The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 712 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 633 out of 712
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 712
  3. Negative: 53 out of 712

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. xetelian
    Aug 18, 2012
    10
    This is not open world, this is not a shooter, this is a TellTale game, an adventure, like a book or movie you get to play through. All the Red reviews seem to not understand that and haven't had experiences with games in this genre before. As an adventure game, this is tops, it is incredible. Voice acting is amazing, the design is beautiful (even the zombies) and the story is gripping and wonderful.… Expand
  2. blizbiggy
    Oct 13, 2012
    10
    The game has a style of an interactive video. The story line of this game is amazing and makes you want to play more. Different options you pick depend on how you turn out in the end and how people reflect to you. I have completed the new Episode 4 and excited to play more to see how this long journey ends. I rate this 10 of 10 for being an original game that gives a new feel and style to the gaming community with an awesome story to back all of that up. It is a must get! Why are you still reading this?! BUY THE GAME!!… Expand
  3. UglyBaby
    Jun 11, 2012
    10
    Adventure games are not for everyone. No question about it. However, my girlfriend and I found Walking Dead to be a great couples gaming experience. It's an adventure game that incorporates elements of film, but with enough quick decision making and branching plot aspects to keep you from feeling like you're just hitting continue. Simply put, if Walking Dead is an interactive movie, it is a really, really fun one. Pros: The storytelling is deeply engaging, truly top shelf for video games. The animation, voice acting, writing and story arc are all genuinely good and engaging. It doesn't feel like settling for a second-rate story just because it is a game (MMORPG anyone?) . The choices feel important, stilted maybe, but important nonetheless. Cons: The graphics were not stellar, they are very well used and the game looks and feels good, but the modeling itself seemed a little simplistic. Despite claiming to react to your play style and choices, I would describe Walking Dead as a game with a simple branching plot (at least thus far). However even if it is a 'con' it is a huge step forward from the typical point and click adventure.

    The first episode took around 3 hours to complete. One of the best games (especially adventure games) I've played in years. Can't wait for the next installment.    … Expand
  4. MikeBenacquista
    Jan 4, 2013
    10
    While i've been a fan of the TV show and Comics since they both began, I was hesitant to start with the game, simply because of its method of play. However, after finishing the first episode I was hooked, and can now say that it's without a doubt one of my favourite games from 2012 if not top 10 of all time. The method of distributing episodes is new and unique, however I started them after they'd all been released, and so could play continuously. Overall I would HIGHLY recommend this series, I've never truly felt as connected or attached to any characters as I did in this series. Astounding.… Expand
  5. andytimber
    Aug 22, 2012
    10
    This game is absolutely amazing! It might simply be the best story ever told in a PC game. And the coolest thing: YOU are part of it, YOU are calling the shots, YOU decide where the narrative is heading. Forget all criticism about lame puzzles and little interaction. That's missing the point. If you want puzzles, play Puzzle Agent, if you want interaction, get yourself a Wii. Yet, if you want to enjoy a gripping plot, a thrilling rollercoaster of emotions and some seriously scary situations, then play the "Walking Dead".… Expand
  6. BrowniePoints
    Apr 24, 2012
    10
    After finishing the second season of the Walking Dead, and the first compendium, my interest in this game Skyrocketed! This game is not like any other zombie game you have ever played, not like Left 4 Dead, not like Dead Island. It seamlessly integrates the story into the big picture of the Walking Dead comics. I was satisfied that my concern of a point and click game ruining the experience were false. The action scenes are great, and the voice acting is great. I recommend it if you want to play a story driven game, in which all the choices you make, have consequences. Where you have to choose sides, and who lives and who dies.… Expand
  7. blackShawarma
    Nov 24, 2012
    10
    Telltale does just that - they bring to life compelling characters and a rich and captivating story. It's a great experience and a lot of fun. A great game and a great series!
  8. yorshek
    Jul 1, 2012
    10
    Amazing start Telltale! I love TV series about Walking Dead and they are announced the game about it i was surprised cause their prev. games was not so cool. But quality and game style, relationships between the characters and interactivity make a great game about survival-emotional story of ppl against zombies
  9. Chomag
    Dec 11, 2012
    10
    Just finished playing through the 5 episodes. This game is the best thing I have played all year, I'm not kidding. The setting, the plot and the twists kept me going for hours and I just couldn't put it down. No game this year made me feel like that.

    Definitely worth every penny. In fact it's worth more that its price.
  10. aqurban
    May 6, 2012
    10
    This game is an absolute thrill, despite the clunky and outdated graphic design, it reaches out to the player and deliver an experience like no other Tell Tale game has ever done before, even for those who are not fans of either the critically acclaimed TV series or the comic.
  11. SpazzBrozz
    Apr 24, 2012
    10
    Episode 1:
    This game is totally different than any game I am used to and so I decided to try it. The main reason I gave it a go and many others is because it is Walking Dead related. I spent $20 on all five episodes and I do not regret it one bit. To me it was just like watching another episode on TV but this time I had to, solve problems, make hard choices and lead a group. It took me a     little over 2 hours to finish the episode and it left me wanting more. I loved the graphics Telltale has chosen; it fits right in. The blood and gore is also amazing. I loved this episode and I cannot wait til the next is released. Walking Dead FTW!… Expand
  12. SmileyFrank
    May 1, 2012
    10
    I love this game! I've played through it a couple of times now. BUT DO NOT GET THIS GAME IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A SHOOTER LIKE L4D. I can't wait for the next episode!
  13. ScottReid
    Apr 28, 2012
    10
    This really is a fantastic start to the five-part horror "The Walking Dead".

    Telltale's use of storyline layout make you, as the player choose the fate of certain characters. This isn't a game where you slice as many zombies as you can with a katana, this game makes clever use of minimal zombies to add a certain extent of fear, and the lack of zombies in certain parts show how dangerous     it might be to cross one of them. I was sceptical about buying this at first, but playing this proved me very, very wrong. This is the saddest game I've ever played (well, with the exception of Portal 2's ending) I hated making horrible decisions and I did feel really sad at certain parts. Negatives : The Walking Dead relies too much on cutscenes and background visuals could be refined (hoping they'll make the backgrounds more scenic in the coming episodes.)

    The voice acting is superb. Telltale have brought together some really awesome voice actors.    … Expand
  14. Oceansize
    May 9, 2012
    10
    Provided you are aware that this game is neither in the Survival Horror genre OR the Adventure genre, then there's no reason why you won't enjoy the heck out of it! While I love the Adventure genre, I have yet to encounter any game by Telltale that I enjoyed. Up to now I've pretty much hated every game they've done. Well, they finally broke the mold and put out a heck of a fine game, and yet ironically it isn't in the genre they're known for. Do NOT assume this is another Telltale cookie-cutter Adventure snorefest. Puzzles are not their strong suit, but fortunately the gameplay in this title does not have much use for puzzles. They're not meant to be brain teasers like in a classic Adventure game, rather in this game they are meant to either increase tension (find a quick way to distract the zombies over by the TV store) or create empathy with certain characters (administering a band aid to a youngster).

    As far as the gameplay is concerned, it is basically identical to The Indigo Prophecy, but with much better graphics, story, acting, and execution. If you were intrigued by the gameplay of Indigo Prophecy but hated the shoddy execution, then you really should check this game out because it succeeds where the other failed.

    People expecting survival horror will be disappointed by the lack of spontaneous action. People expecting Adventure will be disappointed by the lack of any real puzzles.

    BUT, those people who expect to be drawn into a well-told, beautifully rendered interactive story will find this very entertaining. Dialogue in this game is more than just methodically selecting every dialogue choice in the tree just to get all the content out of the game. Most dialogue choices are timed which really adds to both the tension and the immersion: if you say something that offends somebody, you can't just make it all better by then choosing the other dialogue choice. This means it really matters what you say in most instances. AND it really adds to the replay value, which would otherwise be non-existent for a game with no action gameplay. For me, the desire to find out what would have happened if I said something else was irresistible, yet there is no way to undo what you've said until you play the game again. This may sound annoying but trust me, you won't get bored listening to the dialogue because so much depends on you really meaning what you say.

    I am totally unfamiliar with the comic which inspired this game. I cannot say whether it does the comic justice, but it certainly made me curious to check it out and learn more.

    So far the story is fairly generic for a zombie apocalypse retread: strangers brought together from dissimilar backgrounds learning to cooperate with each other to defeat a common, slow-moving, brain-eating undead enemy. Nevertheless, I am totally hooked. With only the first episode out so far, who knows which way the story could go, but if the beginning is any indication of the rest, it might not take the zombie apocalypse story into new original territory, but it nevertheless is a worthy addition to the genre. And I'm not one of those zombie-game fanboys; frankly I've been getting a little sick of zombie-related stuff. I really liked the original George Romero film but most stuff since then has just been so cheesy. Regardless, I still loved this game.    … Expand
  15. AirMartino347
    Jul 10, 2012
    10
    Really amazing game!My first teltale game ever. Play through the really intsresting story and jump straight into episode 2.Every choice you make is important! Have fun. :-)
  16. Mcintosh
    Apr 27, 2012
    10
    Not being an Adventure Genre fan, The Walking Dead was a gamble for me. I tried it since i thought the zombie survival plot would fit this genre better than most other topics, i was amazed. I have enjoyed it so much my view on the whole genre has changed. I highly recommend this game as a starting point to Adventure games, Specially if you are into other genres and you are interested in the Story side of those other games. Here you won't get to play a FPS, 3PS, RTS etc. (which before TLD i thought would beat adventure any day of the month) But it does come close to a really good RPG in the choice area (actually i wish many RPGs could really incorporate more things like this into their actual plots). It's true that the content from one decision to the other doesn't drastically change everything and many times plot devices are inserted to make things run leaving a bit of holes. But it's a zombie game! The whole idea is that Zombies are already plot devices in a fictional scenario. Still the story is compelling and full. So my recommendation is that if you want to shoot zombies, u have a lot of options and if you want everything to be just like it would be in real life... get one. This game is a great game and could re define the comic book experience imho. Just sit back, relax, stress, have fun and have emotions with choices that will make you wish to know what would happen if... and that is re playability. The only thing i wish they programed is a fast forward or skip button that u could unlock after you first run, since it would just be nice to fast forward through some of the already given story. Well in a nutshell. it's a comic book, tv program, movie... where you interact... just give it a try! i did... and i am already buying more adventure games.… Expand
  17. kailip
    Apr 26, 2012
    10
    This is a game style which you either like it or hate it. I think if you don't like this style of game you shouldn't rate the game, because you're not rating its quality, but rating by your taste over its genre. I personally liked it a lot, it's mainly based on your choices throughout the game, and it's more focused on the story than killing zombies like a retarded.
  18. Cambot
    May 10, 2012
    10
    Simple game play, but its great to go though the story. Fun and I really enjoyed playing through the game a few times just to see what would change. Great fun.
  19. Finkelroy
    Apr 25, 2012
    10
    I know Tell-Tale get a rough deal for their games and I've avoided them until The Walking Dead because of the harsh criticisms. I'm a huge Walking Dead fan, both comic and tv show, so was very skeptical when this game was announced with Tell-Tale as a developer. I bought it anyway and was pleasantly surprised. The graphics are a wonderful homage to Charlie Adlard's work in the comics and the engine will run on the vast majority of pcs. I found myself caring about the characters and agonising over the decisions I made and how they would affect future episodes. It's true you don't get full control or a free roaming world but what you do get is an interesting experience that many AAA games could learn a lot from. The story is the unique selling point of this game and it delivers, in episode 1 at least.

    I would recommend this to anyone, Walking Dead fans or not. Now hurry up and release episodes 2, 3, 4 & 5.    … Expand
  20. davogovernor
    May 14, 2012
    10
    this game is not for everyone however i loved it, i dont like the episode way of releasing i really want to play the next part and i want to see the effect of my decision
  21. AllStations
    May 4, 2012
    10
    This is one of my favourite games that I've played in recent months, very well written storyline and fun gameplay mechanics. A must buy if you are a fan of either the comic book series or the TV Show, it really does justice to the whole Walking Dead world.
  22. Andrey1555
    May 14, 2012
    10
    one of the best games this year, and one of the most exciting adventures. Although the graphics in this game is not very interesting (but who recently drew attention to the chart tell me?), But the plot, characters, dialogue carried on the top ten and this game should be on the list of the best games from Telltale games
  23. ThomasBerg
    May 11, 2012
    10
    Amazing start to a promising series.Was very sceptical since i hated back to the future, and jurassic park. But i loved the Monkey Island ones. They really captured what i felt was the essence of what the walking dead is about! I await the second episode eagerly!!
  24. Barrowsx
    May 6, 2012
    10
    This is just the first episode, and it's already gotten me hooked to the story. Let me start by saying this: If you are going to buy this game just to mow down endless waves of zombies, DON'T. This isn't Left 4 Dead, this is a game that is about the actual survival aspect of a zombie survival game. The game makes it clear that if you try to fight more than one zombie by yourself, you are going to die. If you want to survive in this game, you're going to have to be cunning, and think strategically.

    The only complaint that I have with this game are the graphics. They aren't bad per se, but are low quality. This does mean that the game will run smoothly on any system, though. One more thing about the graphics though, is that they are very similar to those of The Sims 2. If you look at the facial expressions and animations, it's almost like they just made a third-person Sims: Zombie Survival game.

    All in all, this game is AMAZING, and after the first 400 MB episode, is already worth the $25 I spent on it.    … Expand
  25. hollowfication
    Jun 3, 2012
    10
    i love this game best game ever only thing is it not like what i thought it be going out killing zombie this more like how to survive in zombie holocaust
  26. Soujirop
    Dec 5, 2012
    10
    Probably the best zombie game I have ever played. When I first looked into this game, I thought it would be some shooter resident-evil wannabe, then I found out it was a graphic adventure with lots of action on it, which is really original and cool. But what I liked the most was the story, so epic and inmersive, really at the level of the TV series and more touchy. The flawless voice acting helps a lot.

    The other strong point in the game is the dialogue choice options. Everything you say almost always have some kind of impact in the story, from gaining influence over some pal of your group, to trigger a whole situation that may save your life or kill you. In fact, the difficulty of the game is not killing the zombies, but preventing your group to split or fall into hysteria.

    The only thing that could be better, are the puzzles. For a graphic adventure the puzzles are quite weak, but it kind of compensates with a great dose of action. All crowned with a great and moving ending.

    This game is a must have so try it. You won't be dissapointed.    … Expand
  27. kimaasen1984
    Apr 24, 2012
    10
    A great first episode, with a huge replay value! You have alot of dialogue choices that seemingly Willy make a difference later, a very interesting history. The graphics are really nice as well.
  28. ArtisanActual
    Apr 25, 2012
    10
    Telltale has been known for some time now as a quality developer of a genre that is otherwise under-flowing with not only quality, but sheer number of titles in general.With TTG's most recent additions to the industry (Back To the Future, Jurassic Park) lacking majorly in some areas, including limited puzzle elements, lack of exploration, a choppy engine, and overall disappointing conclusion to the story; I'll admit, I was skeptical. However, unlike some of the more ignorant members of the gaming community as a whole, I knew that TTG had discovered something special in the form of creating a flowing, horror-filled adventure experience within the confines of an extremely zombie-rich apocalyptic universe. The story of Kirkman's comics have always been about the progression of the plot through the characters. The game adaptation is no exception. Right from the get-go, both the characters dialogue & and the actions they carry out not only create a sense of an authentic emotional impact upon the more sensitive aspects of your mind, but they make you care about the characters as well. Never in my life, in any horror franchise, including The Walking Dead, up to this point at least; have I ever appreciated a child who plays a large part in the story. Generally speaking due to their obnoxious and helpless nature, as well as the fact that they only tend to bog the main characters down in place. Clementine, the little eight year old girl you come across within the first half hour of the game, not only makes a dramatic appearance where she acts sensibly, as well as bravely. But quite literally, she saves your life. She's intelligent, witty, brave, cute, and most importantly, a damn fine companion. You care about the well being of this girl. Although simply a game, I found myself immersed and enthralled in a different rendition of the same post-apocalyptic world I discovered in the comics, as well as rediscovered in the TV show. I instantly became protective of this little girl, not only because she was a an ultimately reasonable character in such repeatedly dire situations, but because she can keep her **** together when individuals forty years her senior cannot. Suffice to say, the narrative is spot on. You'll make decisions as to whom to which you will give food, ally yourself with, trust, or even which particular character will live or die. These decisions then subsequently carry over to the soon-to-be-released follow up episodes set for launch throughout Summer. The only gripes I have with this first episode of the game is the fact that just like recently released TTG titles, "The Walking Dead" suffers from some stuttering due to a slightly flawed graphics engine developed in-house by TTG. This isn't really a complaint that can be isolated with "TWD" specifically. As I said, it plagued previous TTG game too. In comparison to those titles, the stuttering is near nonexistent. It doesn't even effect game-play, and perhaps it'll be fixed in the future. It only serves as an annoyance to distract players from brief cinematics. In reality, the only flaw I can see with the mechanics of the game itself is occasional discrepancies in the conversations of the characters between one another. Occasionally you will receive a mixed reaction from a character, while this isn't unrealistic in any way, nor is it entirely unexpected, it makes it hard for you to know where you stand with each character unless you have the UI updating you about their current emotions. In fact, it can be argued that this isn't a flaw at all, and only serves to up-the-anty in decision-making processes as well as making the characters so integral to the plot more dynamic. Regardless, it still allows for the every-so-often awkward replies between the player and other characters that seem to be contradicting to either what the player was hoping to establish, or what the reaction the player was expecting. A more common criticism I've seen if that particular reviewers, such as those over at the gamespy website, believe that certain major decisions have no impact on the story. While this statement in itself is contradictory seeing as how an important decision would have to have an impact on the story, these reviewers are also wrong to assume that only one episode into a five episode arc that these specific decisions have no impact. Perhaps if they had even payed attention to the preview for the second episode after the conclusion of the first, they would know from the characters dialogue featured that certain characters have problems with the decisions that were made by the player previously, and have yet to say anything. In the end, I recommend this game highly to anyone looking for an "old school" adventure game with items and exploration, fans of the comics (which the game's art style is inspired by), or perhaps even people who only watch the show.… Expand
  29. AbsorbInfo
    Apr 26, 2012
    10
    The fact that I was lucky enough to win a Season Pass to this game on Twitter via Gary Whitta (who worked as a Story Consultant on this game) blew me away. But what really blew me away was how this game sucked me in so quickly and began forcing me to make tough choices immediately. Literally, seconds after I made some tough choices, I wondered what would have happened had I made a different decision. The game indicates when a choice will be remembered or is noticed by other characters. It makes for one of the most engaging stories I have experienced in a while.


    Game: "Clementine will remember you said that"
    Me: "Oh no, did I make the right decision? How is this going to change things???" I instantly decided that I would have to play through again to see alternate outcomes. In addition to the Steam version, I will treat myself to the Xbox Live Arcade version as well so as to have two versions of the story side by side. I can't remember another game that caused me to want to do this.

    As a huge fan of the comic and the television series, I find that this game succeeds in creating a new story with some new characters and some existing ones. It all feels right at home in its universe. The game is compelling and the characters are memorable. I just get the feeling that with this game, Telltale was like "Ok, we're not **** around". It just keeps throwing the player into interesting and tense situations. Aside from all of the story and making choices talk, the art style is also very pleasing to the eye. Facial expressions are really nailed which add to the overall tone of the often visceral situations. When you sit down to play this game, get ready to have your fingers on the proverbial trigger as there are timers on making decisions. This helps in making it a somewhat realistic engine. This is how you might have to make decisions in real life. There's action. There's drama. There's gore, thrills, and chills. (And spills. I slipped on a huge puddle of blood) The Walking Dead: Episode 1 delivers on everything you would want in a Walking Dead adventure game while keeping the story front and center. Some games have forgettable stories or stories elements you might not even remember. This game sticks with you because the experience is so very personal. It feels fantastic to finally play an episodic adventure game that makes you care, second guess yourself, and ultimately react. The best part, was that by the end, I was truly entertained and ready for the next episode.

    What more could I ask for?    … Expand
  30. Aisling
    Apr 26, 2012
    10
    I know a lot of people are probably disappointed it's not a shooter/hack n slash where you find hordes of zombies like in L4D or Dead Island but that's not really what The Walking Dead series is about. Making 'THAT' game would have just been incredibly gimmicky and there are already decent zombie-killing games. This game stayed true to the comic book & series by focusing primarily on characters. Your choices (and there are SO many of them) define you in this game and those choices have a lasting affect well into the next episodes.… Expand
  31. bugbite250
    May 13, 2012
    10
    This is the first point and click game I've ever played that wasn't a flash game on a web browser. I was totally into the whole story. I could not put my controller down (I love the fact that you can use your xbox360 controller!) till I finished the chapter! I can't wait for the 2nd chapter to come out! :D There is a timer for almost every choice you make, so you have to make a decision right away, which makes it more exciting and scary. The choices can be pretty hard, but the story really pushes you to choose. Being able to decide choices helps players to really get into the gameplay. I'm so glad I got this game, so I totally recommend it. 10/10 rating!… Expand
  32. Svarogh
    May 4, 2012
    10
    In my opinion The Walking Dead: Episode 1 is very good balance between adventure and some kind of action game. It is very hard to give it a genre, but that is NOT important at all. Which is, the game is "new kind" of genre and it is fluid. Visually, graphic is cartoon type, action is very interesting and the sound is great at least. For those, such as myself, who love The Walking Dead TV-Shows it have what we imagined and hoping for. Maybe little bit more of shooting, but I am very very satisfied. The only thing wich bothering me, is the fact that the game is very short and as soon as i finished it, i question myself when The Walking Dead: Episode 2 will be out and trying to find out.… Expand
  33. Xanyr
    May 16, 2012
    10
    The Walking Dead is a zombie game in the truest sense. It is an excellent simulation of the post apocalyptic zombie future which is gratifying in that it does not focus on the combat. The game focuses on story and characterization and does an excellent job with both. The timed dialogue choices mean that you don't choose strategically but with your gut.
  34. seamzo
    May 22, 2012
    10
    Amazing game! I thought the story was great but if you are someone who likes games where you walk around shooting zombies then this is not for you. It's about the decisions you make and the characters remember the actions you take. This game is a lot like Heavy Rain (excluding the story) and I cannot wait for the second episode, in this game series, to come out.
  35. Tricky_Dicky
    Jul 2, 2012
    10
    If you're a big fan of the walking dead series and point and click games this is a guaranteed pleaser! This game is more about surviving as a group then actually running around killing zombies so if you're looking for a shoot em up this isn't it!!
    The game ties in with events that occur before the comic and T.V series so you do encounter people form the original series so the story has a     tendency of merging with that of the original which gives it that feeling you're actually apart of the original story and not just some authentic made up rip off!
    Every episode is released every month, my only problem is that there are only 5 episodes in total, I'm hoping they do additional seasons as I believe this game is not just enjoyable to gamers but Walking Dead fans around!!    … Expand
  36. Hummer3099
    Jul 13, 2012
    10
    For everybody saying your choices makee nothing, play the rest episode then JUDGE. Your choices do affect your progress in the next episode. Beside, you dont need to be a zombie fan to love this game- im not, and I completely loved this game. Well done, TTG
  37. SuperSly
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    I usually never comment on video game, but I feel that I had to do it for this game. If u want a good adventure game with really nice anime like graphics and rock solid story, this game is for you.

    Long time I didn't enjoyed a game like that. The story is as good as the TV series. Characters are credible, and the choices you make really affect the story.

    Beside that the game has a     good replay value, you can play it again and try different course of actions.

    Don't listen to the few bad reviews, most of them rate this game badly just because they doesn't like the genre (Its not a FPS game neither a open world game).    … Expand
  38. fritsvdnoord
    Nov 5, 2012
    10
    It's a **** 10! Best game ever! some people dont like it.. Don't play it if you dont like it..................................................................................................
  39. sid12
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Simply Awesome, Amazing game, i always wanted to play Heavy Rain but as i am a pc gamer i never got to play it, but this one is like it, but in horror genre, i liked this game, it is worth buying
  40. JoeGerman
    Nov 22, 2012
    10
    Game was amazing. So much fun to play and kept me wanting to come back for more in the second episode. I would highly recommend the series to anyone that is into the walking dead, likes a good story, or has nostalgia for choose your own adventures.
  41. uvazquez
    Apr 4, 2013
    10
    A charming story of a guy in a post-apocalypse world with a chance to redeem himself for his past. Meet characters from the comic series, interact with them, find out what happens with them before and after they met Rick's group, recruit original characters from the game, discover new locations overrun by the dead, tailor the story with every little choice you make as every single thing you do and say will have repercussions in the future, and take whatever choice you need to survive.

    This game will make you cry. A lot. It is perfectly acted, perfectly written, perfectly designed, and you will love and hate the characters as if they were real. Because that's what this game did to me. I fell in love with it. Its characters have that special something that makes you have feelings towards them, and when something happens to them you will feel it like if they were your friends. I'm very much looking forward to the next season, even though it's said that it will be a new group of people, but if it is at least as good as this one (and maybe it will be even better) then you will see me once again pre-purchasing the f*ck out of it and waiting in line to be the first to play it.

    In summary, this game is a must-have, even if you didn't read the comic books, the novels or if you don't watch the TV series. A GOTY award very well deserved.    … Expand
  42. mcaykac
    Apr 14, 2013
    10
    It can make you laugh. It can make you smile. It can make you shock. And it can make you cry.
    I agree that the options which you choose are not changing the game so much. But if you play this game without prejudgement it will be your best game you have ever played.
  43. St1fleR
    Jul 5, 2013
    10
    If it is honest, still not to be believed me that Talltale Games could make so shedevralny interactive drama as the best that is in a game store of this developer are satirical projects, and another special doesn't deserve attention.
    This game not about the zombie apocalypse, not about a survival in this world (can only partly), it about relationship between characters, about education of     the little girl in the world which became even more cruel to people.
    The gameplay is a mix of interactive cinema, an arcade and a quest. Here is both QTE, and logical riddles (but, I admit, very easy, too), and branchy dialogues. But the big minus is an illusion, choice illusion, actually isn't so linear as we about it were spoken by developers and game claims, but some choice can incur itself consequences, not at once, somewhere later 2 episodes, can more. But not this main thing in game.
    Plot, here that does it unique, it (in my opinion) the best that happened to the industry for this year. When you endure so many events with these characters, you watch how they change, you start enduring with them that grief or pleasure, and the girl to become not only to the character, but also you, native.    … Expand
  44. uniquebulletzz
    Jul 22, 2013
    10
    Amazing game. Not only is it fun and imersive but you really get involved and get genuine feelings for the characters and events. Love it. Can't wait for season 2.
  45. tonedef
    Dec 30, 2013
    10
    Great game and story. Would recommend even for people who are not into point and click games. I do wish you could skip through some of the dialogue. It would save a lot of time when you already spoke to a character for the second time. Small complaint but highly recommended and worth the buy.
  46. ilovemovie
    Sep 19, 2013
    10
    best game I have ever played in my life
    great voice work, brilliant camera work, the chemistry between Lee and Clementine
    the end is the saddest ending ever which is a great credit because I felt so sorry for the characters
  47. Achti
    Oct 9, 2013
    10
    I seldom felt this much for the characters in a video game. The gameplay itself is pretty simple, but nevertheless entertaning, because of the hard choices you have to make under time pressure.
  48. Beric_
    Apr 27, 2012
    9
    This game is amazing for anyone who love the Zombie genre. I haven't played a point-and-click game in a while, but it's amazingly easy and it feels and looks natural at most times. I love the fact that you have to make tough choices, who you want to save from death, to tell the truth or not. You get emotionally attached to most of the characters, and you would want to see this through. You can tell the game is developed for consoles, because of some graphical glitches, audio glitches and the controls. Don't fret! I could look past those tiny imperfections, because everything else is awesome! If you love zombies and an engaging story, you'll absolutely love this game. I can't wait for the next episodes. This game receives a 9/10 from me because of the story, comic-style graphics, music and characters. The game is very much worth its price too, that's good. It does not receive a 10/10 because of a few tiny bugs and some audio-glitches. Apart from that, I recommend it highly!… Expand
  49. smk123
    May 3, 2012
    9
    A really refreshing break from the usual zombie game, if you're looking for action look elsewhere, this is a game of storytelling and character building and it does this well, if this interests you I implore you to try it! It's also a welcome departure from the usual adventure game mould, it's still point and click but it pulls this off in an unusual way, and I for one am fond of the control scheme Telltale adopted. And to top it all off it has some really crisp comic style graphics and this looks fantastic, I gave it a 9 however for some weak voice acting at times. Other than this minor gripe, well done Telltale! Here's hoping the next episodes are of equal quality!… Expand
  50. ghostbuster
    Apr 24, 2012
    9
    First I've seen this game I'm a little bit confused because the walking dead has a very good story and I hoped that telltale games makes good.Thank god they made a wonderful game and can't wait for episode 2!
  51. Mosstromo
    Dec 27, 2012
    9
    One of the best crafted experiences character and story-wise I have witnessed in a long time, on any game genre. Within the boundaries of adventure games, this, as with The Longest Journey series, is a masterpiece of legendary dimensions (if not length), that will be brought into discussion as a measuring unit of how games are supposed to be delivered.
    It is so compelling and interesting     that the downside of its not entirely satisfactory combat system and its frequent "click-to-not-die" moments is easily forgiven, detracting almost nothing from the overall experience.
    If on top of all you happen to like zombie-related games, the experience of living through such a gruesome and disheartening situation does not get better than this.
    All the characters are precisely that, characters, therefore every decision you make on the game pertaining these people carries the true weight of responsibility on them because of that very fact.
    The Walking Dead includes what could probably be one of THE best child protagonists of all time: Clementine, that along the likes of April and Zoë from the Longest Journey series, you unavoidably care for thus want to carry this persona across all difficulties to see them safe and victorious (even if transitorily in the case of the former one) at the far side of the story.
    With great art, beautifully realistic dialog and a spectacularly wealthy source material to round all up, this is a game you should be installing in your machine right about now.    … Expand
  52. Cleric22
    May 1, 2012
    9
    "A new day", the first chapter of the episodic "Walking Dead" games by Tell Tale is a truly unique zombie experience. Focusing on the original source (The Comic) for story, players work their way through a handful of scenarios making the small and large choices that move along the story. Some confusion over the game is in its action beats. With it being an adventure game the pacing for action isn't as focused, which I find to put more pressure on survival rather than standing and fighting. Each walker encounter is terrifying and presents the option of death in any fight.

    Familiar faces are found in locations around Georgia, and the episodic content makes for a brisk 60-90 minute story, much in the vein of watching an episode of the TV show. While I wasn't completely blown away by the first episode, I felt my stomach church as split second decisions needed to be made. Urgency dictates the amount of response time you have to make a decision, lest you stand by and say/do nothing. It's greatest flaw is grounded in the fact that the content is so short by episode, no detail can be discussed without majorly spoiling a chapter.    … Expand
  53. Mashley
    Oct 6, 2012
    9
    No game has ever made me feel emotion like this. A top-notch creation from Telltale Games, and their best work yet. Puzzles are perhaps a little simplistic though, so don't expect difficult puzzles if that's what you want.
  54. Derceto
    Nov 28, 2012
    9
    I literally just finished Ep 5 about 15 minutes ago, and all I can say is, if you're a fan of The Walking Dead in any way, shape or form, or you are a fan of great stories, then this series is for you.

    I would be willing to concede that the game isn't the most impressive visually, or the most innovative, however, this series makes up for it so well in story, and character depth, that I     am willing to waive it's (arguable) flaws for it's colossal strengths.

    At the asking price for this game, there is really no excuse to at least check out Episode 1, which I am sure, will impress and lead you to get the remainder of the episodes and be in for a real treat.

    I hope some people may find this collection of my opinions as incentive to try out this gem of a game series. It is most certain to keep you interested and attached right to the very end.    … Expand
  55. TcS1720
    May 4, 2012
    9
    As someone who normally hates zombie & horror games, I found myself apprehensive to try The Walking Dead. However, after reading the comments left by others on the site, I decided to give it a try. I admit, what I found was not what I was expecting at all... I found a game that shows you the other side of the zombie apocalypse: the dramatic side that showcases that every little decision you make, big or small, could have devastating consequences for anyone else. I found myself deeply engrossed in the story from the moment I started playing, and even though Episode 1 is only around two hours long, I felt myself being incredibly connected to each of these characters. If you're looking for a game where you survive by going "Rambo" (aka Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead etc.), then this is definitely not your game (even though you still will brutally kill some zombies in very unique ways). But if you're looking for a zombie game with a deep story, likable characters, and decisions that have the steepest of consequences and keep you on your toes, this is definitely worth checking out. I know there are many reviewers stating that your choices "don't matter", but remember that this is still only the first of five episodes. Knowing that, I am excited to see where the choices that I made will lead me up through episode five.… Expand
  56. EtaYorius
    May 15, 2012
    9
    I totally LOVED THIS GAME! Its scary and it lets you choose different possible ends! also the dialogue between characters is really awsome! loved it! cant wait for Episode 2!
  57. dp247
    May 10, 2012
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'll be serious. I'm not into zombie games; I get bored of the same old hack n' slash action and the witty one-liners. But TellTale Games' "The Walking Dead" is something else - it's not just the 'same old' - its an episodic well-done masterpiece - action, adventure and even an element of puzzle. Presented in a comicy graphic style, the game opens with Lee, a convicted murderer, driving out of Atlanta on the way to prison. During this scene, you're introduced to the choices that shape the story (although, these ones don't have any effect on the rest of the story), prompting a different response which the character will remember. This is the case when choosing who should live and who should die, or sticking and siding with a certain character - if you are loyal, you will be rewarded. The thing for me that sets the game apart from others is the emotional value of the characters - by the end of the first episode, I had begun to develop a sense of care for Clementine and emotion for the entire ensemble. Then again, its not just the other characters - you begin to develop a bond with Lee, the main character, especially when you go and start a second game - you try to make him a tough, no-nonsense kind of guy, who doesn't care about anyone but himself - but you don't, because it doesn't feel right. I cannot critique the game's story or characters or game-play in any way - but I did experience a couple of problems with the game's performance - despite being perfectly matched to my laptop's specs. Sometimes the game's cutscenes lagged and paused, or sometimes the sound was repeated or out-of-sync - only small problems, but nevertheless problems that could be fixed with a simple patch.

    Despite those defects, The Walking Dead is definitely a fantastic game that spins off from the zombie genre gamers have come to know and love. I personally can't wait for episode two (each episode is released monthly) and another couple of hours of gameplay. I'd definitely recommend you to buy this (even though the season pass is about £21 on Steam and even if you haven't followed the franchise), because this is an excellent game-changer from that zombie genre we're all too familiar with.    … Expand
  58. JwGaming
    Apr 30, 2012
    9
    Telltale's Best Project yet! Walking Dead Ep1 is a great start for the series; it contains great locals, likable characters and great main protagonist, beautiful visuals and excellent storytelling and decision making. Whats really amazing about the story is that moral choice actually does matter, Choose to save one of the two and the consequences will be heavy. Overall the traditional puzzles that Telltale always includes in their games was missing but the story and the characters more than make up to that, Great game - 8.5/10… Expand
  59. killerlink46
    Apr 27, 2012
    9
    The games overall gameplay is something i have never experienced this is amazing im not a huge fan of the show but the game blew me away so i give it a 9 out of 10 the graphics are like a comic book which i love its the first episode out of five and its a time worth playing so for only 4.99 or 400 microsoft points its a steal.
  60. burneyburnside
    Apr 27, 2012
    9
    a great game for people who like the book or show, cheap isn't bad either. can't wait for the next chapter. it's more than just a point and click too.
  61. ryinca
    May 1, 2012
    9
    I really have to congratulate Tell Tale Games for capturing the essence of The Walking Dead graphic novels (i.e. look/feel, violence, despair, etc) and translating that experience into a truly captivating game. This is a story driven adventure that focuses more on the dynamics between characters and the moral dilemmas that they face than it is about running around bashing zombies repeatedly. This is not to say that there isn't a healthy dose of zombie bashing, in fact there is a good amount of that, but it's not the main driver, which if you follow the TV show or novels, is the whole point. It's about day by day survival, trust of those around you and the constant feeling that your days are numbered.

    I really look forward to the future episodes and my only complaint with this first episode was the length which is why I didn't give it a 10. I finished it up in less than an hour, which at $5 isn't a huge disappointment, but I feel that they could have given us a bit more. My hope is that they continue delivering high quality content in the future and go beyond the five episodes that are already scheduled.

    Final point: If you're a fan of the graphic novel series, I'd be shocked if you didn't really enjoy this game.    … Expand
  62. 4exa
    May 13, 2012
    9
    Ð
  63. Starshock
    May 24, 2012
    9
    I really enjoyed this game. It was a little short, but the entire game was filled with content and it didn't feel like you were just going through the motions. Each scene had a point and it was fun too see how it turned out. Can't wait for the next episode!

    -1 for shortness
  64. Cyntax3rr0r
    May 22, 2012
    9
    If you're a fan of the comics or television show, get this game. If you enjoy a good story, get this game. This is an adventure game, but without all the pixel hunting. This should be used as the template for future adventure games. Timed dialogue forces your decisions based on instinct. If you're new to adventure games, I'd recommend watching some gameplay videos first to make sure this is the genre for you. There are plenty of videos online showing the first 10min of gameplay, so not much is spoiled. The only annoyance is paying for the full price on Steam and waiting this long for the next installment. Of course being angry that you can't play more kinda just speaks to how much I like the game. Awesome game, get it now.… Expand
  65. Ascanio
    Jun 20, 2012
    9
    Having played a few Telltale games before, and having watched the entire Walking Dead TV series, I had pretty big expectations about this game. Well, they have been more than fulfilled, and I will be sure to buy the next four episodes of this game as soon as they come out. I will divide my review into five sections, although the average of the four will not be the final score.

    Audio: I     personally feel that although the voice acting is very good, it should've all been recorded with a better microphone. The background effects and sounds are extremely good, and I really felt immersed in the game as I was playing it, but the voices are crackly and not loud enough. 7/10

    Gameplay: This game is interesting because - although the game is a point and click game at heart - it also has first person and third person sequences, and a few QTE's. (quick time events) Although I do not feel as if this mix is detrimental to the game whatsoever, it is pretty surprising because the game switches between them instantly and without warning. 8/10

    Story: This really captivated me. you feel for every character in the game, and when something happens to them you genuinely feel worried. The story is extremely well written and well thought out. I won't go into detail for fear of giving out spoilers. 10/10

    Graphics: I always thought that if a game based on the walking dead were ever to come out, it would have ultra-realistic graphics with a gritty, dark style. Although the game does have quite a gritty art style, the graphics are certainly not ultra realistic. If anything, they're actually quite cartoony. I'm not sure how, but it works. 9/10

    Overall: If you don't like point and click games STAY AWAY. This game is completely story orientated so don't expect to play another dead island. If you don't have patience, and don't like getting involved in stories, then do not buy this game. However, if you do, (and you should) not buying this game would be a terrible, terrible mistake. 9/10    … Expand
  66. Armokir
    Jul 15, 2012
    9
    I love this game! Some people would say it's like Heavy Rain with the choices and stuff, but I hated Heavy Rain. This game is really well done. Your choices will put you on different sides and will affect everything in the game. I love the action and the suspense of that great story. Well, it's a strong 9!
  67. Arti
    Jul 18, 2012
    9
    First of I consider The Walking Dead more as TV-Series where you can make some decisions rather than a game. If you care and talk to all characters you meet, you will get a nice packed story. One of my few critic points is the fact that your movement-ability is really limited.
  68. nejinx
    Jul 23, 2012
    9
    I thoroughly enjoyed episode 1, it has some similar mechanics to Fahrenheit (Indigo Prophecy) which was quite a defining game with the game mechanics that were added to the adventuring/interactive drama genre. It is heavily story driven and the "puzzles" are easy to get through but well worth the purchase. If you turn off some of the prompting it is difficult in the sense it's hard to figure out where to click as the margin for error is small. Overall a game I wouldn't skip over.… Expand
  69. ArMoRofGOD
    Nov 25, 2012
    9
    Telltale earned a fan with this game. It is simply amazing, one of the best game experiences Ive ever had. Metacritic is making me write more but nothing else needs to be said.
  70. mose
    Aug 29, 2012
    9
    There are many presentation problems with The Walking Dead Episode 1, like lag, poor voice sync, and some pausing during gameplay. But the story is so engaging, I looked past most of these problems. I felt like I was part of The Walking Dead universe thanks to the decision making and dialogue choices. Episode 1 set a high bar and I'm looking forward to playing the next episode.
  71. trekwood
    Oct 16, 2012
    9
    This, just like the rest of Tell-Tale's games I've played, is a very well done interactive story. If you are looking for a heavy action-oriented game, or an RPG, or a more traditional puzzle or point and click adventure game, look elsewhere. What the game does is tell a gritty, brutal, and interesting story very well, and give you enough choices that actually do affect the story. Some people said the options were cosmetic, this is not true. After having played the next couple of episodes after this one, the choices you make DO MATTER. Different people react to you depending on the side you take during conflicts, who you choose to save during zombie attacks, etc. Many times the game makes you choose between two equally bad options. This a a masterpiece of moral ambiguity. I personally think this is one of the most realistic post-apocalyptic games I've played. There is no good choice or bad choice, just a choice. If you take too long to decide who to save, they both could die. Some people complained about the time limits on conversations and in attacks and such, but I feel like this makes it more real. If you are talking to someone and wait to long to say something, it gets awkward and they walk away or change the subject. The game works like that, makes things flow like they would in real life. The art style is like a comic book. The game is based on a comic book. It makes sense, and I like it. If you want a graphically intensive hyper-realistic zombie game, play Dead Island. This is basically an interactive comic book and the art style reflects that. The first episode is the shortest one, about 45 minutes or so. The second episode was about an hour and a half. The third episode was around 3 hours. I haven't played the other two, but if they each continue to get bigger, the game will end up being decently long. All in all, a great game, and a welcome expansion to The Walking Dead canon.… Expand
  72. kanpot2002
    Jul 28, 2013
    9
    This game is absolutely Awesome! I starting playing it on iPad and decide to buy it on Steam almost immediately. Pro Very hooked The story is thrilling No bug at all FUN FUN and FUN! Con The consequences of your action are limited I'm not English native, so answering questions with limited time is a bit hard. If you're looking for Action, Shooting game, skip this game immediately.
    If you want some adventure, great story games, pick this one up. Whether you like zombie apocalypse or not, it's still worth.    … Expand
  73. shoboya
    Nov 24, 2012
    9
    Great game. I don't understand why this game has a score of 8.2 but I love it. Everyone should play it. Skip halo,call of duty and of the other AAA titles out there. This kind of story telling is not found any where else. For all the bugs that people say it has I have yet to encounter any of them(I play on PC) I think this game has made me have feelings for games I have not had since the old days super Nintendo games.… Expand
  74. ParagonRatings
    Nov 24, 2012
    9
    So, i watched the first season of The Walking Dead (TV Series) and was mind blown when i heard there was a video game about it, so i bought it, and oh boy, i did´nt regret it, it is very addicting, and that is always good.
  75. GodofPoptarts
    Jan 20, 2013
    9
    Thw Walking Dead Episode 1: "A New Day" Review Taking a beloved show, movie, or comic book into a game can be a tricky process. Sometimes developers nail it in just about every way. However, some developers put the final nail in the coffin when it comes to others titles. Thankfully, TellTale Games has takin a beloved show and comic book and has turned it into a zombie game that is not all about shooting every undead you see.

    STORY: When the game starts up, you assume the roll of Lee Everett. A convicted murderer who is on his way to jail when the apocalypse breaks out. From there, you meet a little girl name Clementine and the foal from there is to survive. Along the way you will meet a varied of interesting a compelling characters who really bring you into the world. I have never in a game felt so protective over someone as I have with Clemintine even though you just have met her. Another thing is nice is that you do not need to watch the show or have read the comic to understand what is happening. There are some characters from the show that make an apperence but nothing to the point where someone who has not watched the show will know what is going on.

    PRESENTATION: With the amazing characters also comes voice acting, and it is fantastic. You can really feel the emotion in each character, like when someone saw somebody get eaten alive by a zombie or when someone has been bitten by a zombie and is begging you to kill her. Its moments like this where the voice acting really shines. Another thing that shines the graphics. The follow the design of the comic book and it looks slick. However, from time to time, there will be some frame rate drops and when the game is going to a new scene it will freeze for like a second but it is nothing to detract from the over all expierence. GAMEPLAY: The game functions as it should. You move Lee with the left analog stick and move the cursor on the screen with the right analog stick. This cursor allows Lee to do different actions like talk to people, pick up an item, or bash a zombies brains in. When you talk to people, there will be a number of different choices of dialogue you can pick and in some points you have a limited amount of time to pick the one you want. These decisions will change the games outcome and force you to make quick decisions and live with the consequences like someone trusting you and being a trusted ally. Or someone who will be a foe and in some situations end up trying to kill you. There are also some quick time events and some points where if you do not act fast you will end up killed and these make for some tense moments when you will ask yourself "will I make it?". FINAL SCORE AND THOUGHTS: "A New Day" Is a great start to what I believe will be a fantastic series of games. The first episode is only about 2-3 hours long which is perfect considering all the things that could and are possibly going to happen. Sure there are some glitches and some frame rate drops. However, that is a minor complaint on a game that must be experienced SCORE: 9/10    … Expand
  76. eliteprincess
    Mar 25, 2013
    9
    Okay so let me start off by saying this game is not for everyone, like most games there are going to be people who love it or hate it and I would say this game shouldn't be downgraded too much even if it's not your type of game. i am not a fan of point and click but man this game pulled me in, it is so captivating, the story, the characters, I felt there were moments I was close too crying as this game can be quite an emotional roller coaster. Despite weather you like the TV series or not, this game is different, so I wouldn't judge based on that either. The only reason I'm not giving this a 10 is because I feel 10's are hard too give out now days. Why not try it out, give this game a go, like me, you might not regret it.… Expand
  77. SleeplessCritic
    Apr 19, 2013
    9
    Bottom Line: Play this game. Technical issues aside, it is amazing and worth your money. If you aren't sure whether or not you will like it, buy this episode first and then decide. If not, buy the whole thing. You will not regret it. (read full review at: http://sleeplesscritc.blogspot.com/2013/04/review-walking-dead-episode-one.html)
  78. joffacakes
    Sep 9, 2013
    9
    I'm not really a fan of zombie films/games, and point and click usually isn't my thing either, but my word this game is good. It's actually more of an interactive story than a game, but for me, that's not a problem. Sure, some of the puzzles are a little tedious because of the slightly clunky movement engine, but these blemishes are completely forgotten about when you're forced to save one of your two best friends, and have to make the decision in a split second. Comic cartoon graphics, and a very well written story makes this one of the most gripping, heart-wrenching and captivating titles out there.… Expand
  79. LaMagiadeVirue
    Aug 10, 2013
    9
    Jamás vi la serie, pero el juego es uno de los mejore que he jugado. Nos mantiene prendidos a la pantalla, con un suspenso que jamas vi en otro juego. Casi perfecto.
  80. SilverSurfer
    Dec 8, 2013
    9
    Wow, what a ride this was. TellTale has done a great job. The writers created a story which was not only captivating but an amazing emotional experience. The Walking Dead is a comic-book drawn style adventure game in which the choices you make tailor the story you play going forward and continuously shape the people around you and your game play experience. Every action has consequences and you never can please everyone.

    -----------------
    -- Gameplay
    -----------------
    The game mechanics are nice and simple. The story progresses through point-click action and mainly through dialog with the people you encounter.

    During the dialogs you will be presented with several choices of answers.
    Each answer may or may not have consequences and alters how other people see you, trust you or even start disliking you.

    Every now and then you will end up in a heavy story-changing scenario in which the story going forward is altered quite strongly.
    You might need to make a choice to save one or another person, run or fight or other difficult choice.
    Those choices alter the story quite drastic in places to the extend whereby you might end up continuing your story with different people then if you had made different choices or people start treating you completely different from that moment on.

    -----------------
    -- The Story
    -----------------

    The game places you in control of Lee a man on his way to prison as the story begins and has no idea yet what is happening.
    As you are trying to deal with the world as it now is you stumble across an 8 year old girl named Clementine who you will decide to help out and team up with.

    For the duration of the story your relationship with Clementine and others you meet evolves and are shaped continuously based on the choices you make and how you treat each person.

    I don't want to give to much of the main background story away so I'm not going into to much details.
    Let's just say, for the rest of the game you and Clementine will come across other people and groups, some highly irritating and disturbed while others are more neutral and well meaning, though you will find it hard to quickly know who to trust and who you can't.

    Quite often you will find yourself in situations you wish you could make different choices then the ones presented or make choices you know might not be right but need to be made.

    -----------------
    -- Summary
    -----------------

    Personally I can only say that TellTale and the Writes have delivered something very simplistic but yet so wonderful you are feeling you are writing your own story which will grab you, slowly pulling you deeper and deeper into this emotional roller coaster ride and will not let you go.

    By the end of Episode 5 you will just find yourself staring blankly at the credits slowly processing this whole experience.
    Well, that what it was like for me and I'm already looking very much forward to December 17th to continue on.

    I cannot recommend this game highly enough and hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.    … Expand
  81. DrunkenBlackGuy
    Oct 12, 2013
    9
    Anybody who rates this game less than a 8 is a got darn idiot.. Ive never been a fan of point and clicks but this has to be the most amazing story-driven point and click ive ever played. Not only that it is one of the best gaming experiences ive ever had. i bought this on steam on sale at a super discounted price and the dlc episode...My drow dropped at some of the things that happend in this game. Damn near cried after episode 5... you get attached sooo much to the characters. I am a real gamer and not a dev check me out on steam and you will see...this game is simply amazing and would give season one of the show a run for its money. i will buy the walking dead season 2 at full price...and i dont say that about ANY games...because im cheap as hell. Point blank buy this masterpiece. IT won GOTY for a reason.… Expand
  82. phantomglitch
    Sep 26, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Telltale’s The Walking Dead is an episodic graphic adventure game based on the original graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman. It tells the story of Lee Everett; a convicted murderer, who during the course of the zombie apocalypse comes across a young girl; Clementine, and vows to take care of her. Perhaps one of the most unique elements of the game is that in many ways game play is secondary, it’s more used as a medium to tell the story which is based around your characters choices. These choices change the way the story plays out and are carried over from episode to episode.

    The choices are probably the most important part of the game and it’s where a lot of the fun comes from, you’re constantly placed in moral dilemmas that never seem to have a right or a wrong answer. Try to do the right thing and it can seriously backfire, do the wrong thing and it may come back to haunt you episodes later. One of the first major choices in the game takes place during Episode 1; Walkers break into your hide out and grab two of your people, you can only save one. This choice; Doug or Carley, can completely change the way things happen within the next few episodes. It only gets harder from there, someone in your group has just murdered another in cold blood, do you leave them behind or take them with you? A car lies abandoned by the side of the road, do you take the food or leave it?

    Another big impact of your choices is the way it affects other characters disposition towards you, and chances are at some point you’re going to need their help, how you’ve acted towards them in the past decides how they act in the future. The plot seems to have more twists than M. Night Shyamalan can shake a stick at, never take anything for granted while playing, seriously, it saves a lot of tears. Joking aside the plot twists are done very well, many you never see coming and they integrate very well into the overall story. Throughout all of the story your main focus is on Clementine; an eight year old girl who has to be the best child video game character ever written. She’s intelligent and witty, she gets scared and puts on a brave face, she’s your average eight year old. You really discover how much you come to care for her as you play the game, your choices are affected as you find you’ll do anything to protect this one little girl. At the end of the day she seems like the only character you can trust in the game.

    The gameplay itself is rather simple, built using the lua based Telltale tool it allows the game to be ported to many different platforms such as the PS3, PSVita, iOS, Ouya, Mac, Xbox 360 and PC. As I said before the gameplay really tends to come secondary to the story, unlike most adventure games there’s a lack of puzzles, which although it may disappoint some gamers I personally find it a refreshing take on the genre. The game operates mainly using a simple point and click interface that is obviously designed for console use, although slightly more taxing to use on a PC there’s not much difference. The simple UI is clear and informative without being too spartan or verbose. At certain points quick time events appear, usually requiring the rapid pressing of the Q key or to use the mouse in some fashion. All in all it makes for a simple, yet effective gameplay system.

    Despite all this the game isn’t perfect, it suffers some frame rate issues and graphical bugs. Characters sometimes can seem to move a bit oddly, while not too jarring they can occasionally be an annoyance. Like any game with dialogue trees statements can sometimes seem out of place in the mood of the character, although on the whole the voice acting is excellent and it’s not too noticeable. There are also some reports of some infrequent save game issues although personally I haven’t experienced any.

    The game also has a DLC pack; 400 Days available for download. 400 Days is not a part of the main story, rather it’s a special episode following five different people through the apocalypse as their paths are interwoven with each other, again it’s a very well written, well voice acted episode and while not required to enjoy the rest of the game it’s a nice fix for those of you who have completed the main game and are tired of waiting for Season 2.

    All in all Telltale’s The Walking Dead is an excellent video game, one of the few licensed video games that actually got it right for once. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of the TV and graphic novels, also to anyone who’s a fan of zombie fiction and post apocalyptic horror. in fact I recommend it to pretty much everyone. A very well executed game, and what’s more there’s a second season on the way pretty soon. I give it a 9 out of 10    … Expand
  83. SunSparc
    Jan 1, 2014
    9
    Absolutely wonderfully done game. Not your typical game where you will sit and strategize, but it definitely puts the user into the story. The story is extremely gripping and I found myself with my jaw dropped due to plot twists and just plain old shocking moments Walking Dead style. You really don't know what will happen next.
  84. Ne0plex
    Nov 29, 2013
    9
    Some people may say that this game is too slow, and it may not be for those people, but seriously, when I got into this game, which sometimes takes a couple of chapters it is one of the deepest and most emotional games that I have ever played. BUY BUY BUY!
  85. Newton
    Jan 7, 2014
    9
    I really enjoyed this game. I agree that some of the choices are made for you and some caracters will die whatever you do, but it's to be expected to be able to tell a story. Overall caracters have a sense and a meaning to their being there and to story keeps you going with a good sense of tension. Just be aware that this is more of a point and click adventure than an action title, so if you expect Left4Dead with a story, you will not like this game.… Expand
  86. G_Mackzy
    Nov 24, 2012
    8
    The entirety of the Walking Dead ep. 1-5 (I'll review the entirety of the series) lacks somewhat as a video game in that the game play is rather annoying with simplistic puzzle solving but as a storytelling experience it is outstanding. The story is awesome to put it plainly with a diverse range of great characters. Throughout the game your disposition towards each of them will swing profoundly and this along with your own morality will affect the decisions you make. Some decisions change the game and story dramatically but even if they don't it is satisfying to see even the most minute dialogue choice acknowledged in actions later in the game. Ultimately though this game made me care about the story and its characters, something that only a small minority of games have done and it remains the only one to have actually made me cry upon its conclusion.

    The gameplay itself has its drawback but the game itself is a work of art even if it is slightly flawed. Think of it as the Mona Lisa painted with crayons.    … Collapse
  87. null
    Nov 26, 2012
    8
    I'm not a big fan of the TV series that goes with by the same name and I've never seen any of the comic books where this game roots from. Neither did I value the Telltale Monkey Island spin offs much. Based on several high ratings on Metacritic I gave it a go and was quite surprised. The characters evolve beautiful and crawl under your skin. This is for me one of the best story setting environments I've experienced in 30 years of gaming. Don't expect some l33t ninja button bashing or sleepless mind puzzle solving requirements from this game. This is a numbed down adventure game on rails -- but a very good one.… Expand
  88. Koo
    Jun 3, 2012
    8
    Overall a great game. The story is involving, and the characters are interesting. The only thing I don't like about TWD game is the point-and-click interface. It would be fine, except that the area you have to click is completely random, and inconsistent from one object to the next. I got stuck at one point and resorted to a walkthrough because of this area issue. The walkthrough told me I should have clicked an object that I DID click... just not the tiny area that is enabled for mouse over context selection. :( If it wasn't for this extremely annoying shortcoming, I could rate this game 10/10. Until Telltale Games fixes this in a patch, however, this game rates 8/10 for me.… Expand
  89. Blitztm
    May 1, 2012
    8
    To all those people who gave it a poor rating, remember it's a game! You are playing a character with a background, not you. By making it as open as possible, you run into issues not only in storyline, but also character development. Besides, WE ALL HAVE SOME KIND OF ZOMBIE SENSE! This world, they don't know about zombies. Onto the actual review. It is a decent game if you enjoy the TV show and comic book series. 5 bucks for an "episode" that takes about 2 hours to complete is not a bad deal. The game does a fairly decent job on following the story style that The Walking Dead creators intended. The idea is for you to play as morally correct as possible. That means you can't do a Mass Effect or Fable type play of going "evil" because that is not the point of the storyline. Would you be the "evil" person in a zombie apocalypse? The game mechanics are definitely the limiting factor in the game. It was designed for the Xbox, and they did a port to PC. It's a bummer they did that, but these types of games are by far more popular on consoles than PCs. The controls suffer on the PC, and from gameplay footage from the console does seem to be that reaction type is slower than PC, but that is a moot point in the grand scheme of the game. A good thing about the game is the replay value. There were points of the game where I wanted to do a "quick save" and switch my choice to see if I made a better decision, but with no feature like that in the game, it makes it a lot more fun and interesting.One cool aspect is after the episode, it gives you stats on what other players did in their campaigns and shows you how you fared with them. Lastly, as a piece advice to "hardcore gamers": this game is not intended to be played like an arcade game that CoD has burned into your brains. Video games are art, and EA/Activision have turned into reusing the same vomit every year. This game has a very good artistic view, and it flows well into the game's universe. I gave it an 8/10 due to the console to PC port flaws.… Expand
  90. vahn
    Nov 25, 2012
    8
    I will write this review based on all 5 episodes, mostly because it would be useless to write the same thing 5 times in a row and, most importantly, this is the pilot episode and so it's best to start here and tell if the game is worth or not. Also, I'm not a fan of the tv series so I have no idea if it follows the series or not, so I'm playing from the unknown. In any case, this game it's a great story with well developed characters and a very good setting. The game is a sort of point and click game and it's highly based on quicktime events and quick answers: the game will register your choices and they'll be shown later with different results and different characters. As an adventure game is actually kinda mediocre because they are very few and not that hard: just need a bit of searching. Also, you're not always controlling the character and you'll mostly do the talking and choices more than anything else. There are also parts where you shoot and have to aim with your weapons but it's nothing special: it's more about reflexes than anything. With this out of the way, I do have "one" big complain: the choices. The game as I said will give you choices in what to do, who to save, what actions to make etc, and some of them will eventually change the adventure (the game itself says "the story is tailored by how you play"). However, these choices aren't extreme: you'll just change some minor parts and relations with other characters, which is nice, but the story will be the exact same each time and that alone is kind of small mainly because this would be actually a great game if the choices you made would change the story as well, even in a worse way! This game somehow resembles Heavy Rain, with the difference that ,in there, your choices actually HAVE consequences and actually DO change the story, while in here is only a glimpse. and kinda disappointing. But it's still a great adventure game nevertheless and I really enjoyed playing it to the end (again, this review is made after all 5 episodes are out, and my complaints are the same for all 5 episodes). Maybe it's a bit short (each episode last about 2-3 hours, depending on how fast you're are) but it's kinda replayable if you want to try differently some choices and stuff; it's not costy also (about 25 euros/dollars. I bought on discount though) so it's definitely worth a looking if you're thirsty of adventure games with good stories and good characters: you will have a good time, no matter the flaws.… Expand
  91. gmboy902
    Dec 12, 2012
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the series is that it neither falls to the stereotype of zombie games (other than, of course, being a zombie game) nor reduces itself to the sheer point-and-click horror of many adventure games. It is worth mentioning that it could tailor itself a bit better to your choices, as many of the choices you decide to make end up resolving themselves to one plotline a little while down the road, but as far as immediate effects go you certainly can see some measure of fluctuation based on your decisions.

    The gameplay is alright, and good as far as adventure games go, although you'll want to buy this game for the story. It's one of the few games you play a black guy in, so I find it a little iffy that the whole series begins with you in the back of a cop car, but I managed to ignore that. You're in this situation because you murdered someone - who or why you never quite find out - which is a characteristic that has some importance later on, but eventually you realize that murderers in a zombie apocalypse aren't that unique. You adopt, as far as that term can be defined given the circumstances, an abandoned young girl whose baby sitter had a bad case of the brain munchies and soon begin to become her father figure, with her real parents on a trip in Savannah. So you can pretty much predict the main conclusion themes of the story from there, but the ride over the next four episodes is still full of twists and turns that will keep you scrolling from the credits of one episode (they're laid out much like a TV miniseries) to the beginning of the next.

    Zombie stories typically fall into one of three categories. The first is "none at all", where the story exists solely to convey limitless bloodshed, the second is hopelessly absurd, in which some massive cure-bomb reverts the entire planet, and the third is hopelessly nihilistic, which is what this game tends to fall under. Each great boon and potential end to your group's woes ends up being a death trap or a pipe dream, and as the hope fades, tensions grow, and from those tensions often come the most difficult choices. You'll face decisions from killing your friends to dismembering strangers (or yourself), and each of these has some notable consequences. You'll see how respectable society can literally eat itself alive when faced with death. You'll see some people who, upon losing everything, break and destroy everything, or some who attempt to make up for their past wrongs.

    I won't say that the game is without its flaws. The voice-acting is sometimes a bit cheesy. The animations are sometimes choppy and there's a nasty issue with shadows that can cause framerate havoc on the most formidable of rigs. The gameplay is creative, if sometimes a bit drawn out. But in comparison, if I can say anything about The Walking Dead, its that it differentiates itself from the norm. It may not be the most fun zombie game I've played, but it certainly is one of the only ones that tells a good story and for that it was well worth the price of a Steam sale.    … Expand
  92. Dariune
    Nov 26, 2012
    8
    The walking dead is an interactive story with mild puzzle elements to it. The story starts excellently with you quickly growing attached to the characters and with a real feeling of influence over the games direction. While playing this game you have to wonder how much money was spent to diversify the storyline. You find out in the latter episodes that actually none, none at all. The choices are little more than an illusion. But as stories go this one is better than 90% of other games hence the high score. The latter episodes, however, i am marking down for a myriad of dissapointments.… Expand
  93. Necrotaur
    Jul 10, 2012
    8
    I took a bit of a chance buying The Walking Dead, as I'm only vaguely familiar with the comic and was turned off to the TV series once it became Dawson's Creek with the occasional zombie cameo. Fortunately I wasn't let down, as the story is top notch. The Walking Dead isn't an RPG, FPS or really any other modern, gaming related acronym. You don't 'fight' zombies so much as you figure out ways to get around them and progress. I would describe it as an interactive, survival-themed story, with elements of item-scrounging and puzzle solving from earlier adventure games. You make choices throughout that can have outcomes further down the line. It's true that the choices that revolve around characters are simple A vs. B, but there are other things that pop up which add quite a bit of depth to conversations, like how open you want to be about your past. The episodic content, while probably not the best delivery method for a video game, leaves you wanting more. Each episode is about 2 hours long. Bottom line, if you like zombie games but are bored of the shooters flooding the market, give this one a try.… Expand
  94. gvazdas
    May 6, 2012
    8
    I haven't really enjoyed Telltale games much since Point and Click games aren't my thing.
    A friend gifted me the Walking Dead on steam for me and told me to try it out. I had nothing better to do, so I went ahead and did so.
    It was worth it.
    The voice acting is amazing, the storyline touches me unlike any other story in a video game I've ever read (seriously, one or two parts of this     episode I went close to depression).
    The controls are a bit clunky and the point-and-click mechanic takes some time to get used to, but it's no problem.
    The characters are likable and seem to change by how you interact with them.
    I've had some encounters with low textured objects though, but it seems like the graphics style is meant to make it look like that.
    I just seriously hope the next episodes are a bit longer.    … Expand
  95. darman
    May 15, 2012
    8
    Very good game. I'm not a big fan of the graphics but they are ok. the characters are interesting. The developers didn't just develop a classic point and click adventure but something more modern. Dialogues are solid as is voice acting. It's sometimes frustrating to notice that some choices don't really matter but those that do are rewarding. I can't wait for the second episode
  96. SittinginBasket
    Jan 27, 2013
    8
    This was a good start to the "The Walking Dead" game series. I felt I should review Episode1/2 after giving Episode 3/4/5 awful ratings. The story starts off quite well, and builds tension and forges the mood quite well. The introduction of characters is well done, and sufficient depth in characters ia also created. Although not enough time was put into certain characters to make it so that the player actually cares about them, certain effects still have some impact. The graphics style is also fairly unique, and similar to something like the Borderlands games, and to previous TellTale games.

    Gameplay is fairly unique, and is nice style of "point-and-click", although the controls seem fairly sloppy and non-responsive at times. This episode was a good introduction to an average series.

    It is quite disappointing that the later episodes completely drop the ball and were rushed, unpolished, and terribly disappointing, annoying mess.    … Expand
  97. Mal81
    Apr 27, 2012
    8
    I am seriously sick of the way people review things on this site. For those of you who, if you didn't like something go straight to a zero, or even the people who go straight to a 10 for that matter. Seriously think about it, a zero would indicate that in all your years of playing games / watching tv and movies / listening to music, etc, whatever you are rating was the WORST thing you have ever seen or heard. In the same breath, a 10 is the best thing you have ever seen, nearing perfection. It's not rocket science people.

    That short rant aside, the game was a very well done, albeit it short romp ( I know it's episodic ) into the Walking Dead universe, but the tone was very much intact. I personally have read the whole series to date as well as watched the well done show, and the tone of the series feels very fitting in this medium. I see people who would have liked to see a Resident Evil or Left 4 Dead style zombie game, but The Walking Dead isn't even centered on zombies as much as the character development of people in an apocalyptic environment. It has some excellent zombie killing action, but the message of the series has always been that the zombies are not the real danger, it's your fellow survivors.

    Putting the game into a story driven, conversation style with some key choices and light puzzle work allows the player to have a bit of control to what is essentially a choose you own adventure story. Some timed mechanics make you feel a bit of the character's urgency in key moments, and the promise of a branching story dependent on choices you made throughout is what you're signing up for.

    If you want a zombie shoot em up, they've been done, this is for the story, and does it well.    … Expand
  98. Xenugears
    May 4, 2012
    8
    I'm just glad they didn't try to make this into an first person shooter. As a modern point and click adventure it hits all the right notes. This series is really going to help me get through the annual summer video game drought.
  99. sacredcowkiller
    May 12, 2012
    8
    This game is great. I wasn't expecting much considering how most games based off of a movie, tv show, comic, etc turn out to be, but this game certainly exceeded my expectations. The story so far is engaging and I like the characters as well. The art style is nice too. The only problems with the game are that the animations especially during conversation are weird and the controls are a bit stiff, but it's nothing that breaks the game. I would recommend playing this game on a console however, the controls were obviously made for them.… Expand
  100. theoffice
    Apr 29, 2012
    8
    If you're a fan of the TV show or comic books you'll like this game. It's a "point and click" game but works because its different than all the other "run and gun" zombie shooters and "The Walking Dead" is all about story anyway. I would have like a little bit more options in how to progress through the game but I understand it's limited based on the context, voice acting, and type of game it is. For example, if I wanted I would like the choice of not getting a guy's meds instead of essentially being forced to get them. Otherwise game is awesome. Episode 1 took me about 2-2.5 hours but that's fair seeing as how the game is less than $5. I hope future episodes are 20-30 minutes longer. But if the total thing with all 5 episodes is 10-12 hours then I say it's well worth the $25. Just compare it to crap single player like COD with a 5-6 hr campaign for $60.… Expand
  101. G_Mackzy
    Nov 24, 2012
    0
    The entirety of the Walking Dead ep. 1-5 (I'll review the entirety of the series) lacks somewhat as a video game in that the game play is rather annoying with simplistic puzzle solving but as a storytelling experience it is outstanding. The story is awesome to put it plainly with a diverse range of great characters. Throughout the game your disposition towards each of them will swing profoundly and this along with your own morality will affect the decisions you make. Some decisions change the game and story dramatically but even if they don't it is satisfying to see even the most minute dialogue choice acknowledged in actions later in the game. Ultimately though this game made me care about the story and its characters, something that only a small minority of games have done and it remains the only one to have actually made me cry upon its conclusion.

    The gameplay itself has its drawback but the game itself is a work of art even if it is slightly flawed. Think of it as the Mona Lisa painted with crayons.    … Collapse
prev
Page:

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Jul 8, 2012
    80
    Great both standalone and as a gateway to a larger series. Let's hope it all pans out. [July 2012, p.76]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Jul 3, 2012
    80
    A slow-burn character study, some quick thinking and a constant air of menace make for a gripping start to a new adventure. [July 2012, p.68]
    Read full review
  3. Absolute Games
    Jun 28, 2012
    72
    Rich atmosphere compensates for poor gameplay mechanics of The Walking Dead.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »