The Walking Dead review

Games based on films and television prgrammes rarely impress us but The Walking Dead is an exception.

It is based on the graphic novel of the same name, which has also been adapted for TV, and depicts a world at the festering hands of a zombie outbreak. The game’s plot and characters run parallel to the events of the original story. Unlike the majority of zombie games on the market, however, The Walking Dead is not just a shooting gallery.

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Instead, it is more like a Monkey Island-type point-and-click adventure but with moments of added real-time action.

The distinctive look openly apes the style of the graphic novel. Confusingly, the viewpoint switches between third and first person, while the mouse and keyboard control system takes getting used to.

However, this only adds to the panicky atmosphere that pervades the game. When you respond to dialogue, for example, there is a timer that forces you to select a response quickly. You can’t ponder and you can’t reload your previously saved game if you want to select an alternative option. The choices you make have serious repercussions later in the story.

The Walking Dead does not require a massively powerful PC (the full system requirements are fairly modest) but it is worth noting the game is only available as a direct download, so broadband is needed. The game is also being released episodically. The £21 price buys you a ‘season pass’ that allows you to download each of the five episodes as they are available; one and two are ready to play.

If you are a zombie fan, The Walking Dead is well worth checking out - as long as you are happy with strong language and lashings of gore.