sabato 13 agosto 2016

The Walking Dead - Season 2

Yes, it's time for another post nobody will care about.

And yes, I mean the game. I have no idea about the comic nor the TV series.

So, I bought this ages ago, yet I only finished it now (or rather, I had just finished it when I wrote this. Then I forgot to publish it 'til now). I was quite busy with Bloodorne actually what the hell I didn't write about that what's wrong with me and I had to play this on my PS3 since Season 2 uses the old saves of Season 1 for something.

I've talked to some people who don't know anything about TWD these past few days, and what they think to know is wrong. So let me get this straight: The Walking Dead is not about zombies. Yes, there are "walkers" that are... well, zombies, basically; and yes, it's set in a post-apocalyptic world where there are just a bunch survivors left.

Yet TWD is not about zombies.
In fact it's about humans. Or better yet, it's about humans' relationships.

I mean, just try to imagine the situation for a moment: you're left alone in a world where surviving isn't a given, but you have to actually earn it. You fight dead corpses that move around and are extremely tough and numerous (though also very stupid). You have to find food, water, shelter and weapons.
Then suppose one day you meet another survivor.
Who's this guy? How did he manage to survive? What does he want?
Imagine he asks for your help. He says he's injured and asks you for some medicine.
Would you be willing to spare some? What if he's been bitten and he's already done for? What if it's a trap and he just wants to rob you?
And what if he's actually fine and sincerely in need of your help?

That's not even all. Because in a hostile world such as this you wouldn't last much by yourself, so usually survivors hang out in groups.
Say you join one. Someone will maybe like you, some other won't probably share that feeling. What if you can't keep up with the others and you're dead weight who's slowing everyone down? Some will probably point that out and say you have to leave, even though that'd mean certain death for you.

Or maybe you're good. You actually manage to be useful. You're nice to the others too, so nobody complains. As if.
Then eventually someone is bitten, or left behind, or dies for whatever reason. Maybe you had to kill them because you had no option left.
Maybe they had a family. They obviously will get very angry at you, because you technically killed their loved ones. So seeds of distrust begin to take root, and eventually someone will do something stupid and someone else will die.

There, that's TWD in a nutshell. Hopefully these weird examples will make you understand why I said that TWD isn't about zombies.

Oh, I should probably mention that it's a game from Telltale, and like every other game of theirs (I think?), TWD is an interactive story. This means the gameplay is barely there, and the biggest actions of the player will be pressing a botton to pick an answer during the dialogues. There are also a handful of action scene, but again, all you have to do is move the left stick (if you're playing with a pad) within a second or two or continuing to press the X button like a madman. So yeah, gameplay is not really the reason to play this.

And speaking of choices, maybe you're wondering if they actually change the outcome of the story. Let me spoiler you this, they don't.
Or well, the vast majority of the choices affect your relations with the other characters, but all the major events will still happen. The only exception to this is the ending.
Still, does it feel like you actually affect the story? Hell yes. Kudos to Telltale for that.

Anyway, as always I ended up writing far more than expected. At the very least I hope I persuaded some of you to at least take a look at this (and of course to Season 1). I can consider myself satisfied if I managed.