So let's discuss how Tell Tale's Walking Dead Revolutionized in the gaming medium

[DatDude]

1. A Black main character being a professor without making a fuss about it
2. A respectable and sensible child character
3. A complex and nuanced redneck
4. Strong, independent female characters
5. Mature themes treated in a mature way (ducks death, the starving child in the attic)
6. Characters with multiple layers (like an onion) to there character persona
7. A very dark and grim story but told in a respectful way (rather than BANG BANG, GRENADE!! HEAD SHOTXXX,)

Tell Tale walking dead has moved the marker quite a bit in my opinion for narratives in games..I hope this trend continues with Season 2.

[Basser]

I hadn't quite thought about it that way, it is a very special story indeed .

Speaking of stereotypes, I remember just how pissed off I got when I saw Sazh's (Final Fantasy XIII) character concept art. He just had to be black, have a massive afro, be there practically just for comic relief, and be as non-interesting as possible. Somehow, he still was the most believable character of the game LOL. (IMO)

I hope that other studios follow Telltale's example and start coming up with more complex characters and unexpected backgrounds/situations.

[KingOfTheDead]

the game was GOTY because the main charectors black you cant survive a ZA without a black guy

[Abecedario]

I just wish other companies started making more games like this, such a nice way to tell a story, way better than a movie.

[Ctn04132]

Originally Posted by KingOfTheDead

the game was GOTY because the main charectors black you cant survive a ZA without a black guy

Yet the black guy died...lol

[watertommyz]

Finally, a thread I've been waiting for.

Anyway, it's not even all of those little things you mentioned that make it revolutionary. It's more than that; other games have told dark and mature stories but it's the way it was implemented that made it something special. It uses the gameplay and your choices to reiterate the themes of said narrative, and uses it to come to a satisfyingly yet horrifying and emotional resolution that truly drives the message home.

Silent Hill 2 came close, but it was missing that special link between the player and James Sunderland that Telltale was able to make work with Lee and the player, and most of that was due to how they used Clementine and Lee. It didn't do much for gameplay itself, but for interactive storytelling, Telltale has transcended gaming and what kind of stories it is able to tell, which can now rival any classic novel.

If you want to know more about what I think, I created a thread with my thoughts here a little while ago, where I touch upon the aspects I liked and thought were worthy of discussion.

[Phil_TWD]

Originally Posted by Ctn04132

Yet the black guy died...lol

He wasn't careful enough, well, the walker was silent but still he might've survived if he had overlooked, or chopped the arm right away.

[Ygdrasel]

Originally Posted by DatDude

6. Characters with multiple layers (like an onion) to there character persona

What about a cake? Cakes have layers.

Sadly, I doubt this will become a big new thing in gaming. The lowest common denominator is the easiest money in the market.

[watertommyz]

Originally Posted by Ygdrasel

What about a cake? Cakes have layers.

Sadly, I doubt this will become a big new thing in gaming. The lowest common denominator is the easiest money in the market.

While this will probably be the result in the long run, I do think other companies are taking note of how well this game has done.

[ZacTB]

5. Mature themes treated in a mature way (ducks death, the starving child in the attic)

Never really thought about having to shoot Duck or the walker boy that much, just thought they were both sad moments. It's weird since both of those are pretty shocking (especially the starving child, Duck dying just made me feel sad) but the way Telltale portrayed dark themes like having to kill a kid so maturely it didn't make it feel so controversial as it was done really well.

[DatDude]

yes i agree

[Wrighty]

I didn't actually realise how much TT varied from the standard formula. I don't have any other games with non irritating children, let alone dark themes and interesting characters like Kenny/Lilly. Shocking when you think about how many games have proper dialogue choices or even black protagonists.