There's Another Walking Dead Game in the Works, Don't Get Excited
By Chris Davis on July 6th, 2012 (23 comments)
The Walking Dead, to me, is a great franchise and series of stories that the zombie genre really doesn't get into. It's a series about survival that doesn't really have an equal in any monster-filled genre out there so, naturally, it is a good fit for a game. TellTale Games knew this when they began work on their episodic series based on Robert Kirkman's comic. The announcement from Activision today however lends itself to something I, as a fan of the series, don't feel right about.
Coming in 2013, Activision will be publishing "The Walking Dead: The Video Game." In development at Terminal Reality (the studio responsible for the 2009 Ghostbusters game... and Kinect Star Wars), this new title is based not on the original comic book property but rather the AMC television series that arose in 2010. A prequel, the game will star Daryl and Merle Dixon as they journey to Atlanta as the infection is spreading across the United States. According to the announcement, the game will be a first person shooter that includes combating Walkers as well as stealth elements. Players will also be forced to do resource management and utilize Daryl's instincts to survive in the wild.
Now, I like Daryl. Sure, he was an asshat in the first season but he really grew into his own during the second. One of the (many) problems I have though is that this prequel is based on two racist jerks that, if it wants to be considered canon to the television series, must remain as such throughout the course of the game. I don't know about you guys but do you feel comfortable playing as some neo-nazi, nigh-KKK assholes?
The other primary issue I have with this announcement is the fact that it is a FPS. A FIRST. PERSON. SHOOTER. In a series predominantly about hiding from the undead and focusing primarily on silent or melee weaponry it boggles the mind how a game with "stealth mechanics" wants you to go around shooting things. Sure, Daryl has his crossbow but Merle is decidedly a character that does not lend well to subtlety. I get the feeling that there will be a lot less focus on sneaking through infested areas and more about killing everything in sight and moving on. Ugh.
In fact, the only element that I'm remotely interested in about this game is the "resource management." This sounds distinctly like one of the many elements that makes Day Z such a fantastic experience. The fear of running out of supplies and having to weigh the costs and benefits of attempting to retrieve supplies is enticing but I fear that it won't go nearly as well.
Here's hoping that the game actually looks good. After all, the teaser trailer (which you can watch here until I get it on the site) tells you next to nothing about what to expect. Walking Dead afficionados, would you play this?
Chris Davis
I am 4Player's video and feature producer. I've been writing about games for years and I enjoy every minute of it. I'm pro-developer and I have a few friends who have gone on to successful careers in the industry. I may only be an amateur but I've got things to say.
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Even not as a fan of the walking dead this is just digusting to see. The walking dead is about character drama is it not? they barely use guns =/ I hear "Activision" and "first person shooter" and shorty after "from the developers of kinect star wars and the ghostbusters game" this can in NO way be good, I'm not the one to discard games before any gameplay is even shown, but ALL evidence points to this being a shit cash-in on the show
Link / ReplyFirst person shooters can't have stealth mechanics or focus on story? Human Revolution?
Link / ReplyI don't consider Human Revolution a shooter. It was a first person RPG. What is described in the announcement, in my opinion, is the exact opposite of what a Walking Dead video game should be about. This sounds like it is all about killing whereas the property is entirely focused on character development and survival.
Link / Replydude human revolution had abilities because it was an RPG....pretty easy to sneak around when u have a mini map, silenced weapons, abilities to judo a foe down to the ground, and cloaking(if u got that upgrade. Even the new dishonored game is a RPG with abilities to help u sneak...Both are highly opened game areas with multiple ways to get in and out of certain situations. The developer are not known for making games anywhere near open. Activision with FPS..most likely gonna be a linear zombie shoot em up. Not to mention the main characters are dale and merle...Walking dead show has always been more about surviving and less about killing zombies. The fact they made it a FPS means they probably will lean heavy on killing zombies.
Link / ReplyI just finished playing the 2nd episode of TellTale's Walking Dead yesterday, and I can't wait for the 3rd. This announcement of an FPS Walking Dead has me worried though. Right away, I think I can make a safe bet that it wont be as good as TellTale's Walking Dead, but at the same time I don't think you can really compare the two. I'm picturing this new Walking Dead game to be something similar to Treyarch's COD Zombie mode...but with stealth. I honestly don't know what to expect of this right now, but my spidey-sense is telling me that this will just be another cash in game.
Link / ReplyHa...the next thing they will annouce is that it is a Kinect title.
Link / ReplyI can't say I trust Terminal Reality with this game, but I'm not gonna judge it until I can see it in action.
Link / ReplyFrom the guys who made kinect star wars!!!!..... Yeah no.
Link / ReplyI see so now Activison are destroying an already well made franchise geez as if EA wasn't bad enough
Link / ReplyI watched the trailer, "Depending on how nice you are to people, determines if they join you." Looking at our two protagonists, I don't think "nice" is the right word to describe them.....
Link / ReplyThe Walking Dead. Activision. Fuck it, I'm out.
Link / ReplyActivision saw telltale make money on walking dead Makes a FPS walking dead game....COD zombies....rename it the walking dead, make it a little bit bigger than usual and sprinkle in hidden items in the level to "manage" ur "health" and "supplies". Does anyone think you will run out of bullets in this game? maybe they will give u 10 arrows and do what "i am alive" did....u can pick them up once u shoot them.
Link / ReplyOhh not to mention but in the show Walking Dead...when you get bitten ur done for, so if this is a FPS are we gonna have the bloody screen? like are they gonna acknowledge the fact u cant really get "hit" and what about dying? I know ppl will say "well telltale has a "red border screen for tense situations" yeah but it doesnt represent damage being taken. Also they will say "well getting hit doesnt mean u will get infected.." listen ppl do we really want a walking dead game where u can stand there with a zombie right next to u hitting u and not be infected/bitten/taken down to the ground? I feel like its gonna turn into left 4 dead, which is a great game, but does not represent the walking dead show
Link / ReplyI think the game's subtitle is enough to describe the quality that they're aspiring to. Give the side story a fuckin' name Activision, it's obviously a game. If they wanted a unique Walking Dead experience, they should have made a turn-based resource management game with rpg mechanics. Less in line with the standard Facebook browser crap and more in line with Civilization or SimCity
Link / ReplyYeah...wooo....an FPS, that's what I want with my Walking Dead =/
Link / ReplyA bit overreaction in this thread eh? All we know it's an FPS with stealth and survival elements. Everything else is a speculation. It's probably going to be a somewhat generic zombie shooter, we'll just have to wait and see.
Link / ReplySo, they're trying to cash in on a downloadable title's success? Come on, now. This is going to be a failure right out of the box, especially if they're basing it on the television series. This is a flagrant attempt at copying success, once again, by the masterminds at Activision.
Link / ReplyThis is so messed up on Activision's part! They are pretty much sending alot of these deb's to the slaughter house! Cover your eyes people!
Link / ReplyThey'll make money. Why? Because it's a zombie game based on a popular TV series, it will sell.
Link / ReplySadly ur right, this game will probably be what ppl wanted from telltale's walking dead game. Its sad i saw some reviews on amazon i think where some ppl hated telltale's game because, "it was boring, graphics suck, was like a game for a mobile device....." they wanted "action and to kill zombies". Which is stupid how any of those ppl can be "walking dead fans". On the bright side telltale's game is very successful and are already satisfying what "walking dead fans" want, a good story with good characters making tough decisions. Im excited that telltale will do a season 2 of thier walking dead game....making it 10 episodes total by the end
Link / ReplyIgnoring the CoD kids, I don't think the success of Telltale's iteration is at stake here. It's just Activision being Activision, doing what they do best... waste people's time.
Link / ReplyI feel like you having or showing a negative feeling towards this game goes against what the article is supposed to do. Proved an unbiased view so people can make a judegment based on what they like, and see here. I don't you should be injecting your thoughts here. Just provide the details.
Link / ReplyI enjoyed the first season of The Walking Dead, but the second made me mostly cringe. Having enjoyed the comics more than the show in general, I don't think this is really the best decision to make. This is a tired genre and I felt Telltale actually made it work, but this is now overkill.
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