The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 has finally arrived, and fans of the series find themselves in control of a familiar protagonist in the new game. Clementine is a playable character for the first time in the new episode, named All That Remains, and the story picks up two years after the events that transpired in the first season of the game. The new release features plenty of gut-wrenching moments as our new protagonist learns to face the harsh realities of surviving the zombie apocalypse without the guidance of anyone she can really trust, and the game presents players with plenty of grotesque moments of horror throughout the duration of the game as well. Ultimately, it seems the decisions players made during the first season of The Walking Dead game and its bonus DLC 400 Days matter much for the game's storyline and gameplay moving forward, and that's a real bummer, but All That Remains is still plenty enjoyable in its own right and is a release that should be downloaded immediately for fans of the highly popular series.
The storyline for The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 picks up a couple of years after the events of the first season. Clementine is now older and now better at fighting and surviving the dangerous world, but it soon becomes all but apparent that the young girl is still having trouble coping with the loss of her loved ones and surviving alone in the world in general. The young girl soon meets up with plenty of dangers to excite players and new relationships that will keep players second guessing their decisions. The story of All that Remains unfolds in the same way players have come accustomed to with four different ways to respond to most situations and other characters remembering the actions of Clementine further down the road. All that Remains continues a rich storyline and gives players plenty of new treats to set up the next chapter in the series.
If you have yet to play an episode of The Walking Dead video game, you're missing out on one of the best storylines video games has had to offer during this console generation of gaming, but it's not necessary to play the other releases in the series to enjoy the new release. Some touching moments happen throughout the new storyline that players may not truly appreciate without knowing the story behind the action, but All that Remains takes Clementine to a new location with new characters and a completely different way to survive. In this way, the second season of The Walking Dead feels dramatically different from the original, because Clementine is obviously much more vulnerable to attacks by enemies, undead and the living alike, so there is always a greater sense of tension while attempting to survive zombie wastelands as a young girl.
Clementine makes a strong protagonist, and whether it was Telltale Games' plan to eventually make her the lead character of the series from the start of the series development, it becomes clear that this was the correct path for the development team to take with The Walking Dead: Season 2. Clementine was already a great character during the first season as one that gave the game plenty of humor and charm with her childlike innocence as well as giving the game some of its saddest moments for players realizing all the young girl has had to endure during her short lifetime. Some of Clementine's innocence has been lost after the dramatic events of the first season, and the character has been forced to grow stronger as a result. The character development is done well in the new release, but there are still a range of emotions available for players to experience in the game while continuing a superb storyline.
Gameplay in All that Remains is hasn't changed much since the first season. Enemy encounters typically involve smashing on an action button to struggle against a foe with an attack or break free of their grasp or quickly aiming at key areas to land critical attacks on enemies with the mash of a button. Battles aren't very intuitive in the game, but players must still react quickly to the onscreen commands quickly or become zombie bait. This allows players that only enjoy games as a casual experience to still be able to enjoy the game while not completely alienating the hardcore crowd of gamers that are accustomed to much more complex scenarios. It's these mechanics that helped to make The Walking Dead 2012's Game of the Year, and it works just as good in the new release.
Puzzles in All that Remains are unique for the series, but they're still not too complex. Players will need to search the environment to find items that are needed to progress through the storyline, and it's not possible to mess up what needs to be done. It feels as though Telltale Games could have changed up the out of combat puzzles to make players think their way through different scenarios with more complex puzzle pieces than in previous releases, but why change what has worked so successfully for the company thus far? Players won't have a difficult time making their way through the game, but the new release still emphasizes multiple playthroughs to see how different choices affect the outcome of the in-game dialogue and actions.
The Walking Dead: Season 2 still remains a great looking game that matches the amazing artwork featured in The Walking Dead comic book series with a colorful palatte that helps bring the world and its characters to life. Clementine is noticeably larger and older in the new release, but the game's environments seem to have changed as well. The world is more bleak than ever before with a few years having passed since the initial zombie outbreak in the world of The Walking Dead game series. Civilization has been long forgotten in the new wasteland, and zombies are more plentiful than ever before. Survival has become far more difficult, and any preparation Clementine could have been taught during the first season wouldn't have been enough for her future. The color design seems to be darker than before, and the world is also more drab. This helps create a deeper sense of dread that fans of the series will enjoy in the dark storyline they love so much.
Of course, The Walking Dead: Season 2, like its predecessor, isn't without its problems. Though the game looks great in still screenshots of the game, frame drops and general lag is still a problem that plagues the new release. The lag rarely causes problems while making dialogue choices or fighting off enemies in combat, so it's not a deal breaker for the series fortunately. It does detract from the storyline however while waiting several seconds for the dialogue to continue or while waiting to see what will happen next when the frame drops happen between scenes. Camera angles can also be a problem at times and may not always present the best view of the action during the action packed sequences of the campaign. The game series has always had these problems, so All that Remains is still plenty enjoyable, but it's disappointing to see that Telltale Games wasn't able to fix what was an obvious problem with their previous releases.
Many players will be excited for the release of The Walking Dead: Season 2 to see how the choices they made in the previous season and in 400 Days has affected what happens to Clementine in All that Remains. Unfortunately, it seems that what has happened in the first season doesn't really affect the new storyline, and the events of 400 Days matters only a bit more. The new game was advertised as helping to continue what has happened in all of the prior releases, especially in 400 Days, but players could just as easily play the new season without having a save file from the other games and notice only a few minor differences to how the new storyline transpires. The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 still features a great narrative on its own though, so it shouldn't be missed by any gamer.
CLOSING COMMENTS
The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 is a must own for fans of the first season of The Walking Dead series, though some gamers may choose to wait for its release on their platform of choice. Clementine makes a great successor to Lee as the game's main protagonist, and the change of main character helps make the series feel fresh and new while still managing to deliver a strong storyline fans of the series will be expecting. The new character also presents players with some new challenges and changes the tone of the game with the change from a strong male adult character to a young girl that has several vulnerabilities in the wild but a strong will to survive against all odds. Check out The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network or Steam today!
The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 is now available for PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade, Steam and iOS and can be purchased for $4.99. The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1 is rated M by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Blood and Gore & Strong Language. For more information on The Walking Dead: Season 2 Episode 1, check out the official The Walking Dead website.
Game Features:
Single Player
New Playable Character
Branching Storyline with Consequential Actions
Measure Decisions Against Other Players Online
Trophy/Achievement Support
Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Telltale Games
Platforms: PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Arcade (reviewed), Steam & iOS
Release Date: December 18, 2013
Score: 8 out of 10
Pros:
Playing as Clementine makes gameplay feel fresh
New challenges
Amazing artwork
Cons:
Excessive frame rate drops
Lag issues
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