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After an in-class demonstration last Tuesday I purchased and played The Walking Dead game for my iPhone. Like several games I have played before, The Walking Dead allows the player to actually be the main character. It brought back memories of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) for Xbox, but The Walking Dead had more while at the same time having less. Compared to KOTOR, the main character in The Walking Dead is less customizable. You do not have character levels or a customizable set of powers or skills. On the other hand, the story itself in The Walking Dead is far more flexible to choices made in the game. I have only finished the first level (due to the cost of the rest of the game, which is another factor entirely) but I can already see how my choices have affected game play. In one part of the game Kenny’s son is almost bitten by one of the walkers but they are saved by another group of survivors. Unfortunately, one of the survivors believes Kenny’s son has been bitten and they need to kill him before he “turns”. At this point in the game you can choose to back Kenny up and protect his son, or you can side with the other survivor. The choice made in that moment has potential to change the entire outcome of the game. The fact that you make choices does not make the game as enjoyable as it is alone. Players have a certain amount of time to make a choice as to how to respond. This helps keep the game fast paced and exciting an makes the player feel as though they are actually in the situation and are making the choices themselves instead of just having Lee make the choice. The Walking Dead does a very good job of keeping players engaged by creating a sense of realism in the creation of different options and the timing of the game.
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