Blog: Does Walking Dead really tailor itself to your actions?

[JackSchirmer]

"Some may prefer to call what the Walking Dead does with its plot “cheating”, but in fact all art involves the creation of something out of nothing. And thus all art is – from this perspective – illusion. The trick is in constructing your meaningful story so that the audience can’t see the strings. Or – even better – so that its impact is emotionally powerful enough that they stop caring that there are strings. The Walking Dead is a great game (and in my view a great work of art) because by the time you see the strings, it has you by the throat"

We saw the strings no later than midway throught the first episode, so in this sense TWD game failed, and failed miserably.

Worst of all, the ending was a hopeless bungle. Lee's great sacrifice is no sacrifice at all. First, it's unimaginable that Clem, if she even survives the city (and recall that we forgot to, you know, actually tell her how to find Omid and Christa--oops!), won't be forever haunted by the image of zombie Lee chained to a radiator in a windowless room for all eternity. The big deal he makes, that she shouldn't shoot him, is horribly, horribly misguided. Putting down someone before they turn is extremely cathartic. It was a point of honor and pride and closure for Carl to put down Lori in the tv series. In the game it completely spoils the whole ending. Clem doesn't get that closure.

Second, are you kidding me? We're left with no cutscene, no reunion with Omid and Christa where we see Clem finally escape? It's clear that TTG badly rushed the entire episode, but this was the worst sort of failure. It played exactly as though the developer simply hit the wall of a deadline and had to quit without finishing. Talk about the strings showing.

Very, very disappointing.

[JackSchirmer]

Tailor made does NOT mean changing things wildly, never did, never will. If you have a shirt tailor-made for you, it means the sleeves are shorter or longer to match you. It doesn't have a 3rd sleeve for you. Same for this game, it's tailor-made for you, characters will think differently about you based on your actions, it WON'T change the story for you.

How hard is it for people to figure this out?

Yes, because who can forget the genuine excitement of tiny captions popping up in the corner that say things like "Christa will remember you said that"!

Even though, you know, it won't change her behavior in the slightest, and even though we'll never know WHAT she thinks of your behavior. It's so satisfying to grasp that she's thinking about it.

Idiot.

[CarScar]

^^^ Quadruple post? I've heard of double posts but quadruple? Geeze.

We get it, you wanted your choices to be super meaningful blah blah blah. While you bitch about how your choices didn't effect the game I'll be enjoying this game because it has a great plot and great characters.

Cheers.

[Freder58]

For my part, having just watched "Hannah Plays" on Youtube, I'm doubly glad now that I let Ben live... because Kenny dies an even STUPIDER death in the other version saving Krista than he did in the version I played!!

But my choices won't carry over into season two, not that I can see how they possibly could anyhow, with absolutely everyone except Clem being Stone Dead. The game was taking up way too much real estate on my iPad so I deleted episodes 2-5. :-(

[Mornai]

Originally Posted by JackSchirmer

Yes, because who can forget the genuine excitement of tiny captions popping up in the corner that say things like "Christa will remember you said that"!

Even though, you know, it won't change her behavior in the slightest, and even though we'll never know WHAT she thinks of your behavior. It's so satisfying to grasp that she's thinking about it.

Idiot.

I don't really care about the choices not having much impact, i get a few different lines for every dialogue option i pick, that's good enough for me. The story far outweighs any other problems in my mind.

As for it being weak, that is based on opinion only. You may think it's an "interactive comic" while others will think it's a revolutionary new era in storytelling. You can debate for hours, but in the end it's just your opinion and you can never claim it as fact, on either side.

There comes a line between constructive criticism and becoming dedicated to hating the game, and i fear you're crossing that line a bit too much.

[JakeSt123]

Originally Posted by Gman5852

That just made me realize there is a scene out there of Ben chopping Lee's arm off...

I know what my new goal is for when I replay...

The wiki says 'Ben is the only member of the group being unable to cut Lee's arm on his own (if the player decided to go with him only), having Lee to do it instead. Ben will pass out at the beginning of the procedure. '

[thestalkinghead]

i think the biggest problem with this whole "tailored" game thing is that we as gamers are so used to conversations and characters opinions of you not really being the part of the game that meant anything (because usually they don't) that we didn't expect those parts to be the most important part of the game.

when i look at the game now, i can see that the "game" was the conversation choices (not the precision and speed of your head shots) so if the game is the conversations and there are multiple choices in each conversation and these choices can lead to different conversations later, then i can only come to the conclusion that the game is tailored by how you play.

but i think TWD game is pretty unique and breaks a lot of conventions that we are used to, i mean who would have thought that a choice in dialogue would be as important as the choice between fire or ice powers or choosing a technology tree to specialise in but in TWD they are and that is hard to get used to.

[Galdis]

This game series adapts to the choices you make. The story is tailored by how you play.

What a load of bologna. Thanks for giving gamers another reason not to trust anything that developers or publishers say.

[QuarterPounderVlad]

A thread like this was made before.

[Gman5852]

Several hundred times. All of which go around in circles. People point out that the game did adapt, it just didn't change major details, it never was meant to change the story in a major way, and then the other side ignroes all that and goes "BUT CARLEY STILL DIED! BUT LEE STILL DIED!" and it goes on forever and ever...

[FAVREFAN]

A point and click comic book novel won a Game Award.

The saving grace of the game was it's impeccable storyline, and it's advertising tactics. I can bitch and moan about how bad the graphics are, but that speaks for itself. Instead I'll go over the "Game is tailored to how you play" layout that The Walking Dead promoted.

Exactly what can you change? In the end, Lee dies, Ben dies, Kenny dies, Lily dies, Katjaa dies, Duck gets bit, Duck dies, etc. etc. etc.

I enjoyed The Walking Dead, but it frustrated me because the in-game decisions held no real weight. In episode 4, when the characters made the descision to go with you to find Vernon or not seemed like it was going to finally going to show the way you treated the characters, when in actuality, you go right back to the rest of the crew, regardless.

Awful choice for GOTY. A game with and 8/10 story, 3/10 graphics, and using a point and click system on a console is an abomination to contend. I enjoyed it, but in no way does it win over Halo4(which was also a dissapointment), or Far Cry 3.

Look at the previous GOTY awards in the past 5 years. What do you see?

Red Dead Redemption, GTA 4, Skyrim, Bioshock, Oblivion. Is TWD really on par with these games? Really? Really. SMH

[darham175]

Sorry the comic book style graphics in a game based on a series of comics weren't too your liking and I'm also sorry a point and click adventure game was too point and click for you. Maybe you should just stop playing Telltale games since you apparently can't handle your RDA of Awesome and go play the Land of the Dead Xbox game.

[dubesor]

it won due to outstanding storytelling, voiceacting and characters.
If you are the average Call of Duty FPS bam bam player sure you won't like it. Graphics? They are fine. Not exceptional but the style works very well. Decisions I agree they could be more profound but everything else in your post is nonsense.

[CTCCoco]

Sorry sir, but you are retarded. Nothing more to say.

[FAVREFAN]

We live in a gaming era where game developers can create photo-realistic graphics in games. It wasn't a matter of "artistic" value that the game was done in a comic like fashion. It was done because the TellTale games crew don't have the talent and manpower to create them. And with the limited range of view and lack of y-axis in general, it should have been easy for any other game developer.

The game has too many plot holes to cover, and the campaign can last the average gamer around 10 hours, if that.

I also don't want to argue AGAIN about the story, but between it's plot holes and lack of weight in choices that it doesn't deserve the award. Does this game really match up with Adventure caliber of Skyrim? Or the story-telling genius of the Assassin's Creed series? Both of which required much, much more work, people, time to make.

[IBRHEEM_Q4]

Originally Posted by FAVREFAN

A point and click comic book novel won a Game Award.

Exactly what can you change? In the end, Lee dies, Ben dies, Kenny dies, Lily dies, Katjaa dies, Duck gets bit, Duck dies, etc. etc. etc.

.

one thing
you play as lee as human not superman so people get killed

like or not just accept what happen you can't control everything happen this's TWD

and lilly she did't die
btw TWD deserve GOTY
sorry for bad English

[Irishmile]

Um... it won because.. real people wanted it to win... plain and simple...
It may be a one off.. and a game like it may never win again.. but right now.. THIS is what gamers felt they wanted in a game of the year... I have not always liked every game of the year..

I personally like that it won.. it shows the industry that adventure games are not a dead genre, and you do not have to have a massive budget to make worthwhile games... and they do not have to cost the consumer $60 to buy.

I do not think this will change the game industry.. but it MIGHT change the way the industry looks at adventure games and its fans.

[Cyreen]

Originally Posted by FAVREFAN

We live in a gaming era where game developers can create photo-realistic graphics in games... Does this game really match up with Adventure caliber of Skyrim? Or the story-telling genius of the Assassin's Creed series? Both of which required much, much more work, people, time to make.

You are entitled to your opinion, however you can't possibly be expecting anyone here to really support it, which essentially makes you a troll. Happy gaming... elsewhere.

[FAVREFAN]

Originally Posted by Cyreen

You are entitled to your opinion, however you can't possibly be expecting anyone here to really support it, which essentially makes you a troll. Happy gaming... elsewhere.

If you honestly cannot support that Skyrim had a superior Adventure experience and a better storyline than Assassin's Creed, I rest my case.

Also, your definition of a troll is slightly skewed.

[owner070]

Originally Posted by FAVREFAN

A point and click comic book novel won a Game Award.

The saving grace of the game was it's impeccable storyline, and it's advertising tactics. I can bitch and moan about how bad the graphics are, but that speaks for itself. Instead I'll go over the "Game is tailored to how you play" layout that The Walking Dead promoted.

Exactly what can you change? In the end, Lee dies, Ben dies, Kenny dies, Lily dies, Katjaa dies, Duck gets bit, Duck dies, etc. etc. etc.

I enjoyed The Walking Dead, but it frustrated me because the in-game decisions held no real weight. In episode 4, when the characters made the descision to go with you to find Vernon or not seemed like it was going to finally going to show the way you treated the characters, when in actuality, you go right back to the rest of the crew, regardless.

Awful choice for GOTY. A game with and 8/10 story, 3/10 graphics, and using a point and click system on a console is an abomination to contend. I enjoyed it, but in no way does it win over Halo4(which was also a dissapointment), or Far Cry 3.

My friend make some changes in your life. Dont rate a game because of the story or the graphics.I've played Modern Warfare 1,2,3 Black ops 1,2 battlefield and A LOT of other games. But they still cant match against Mario that i've played on the n64. The real Question is which game did you enjoyed the most? not which game has the best graphics or story line.

Have bad English