Telltale Games continues to ratchet up the tension and anguish in The Walking Dead: The Game. Episode 3 sees Lee, Clementine and the rest of the desperate and dwindling crew leave the safety of the Motor Inn and hit the open road. IGN's console review has a full (spoiler-free) scoop on this episode’s tough decisions and tricky puzzles.
Although iOS frustratingly remains more than a month behind the console releases, in the end each episode is worth the wait. The Walking Dead: The Game’s dialogue and puzzle-heavy gameplay make it a natural fit for play on the touch-powered iPhone or iPad. Mobile devices are also a great way to watch the intimate, character-driven story unfold. It feels right – like curling up on the couch with an issue of the comic book.
It helps that Telltale’s port includes a lot of smart subtle tweaks to aid mobile play. Dialogue choices are selected with a simple menu tap. Players move Lee around the environment by gently swiping the touch screen in the direction they want to walk. Selecting items and other interactive hotspots is accomplished with another touch-screen tap.
The action sequences had the most potential to go wrong in an iOS port but they too made the transition without a hitch. Examples include quickly swiping in a specific direction to brain a zombie or furiously tapping the screen to escape danger. The entire interface, both in and out of combat, feels natural and is largely invisible. It never gets in the way of the unfolding story.
The entire experience is available compromise-free. Gamers are given all the same visual detail, voice-acting and other presentation elements that make Walking Dead: The Game so compelling.
Things are about to go from bad to worse...
If you have an iPhone 5 or new iPad, Episode 3 is a perfect port. There is the occasional framerate dip (especially when transitioning to a new scene), but it isn’t more severe than the console versions. Owners of older iOS devices can expect more noticeable framerate issues. Like previous episodes, Long Road Ahead is only playable on iPhone 4/ iPad 2 or newer devices.
To experience The Walking Dead: The Game on iOS gamers must buy the first episode for $4.99. From there episodes 2-5 can be purchased for $14.99 (making the entire series a very reasonable $19.99), or each individual episode can be purchased for another $4.99 each.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
blog comments powered by Disqus