The Walking Dead: The Video Game – Episode 2 is here and were once again following the lovable OTHER group of Georgia survivors as they are “Starved For Help”. Episode 1 was met with great reception, and Episode 2 does not disappoint. Episode 2 is probably one of the most disturbing games I’ve played in a long time. Lee and the group of survivors have claimed the Motor Inn as their home, but food is in short supply. As Lee and another survivor known as Mark are out hunting, they stumble upon three survivors, one who’s leg is stuck in a bear trap. After some big decision making you are back at the Motor Inn, and are faced with two roaming survivors looking for gasoline in exchange for food. They two men then lead you to their Dairy Farm, and I can’t continue without spoiling so I’ll just stop here.
Decisions from the first episode come back to haunt, or help you. There is also a whole lot of new decisions to make, some which are more dramatic than in the first episode. TellTale still manages to achieve their goal of a dramatic and story driven experience, I found myself yelling at the TV during points of the game.
The gameplay is still the same, but it isn’t focused too much this time around. Episode 2 is more exploration and conversation. Unfortunately, the animations and sounds are still bugged like crazy and can sometimes distract from the experience. It’s good to see the characters develop well, and you really get a sense of everyone’s role as they take a life of their own. The Walking Dead has shown me that if done properly, episodic content can succeed.
“Starved for Help” was disturbing, and wonderful. The drama and story kept me glued, and when it came to decision time it was about as hard as choosing between buying a new game and eating for the rest of the week. The characters really have a chance to develop, some more so than others. Episode 2 proves that episodic content can work, if done correctly. Unfortunately there are a few visual and audio hiccups that get in the way, but Starved for Help is as good as the first.
- Great character development
- Drama and story immerse you
- Very disturbing
- Audio and visual hiccups
Score: 5/5
