Walking Dead Season 2, The: All That Remains (Video Game)
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Available on Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3, PC
Rated M for Mature
Distributed by Telltale Games
Episode one of Telltale Games’ hotly anticipated second season to their award-winning series The Walking Dead has emerged and I jumped in head first to see what up.
As with any good serial game, it opens with a “Previously on The Walking Dead” season one refresher that ends (SPOILER ALERT) with a heartbroken Clementine having to kill her beloved friend, Lee, before he turns.
I’m gonna try to do this spoiler-free but that may be near impossible; you’ve been warned!
In the season two opener, “All That Remains,” we find a war and world-weary Clementine now traveling with Omid and Christa (from season one) but as nothing is final in the world of TWD, Clementine finds herself separated and alone once again in the woods, forced to fend for herself and not only avoid becoming a “walker” but also must avoid being mistaken for one.
And just like with season one (and most Telltale Games), you have the same time limit for decision making as well as QTEs (quick time events – pushing “A” a bunch to break a hold, etc) with the choices you’ve made driving the gameplay. And yes, Virginia – you CAN die; which I found out on four different occasions… including below because I didn’t line up the triggers right (A HUGE complaint I have with all Telltale QTE games).
And as Telltale’s made clear many times, decisions made in season one (and “400 Days”) has an effect on your season two gameplay. Right off the bat, the game searches for a save file from season one – but if you’ve not finished or even STARTED season one (which would lead to the question, “Why the hell are you even playing season two if you don’t know what happened in one?“) the game lets you know “choices will be randomly generated for any unfinished episodes.”
As far as the episode itself goes, it was definitely a good way to start – Clementine is weary but keeps her wits about her – even when she has to stitch up a serious animal bite on her arm Rambo-style with fishing line and a needle (close-up shots included) while locked in a shed.
We have a whole new team of people this time around and like with any first episode, “All That Remains” is an establishing episode in order to meet new people, blah blah blah, BUT you get to play as Clementine and that kinda rocks.
I wasn’t as moved by this episode as I was in season one but it could also be I’ve got a slightly bitter taste in my mouth due to the fact that I’ve been waiting for Telltale Games to release episode two of their OTHER game, The Wolf Among Us, that launched in October and hasn’t really been heard from since. I’m not the only one who’s peeved for buying a season pass and STILL waiting to continue the game.
With any series – TV, film or otherwise – I know that the first episode is usually the slowest because there’s new information that needs to be digested (pun intended), so I’m sure it’ll pick up as the episodes launch, but here’s the thing – if Telltale takes their sweet ass time with episodes like they’re doing with The Wolf Among Us, they run the risk of gamers losing interest.
I look forward to the next episode but for now I gotta go with so far, so-so… and considering I’m a HARDCORE TWD fan, this was a HARD score to give.
Until next time, darlings.
3 1/2 out of 5
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