The Walking Dead: Episode 3
Game play - 9
Presentation - 10
Story / Creativity - 10
Lifespan - 9
9.5
They say time flies when you’re having fun, and that is certainly the case in Episode 3. Telltale follows its history of giving players roughly 2-3 hours’ worth of gameplay, but it definitely seemed shorter. On the other hand, a lot happened this episode and so you would think it would feel somewhat longer. Either way, it was fun and full of surprises.
The Walking Dead: Episode 3 -Long Road Ahead is, in one word, intense. From having a traitor in our midst, to losing several valued members of our group; life just continues to get worse for Lee and company. The episode is full of elaborate plot twist that will make your jaw drop and leave you speechless. Overall Episode 3 is a great addition to Telltale’s The Walking Dead series, though it’s not without its minor faults.
The pacing of Episode 3 is a bit slow to start, but once it gets going it’s like a freight train. This is a little ironic since what’s left of the group actually comes across and utilizes a freight train in the story. Players might be slightly bored in the beginning, but by the end they will be exhausted having been shocked over and over again.
I should clarify; the opening scene is actually quite horrific. While scavenging supplies a women runs into the street screaming, with dead in tow. She’s been bitten, surrounded, and making quite a scene. No question, she is done for. Here’s the dilemma. Do I shoot her, ending her misery, but drawing attention to myself? Or do I let her run around for a while until she is succumbed by the walking dead? I chose the latter, this buys me more time to gather more supplies, saves ammo, and keeps the dead off my back. What I didn’t count on is hearing her blood curdling screams from outside while I gathered said supplies. Eventually the screaming gets worse, and then suddenly stops. This was a very profound moment, and really made me think about my decision to use her as bait. After that scene however, Episode 3 comes to a crawl, then slowly moves towards its apex.
Emotions run very high in the third installment of Telltale’s The Walking Dead. Division, treachery, and death lead to some of the more dramatic scenes I’ve ever witnessed in any entertainment outlet. Sprinkled in are a few tidbits of humor and one scare that almost made me choke on my sandwich. Telltale always ups the ante of its “holy crap” factor, and that’s a good thing.
Several new characters make their debut in Episode 3, which is slightly overwhelming considering the recent loss a majority of my previous crew. I have a slight problem with one character in particular because his overexcitement borders on overacting. To be fair, he was introduced later in the campaign, so I may grow to like him; or I might use him as zombie fodder. Time will tell.
When it comes to controls and graphics everything remains the same from my previous reviews of Episodes One and Two. However, Episode 2 really showed what Telltale’s graphics engine was capable of. Episode 3 on the other hand reminds me of Episode 1 in that the graphic are good, not great. As far as the gameplay goes, I found myself more frustrated this time around mainly because I got lost a lot more in this episode. When you don’t know where to go or what to do it can be infuriating having to retrace all your steps. Luckily, the storyline is so great that it more than makes up for this sidestep.
The gore factor has also been dialed down since Episode 2, which was a blood soaked gush-fest. Blood, in The Walking Dead, is a matter of circumstance. Telltale is not going to add blood where it doesn’t need to be, nor cheesy everything up by leading characters into situations that call for unnecessary gore. This is also a good thing and I suspect we will get more than our fill of gore come Episodes 4 & 5.
We are roughly halfway done with Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season One, and it’s been quite the ride so far. If you’re a Walking Dead fan and you haven’t purchased Telltales adaptation, you’re definitely missing out on something fantastic. Telltale has recently stated that they plan on making more Walking Dead content after they finish Episode 5. What will it be? Who knows, but some are speculating a Season Two will be in the works. Point is, the game has done very well, and now is a good a time as any to jump on the Walking Dead bandwagon and enjoy Telltale’s hard work. So catch up and join the rest of us while we anxiously await Episode 5, and the conclusion to The Walking Dead Season One.
For more information on the Walking Dead , visit the game’s website.
