The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 1 Review

Everyone’s favourite flesh-eaters are back. Pretty much the entire gaming population has been waiting like rabid dogs for the start of Telltale’s Season Two, and now that it’s here; can it live up to the hype? Well the answer is yes, but you’ll have to play it for yourselves to truly find out why, because giving even the slightest glimpse into the story here will only spoil the experience. Just as Ross stated in his Wolf Among Us review, it’s so damn difficult to critique a game that is almost entirely narrative driven; without spoiling the juicy contents.

So with specific story details strictly off the cards, this is our chance to give some insight into how Telltale have kept Season Two from feeling like more of the same. The developers decision to make Clementine the new, main protagonist was - for want of a better phrase - a stroke of pure genius.

Seeing the world through the eyes of a child has enabled Telltale to give us a whole new perspective on the episodic series. After a brief - but emotionally ball-busting prologue - Clementine has found herself all alone - 16 months after the climax of the first season. It’s a solid start for sure, and whilst Clem does meet a new group of survivors midway through the episode, she has some essential life lessons to learn before doing so.

Nothing should be taken for granted in this post-apocalyptic world, and without wanting to spoil anything, we’ll just say that even if not everything you meet is human - dead or otherwise - it doesn’t mean you can trust it. Never let your guard down.

You’ll notice the biggest change in tone when you meet your new ‘friends’ though. Not only are you now seeing the world through the eyes of a child, but you’re treated like one. No longer are you the adult who makes all the big decisions for the group. No, you’re the infant that everyone passes off as a know-nothing brat. This is also reflected by how Clementine interacts with the world around her.

Controls remain largely the same as before, however, Telltale have attempted to make proceedings more interactive. New, context-sensitive actions are present that task you with holding a face button, whilst pushing in the related direction. One instance requires Clementine to eavesdrop on her new roommates by tentatively easing a door open to listen in. Linger too long though, and they’ll notice you.

Our only gripe with an otherwise stellar beginning is Telltale’s possible reluctance to take bigger risks. The cliffhanger choice you’re required to make at the episode’s climax is remarkably similar to the one Lee had to make in his story. The presentation of the dilemma is great, but the developer is capable of making new, more interesting conflicts.

Familiar conclusion aside though, the first episode does a bang-up job of continuing the series. There has been some concern over how the series would hold up with only Clementine returning, but it turns out she’s the star of the show. We just hope we don’t have to wait as long for Episode Two to roll around as we have with The Wolf Among Us.