated for SEVERAL awards but sadly only being able to win one[footnote] Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special[/footnote]
The series then earned itself a 5 episode point and click adventure horror game, made by the reputable Telltale Games [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telltale_Games] fresh off the release of Jurassic Park, a point and click game that never existed(at least in my mind it didn't.). Telltale Games is known for mostly for Sam and Max and The Tale of Monkey Island, two games that were critically acclaimed by gamers and reviewers alike. Unlike a certain Jurassic Park game that never happened.
Not a bad game to their name...Shut up, that never happened.
Story
The Walking Dead foreshadows most of the comic and TV series, following the story of Lee Everett, a history teacher who has been arrested for certain allegations that I cannot spoil because they're vital to the plot, and is being carried off to prison in a police cruiser, until they hit a zombie- or "Walker" as they call them in the series- and crashes off the highway. He regains consciousness, finding our his leg is seriously injured, escapes from the police cruiser and un-cuffs himself. After a scrap with another walker, the officer, he makes his way to a young girls house. The young girl goes by the name of Clementine, who has been trapped in her tree house from the Walkers and rushes to Lee's rescue when he is attacked yet again by a walker.
The two chat for a bit before deciding that they have to leave the area before dark lest be eaten by the horde. Walking to the front of the house, the duo is met by Shawne Greene and a friend of his, who take them to Hershel Greene's Farm after they help Shawne and his friend escape the horde. Remember when I said that the game foreshadowed the comic and show? These events happen directly before the events of the comic and show happen. There, Lee and Clementine meet another family, Husband Kenny, a commercial fisherman, Wife Katjaa, a Veterinarian, and son Duck, the quacking kind. However, shenanigans which I cannot spoil happen on the farm and Lee, Clem and Kenny's family are forced off the farm by Hershel. They travel to Macon, Georgia and meet up a couple more survivors after they're attacked. Carla, a news reporter, Doug, a technician, Lilly and Larry, and Glenn. Some more shenanigans happen, fights ensue, the horde is attracted and the player must decide the fate of one of the survivors.
The crew decide to take refuge in the local motor inn, building fences and securing the area, ultimately setting up the scene for Episode 2.
The story of the game is incredibly dark for developer Telltale Games who's previous creations were Sam and Max and The Tale of Monkey Island, two incredibly humorous games. This had definitely shocked me, but then again, it being based off of the comic and Television Series, this kinda had to be done. The story is excellently crafted. Lee's dark past is explained only just enough to leave the player wanting to know more at every possible corner, and the character interactions left, at least me, picking sides in real life, critiquing some characters actions and ultimately caring or disliking(in a good way) almost every character. I can honestly say that The Walking Dead is one of the only video games to make me care deeply for not just one character, but most of the crew.
You'll probably just want this ungrateful runt to drop dead at almost every corner though...
Gameplay
Gameplay wise, there really not a whole lot to talk about. It's a point and click game, you point to an area on a screen by touching one of the command prompts with your finger and events happen. Most of the time you'll be given the option to view, where Lee points out (usually obvious) information about the thing you just clicked on, or gives an either dreadful or humorous response to the object in question, for example, you see a tea set, you point at it, and he comments about how he'd love to fill one of the cups with Bourbon. There's also an option to interact, however, this can come up in one or two ways. One way is where you simply touch or call for, example, help, or talk to someone. The second way is where you actually use whatever you're pointing at. Open a door, use and object, ect, ect. It's weirdly confusing at times, but I got used to it quickly. In some areas you're able to have Lee walk around with is done easily by dragging your finger in the direction you want him to move. It can be a bit clunky at times, because when you move around you can't just slide your finger and release, you have to have it down. At some points, I got stuck because I wasn't simply holding down my finger, causing me to die at some parts. Not only that, but on your iPod/iPhone/iPad it leaves the worst of smudge marks.
The game, on all platforms(iOS, PC, Console) can be most easily compared to The Indigo Prophecy[footnote]Fahrenheit for us yanks in the US[/footnote] because of the way it does dialogue options. Almost all dialogue option screens have a timer, and if that timer runs out you just simply say nothing. Some timers move incredibly fast, some incredibly slow, but it's an extremely good way to always keep the player on their toes and focused on the game and story, instead of getting bored and dozing off. It was great in The Indigo Prophecy, and it's great here.
One of the key features to the game is how almost everyone of your actions will have a reaction that's either positive or negative in the future. You'll know when these pop up because at the top left corner you'll see something along the lines of "X will keep that in mind" or "Y will definitely remember that". This, in addition to the timed responses, put a great amount of responsibility and stress on the player. Stress in a good way, of course.
I have one big nit pick for the iOS version, however. On the PC and Console version, you're given the option to turn off hints and notifications, like the big circle with a dot in the middle in the previous picture. On the iOS version, you always get these hints, there is no way to turn these off. This wont mean a damned thing to a casual player, but for someone who wants to be rewarded for their key eye is going to be left feeling a little screwed. In episode 2, this is definitely something I hope they add to the iOS version of the game.
It would be nice if I could actually see
what was going on when one of these prompts come up, instead of it being extremely choppy
Graphics and Performance
Since this is an iOS port, the graphics and the performance of the game are generally going to be worse than the PC or Console versions. The graphics of the game are approximately on the very low setting if it were on PC. That's not to say it looks bad, it still looks amazing for an iOS version, and I didn't expect anything more from it being that it's on my iPod, but that's the situation we're given. At the same time, if I were to guess, the game runs at a solid 30 FPS during non-action sequences. But then when you get to the action sequences...I'd say it ranges anywhere from 5 to 20 FPS, if not less. Yeah. That's extremely disappointing and lessens the experience. When you can't see what's going on in an action sequence, somethings wrong. Very wrong. I know, I know, it's an iOS port of a fairly amazing looking game, and i'm using a 4th generation iPod when it's clearly meant for and iPhone or iPad, but it's really a problem that I hope they touch upon on episode 2.
At some points the sound quality is also a bit wonky. The sound quality goes from being absolutely stunning to being absolutely crap at random points in the game. One character will be talking clear and calm, and then another will sound like they're screaming at you through a phone in a tunnel that's underwater and exploding. This isn't that BIG of an issue, but it's something Telltale could of and should have done better, and should do better in Episode 2.
TL;DR
Did the port of the also critically acclaimed point and click game to the iOS do what it said and was hoped to do? For the most part, yeah. The game is solid on the PC and Console, and it's solid on the iOS. The story is every bit as compelling and masterfully crafted, the drama between the characters is still there, the gameplay is mostly the same except you're using your hands, and for an iOS game, the graphics are pretty strong. That being said, there are some major performance issues, graphics dropping from 30-40 FPS all the way down to 20 or 5 FPS will affect how you play, and the sound quality issues only furthers the damage to your overall experience. The clunky control of the camera and character is also a problem, at least for me, and should be resolved. Finally the missing option to turn hints and notifications off is probably the last dent on the sports car, and is yet another thing that should be added in episode 2.
The price of the game and the deal is almost the same on iOS as on the PC, only lower priced. You pay 5 dollars now, you get every episode as they are released instead of having to pay and download all 5 one at a time. It's extremely cheap for what it is, and I applaud Telltale for not going down the route of Square Enix when it comes to releasing and pricing iOS games[footnote]Seriously Squeenix? 10 dollars for FFVI that has performance issues for a 16-bit game? Really?[/footnote]. Now comes the question, should buy it? It all depends on what kind of PC you have, what budget you're on, and how you feel about point and click games. I say that if your PC is crap, or you can't afford the one on the PC or Xbox, think about picking up the iOS version, you will not be disappointed. If your PC is good, and you can afford it on PC or Xbox, I'd say get it on PC or Xbox, your overall experience will be much better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First review in a while. Sorry for it being a long one guys, there's a LOT to talk about when it comes to the Walking Dead and there were a lot of details I felt I could not leave out. I promise that if I continue to do this, the reviews, for the most part, will be much shorter. Anyway though, tell me what you think, and tell me what I can improve upon. I'm always open for your criticism, just keep it constructive please. Oh yeah, and one last note, please, read the review in full. I can understand if you want an opinion quick, that's why I added the TL;DR section, but if you have the time, read it all, it helps for criticism
.
Overview
The Walking Dead originated as a comic book series was published in 2003 by Image Comics [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_Comics][footnote]This is a feature I decided to add to my reviews because i'm a lazy jackass who doesn't wanna spend half of a review explaining who everyone who created everything is.[/footnote], created by writer Robert Kirkman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kirkman] and artist Tony Moore [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Moore_(artist)][footnote]I would just like to point out that this guy worked on a comic called Battle Pope.[/footnote], later replaced by another artist who goes by the name of Charlie Adlard [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Adlard]. The comic told the story of a group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. It was critically acclaimed, winning the Eisner Award for best ongoing story of 2010 which is certainly quite a feat. Not only that, but many of its characters were ranked quite high in IGN's and Wizard's Top 100's[footnote]Rick Grimes as 26th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time, Michonne as 86th Greatest Comic Book Hero of All Time, The Governor as 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time(IGN) and finally, 86th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time (Wizard)[/footnote]. Because of these achievements the comic is still ongoing and is now in a weekly format, making 1 comic a week. The comic eventually got a TV Series going by the same name and following the same story I.E: A group of survivors living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, created by Frank Darabont [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Darabont#Success], known by most for directing movie successes such as The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Mist, airing October 31st, 2010. In short, this show has A LOT Going for it. This version of The Walking Dead was also a smash hit, gaining critical acclaim by most reviewers for its writing. The series has 2 seasons, and is currently getting ready for a 3rd season after the Season 2 premier broke cable records in the 18-49 demographic. It would go on to be nominated for SEVERAL awards but sadly only being able to win one[footnote] Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special[/footnote]
The series then earned itself a 5 episode point and click adventure horror game, made by the reputable Telltale Games [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telltale_Games] fresh off the release of Jurassic Park, a point and click game that never existed(at least in my mind it didn't.). Telltale Games is known for mostly for Sam and Max and The Tale of Monkey Island, two games that were critically acclaimed by gamers and reviewers alike. Unlike a certain Jurassic Park game that never happened.
Not a bad game to their name...Shut up, that never happened.
Story
The Walking Dead foreshadows most of the comic and TV series, following the story of Lee Everett, a history teacher who has been arrested for certain allegations that I cannot spoil because they're vital to the plot, and is being carried off to prison in a police cruiser, until they hit a zombie- or "Walker" as they call them in the series- and crashes off the highway. He regains consciousness, finding our his leg is seriously injured, escapes from the police cruiser and un-cuffs himself. After a scrap with another walker, the officer, he makes his way to a young girls house. The young girl goes by the name of Clementine, who has been trapped in her tree house from the Walkers and rushes to Lee's rescue when he is attacked yet again by a walker.
The two chat for a bit before deciding that they have to leave the area before dark lest be eaten by the horde. Walking to the front of the house, the duo is met by Shawne Greene and a friend of his, who take them to Hershel Greene's Farm after they help Shawne and his friend escape the horde. Remember when I said that the game foreshadowed the comic and show? These events happen directly before the events of the comic and show happen. There, Lee and Clementine meet another family, Husband Kenny, a commercial fisherman, Wife Katjaa, a Veterinarian, and son Duck, the quacking kind. However, shenanigans which I cannot spoil happen on the farm and Lee, Clem and Kenny's family are forced off the farm by Hershel. They travel to Macon, Georgia and meet up a couple more survivors after they're attacked. Carla, a news reporter, Doug, a technician, Lilly and Larry, and Glenn. Some more shenanigans happen, fights ensue, the horde is attracted and the player must decide the fate of one of the survivors.
The crew decide to take refuge in the local motor inn, building fences and securing the area, ultimately setting up the scene for Episode 2.
The story of the game is incredibly dark for developer Telltale Games who's previous creations were Sam and Max and The Tale of Monkey Island, two incredibly humorous games. This had definitely shocked me, but then again, it being based off of the comic and Television Series, this kinda had to be done. The story is excellently crafted. Lee's dark past is explained only just enough to leave the player wanting to know more at every possible corner, and the character interactions left, at least me, picking sides in real life, critiquing some characters actions and ultimately caring or disliking(in a good way) almost every character. I can honestly say that The Walking Dead is one of the only video games to make me care deeply for not just one character, but most of the crew.
You'll probably just want this ungrateful runt to drop dead at almost every corner though...
Gameplay
Gameplay wise, there really not a whole lot to talk about. It's a point and click game, you point to an area on a screen by touching one of the command prompts with your finger and events happen. Most of the time you'll be given the option to view, where Lee points out (usually obvious) information about the thing you just clicked on, or gives an either dreadful or humorous response to the object in question, for example, you see a tea set, you point at it, and he comments about how he'd love to fill one of the cups with Bourbon. There's also an option to interact, however, this can come up in one or two ways. One way is where you simply touch or call for, example, help, or talk to someone. The second way is where you actually use whatever you're pointing at. Open a door, use and object, ect, ect. It's weirdly confusing at times, but I got used to it quickly. In some areas you're able to have Lee walk around with is done easily by dragging your finger in the direction you want him to move. It can be a bit clunky at times, because when you move around you can't just slide your finger and release, you have to have it down. At some points, I got stuck because I wasn't simply holding down my finger, causing me to die at some parts. Not only that, but on your iPod/iPhone/iPad it leaves the worst of smudge marks.
The game, on all platforms(iOS, PC, Console) can be most easily compared to The Indigo Prophecy[footnote]Fahrenheit for us yanks in the US[/footnote] because of the way it does dialogue options. Almost all dialogue option screens have a timer, and if that timer runs out you just simply say nothing. Some timers move incredibly fast, some incredibly slow, but it's an extremely good way to always keep the player on their toes and focused on the game and story, instead of getting bored and dozing off. It was great in The Indigo Prophecy, and it's great here.
One of the key features to the game is how almost everyone of your actions will have a reaction that's either positive or negative in the future. You'll know when these pop up because at the top left corner you'll see something along the lines of "X will keep that in mind" or "Y will definitely remember that". This, in addition to the timed responses, put a great amount of responsibility and stress on the player. Stress in a good way, of course.
I have one big nit pick for the iOS version, however. On the PC and Console version, you're given the option to turn off hints and notifications, like the big circle with a dot in the middle in the previous picture. On the iOS version, you always get these hints, there is no way to turn these off. This wont mean a damned thing to a casual player, but for someone who wants to be rewarded for their key eye is going to be left feeling a little screwed. In episode 2, this is definitely something I hope they add to the iOS version of the game.
It would be nice if I could actually see
what was going on when one of these prompts come up, instead of it being extremely choppy
Graphics and Performance
Since this is an iOS port, the graphics and the performance of the game are generally going to be worse than the PC or Console versions. The graphics of the game are approximately on the very low setting if it were on PC. That's not to say it looks bad, it still looks amazing for an iOS version, and I didn't expect anything more from it being that it's on my iPod, but that's the situation we're given. At the same time, if I were to guess, the game runs at a solid 30 FPS during non-action sequences. But then when you get to the action sequences...I'd say it ranges anywhere from 5 to 20 FPS, if not less. Yeah. That's extremely disappointing and lessens the experience. When you can't see what's going on in an action sequence, somethings wrong. Very wrong. I know, I know, it's an iOS port of a fairly amazing looking game, and i'm using a 4th generation iPod when it's clearly meant for and iPhone or iPad, but it's really a problem that I hope they touch upon on episode 2.
At some points the sound quality is also a bit wonky. The sound quality goes from being absolutely stunning to being absolutely crap at random points in the game. One character will be talking clear and calm, and then another will sound like they're screaming at you through a phone in a tunnel that's underwater and exploding. This isn't that BIG of an issue, but it's something Telltale could of and should have done better, and should do better in Episode 2.
TL;DR
Did the port of the also critically acclaimed point and click game to the iOS do what it said and was hoped to do? For the most part, yeah. The game is solid on the PC and Console, and it's solid on the iOS. The story is every bit as compelling and masterfully crafted, the drama between the characters is still there, the gameplay is mostly the same except you're using your hands, and for an iOS game, the graphics are pretty strong. That being said, there are some major performance issues, graphics dropping from 30-40 FPS all the way down to 20 or 5 FPS will affect how you play, and the sound quality issues only furthers the damage to your overall experience. The clunky control of the camera and character is also a problem, at least for me, and should be resolved. Finally the missing option to turn hints and notifications off is probably the last dent on the sports car, and is yet another thing that should be added in episode 2.
The price of the game and the deal is almost the same on iOS as on the PC, only lower priced. You pay 5 dollars now, you get every episode as they are released instead of having to pay and download all 5 one at a time. It's extremely cheap for what it is, and I applaud Telltale for not going down the route of Square Enix when it comes to releasing and pricing iOS games[footnote]Seriously Squeenix? 10 dollars for FFVI that has performance issues for a 16-bit game? Really?[/footnote]. Now comes the question, should buy it? It all depends on what kind of PC you have, what budget you're on, and how you feel about point and click games. I say that if your PC is crap, or you can't afford the one on the PC or Xbox, think about picking up the iOS version, you will not be disappointed. If your PC is good, and you can afford it on PC or Xbox, I'd say get it on PC or Xbox, your overall experience will be much better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First review in a while. Sorry for it being a long one guys, there's a LOT to talk about when it comes to the Walking Dead and there were a lot of details I felt I could not leave out. I promise that if I continue to do this, the reviews, for the most part, will be much shorter. Anyway though, tell me what you think, and tell me what I can improve upon. I'm always open for your criticism, just keep it constructive please. Oh yeah, and one last note, please, read the review in full. I can understand if you want an opinion quick, that's why I added the TL;DR section, but if you have the time, read it all, it helps for criticism
.