Super Duper Gamer Team Entertainment: The Walking Dead

Showing posts with label The Walking Dead. Show all posts

Who is Lee Everett?

A ton of you may be scratching your head when it comes to Lee Everett, but some of you will know who he is right off the bat. He was Clementine's father figure in the first season of the Telltale Game's Walking Dead video game franchise.

This 37 year old protagonist was a former History Professor at the University of Georgia... prior to all hell breaking loose. He wasn't exactly a professor before he crashed into the zombie apocalypse though, he was introduced to the gaming world via the back of a squad car in cuffs after being convicted for murdering a state senator who slept with his wife. Yeah... he didn't exactly start off in the brightest situation before the distracted police officer ended up crashing the squad car while trying to avoid a... walker (aka a zombie).

The zombie slaying ex-professor was born and raised in Macon, Georgia which in real life had a population of 153,095 back in 2018... so he grew up in an area that's a bit on the small side, but nothing wrong with that. His family resided in Macon, and ran a family business, but the murder of the senator... put a wedge in their relationship.

His backstory could have had a movie short in itself, wouldn't you say? So that was where his life was prior to the Apocalypse, but... my experience with this protagonist revealed that he was a really great guy who seemed to have snapped when it came to his wife's infidelity. He got my attention in this franchise... once his relation with (fellow legend) Clementine, began to sprout.

His impact on her was life changing, and I don't think she would've lasted as long if he weren't in her life for that brief period of time. The time line was longer than our play through of course... but it was still relatively short, nevertheless... their relationship was life changing for both Lee, Clementine (who we named our daughter after... IRL), and anyone else who survived the season. Decisions are in your hands... so things can go either way, but for the most part (during my play through)... rough decisions didn't throw his character off the cliff.

His guidance and the bond he made with Clementine... extended her life... making her a savior to many others and I don't want to spoil the story so i'll leave it at that. I loved their dynamic! Perhaps his experience as a teacher helped him provide more guidance to Clem, but... you have to have something in you to be a teacher in the first place.

When it came to the walkers and untrustworthy people, Lee pulled no punches... unless he had to. Not only did he do this strategic tango via the decisions we made in order to protect himself, but also it was to ensure the safety of Clementine.

I wish he would've lived on (as so many others hoped), but... he no longer had to live in that world and his memory lived on as he was honored throughout the franchise from start to finish.

He made you feel like everything was going to be just fine, even if zombies were all over the place. I appreciate Telltale Games for that because they could've did a weird push forward without mentioning him ever again... but it would've left this weird emotional void robbing the players and our audiences of the emotional connection the characters could've had by carrying on his memory. Since tale's are what Telltale specializes in telling... they made Lee and the overall franchise a memorable well rounded experience.

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The Walking Dead: The Final Season... Reviewed!

I feel it's only right to start off this review by saying... regardless of what happened with development and with the team... I actually enjoyed the experience. The twists, the turns, and even the frustrations in this story... make this franchise a memorable experience and this final season is no difference. No matter how things seemed, I wanted to see the finale through... and i'm glad I did.

In the final season... you're back in the driver seat with Clementine, literally, and you're accompanied by AJ. AJ has gone from being a baby in need of consistent care... which really concerned me in Season 2, to an impressionable lad able to assist you. I'd even say that his relationship with Clementine went from being one of a big sister/little brother relationship... to sort of a mother/son relationship. She had basically been his guardian most of his life anyway, so... it fits.

Totally sends me right back to the relationship between Clementine and Lee... except, he went from being a stranger... to a guardian and then to more of a father.

There is a noticeable difference though because AJ knows nothing but a world infested with zombies... Clementine had a slice of normalcy to compare things too. So he had to grow up quicker, and a great deal of what he's going to be learning in this final season... will be in your hands. It will be a turning point in his life that shapes him and his actions. Good luck.

In Walking Dead fashion... the decisions I had to make weren't always easy. It sucked to make some, because I knew they'd impact AJ, but... the results of those decisions saved Clementine's life. I'm totally going back though, because some decisions resulted in some crap I'm wondering if I could avoid altogether.

I don't want to give any spoilers, but this final season revolves around Clementine and AJ taking refuge in an abandoned school. Abandoned, but not so abandoned, because there are also other kids hiding out there... trying to make the most of a bad situation.

Every aspect of the game doesn't involve being at the school, but... it's home.

In this final installment of the game, TellTaleGames... switches things up a bit. You aren't just reacting with button presses and thumbstick swipes, you have more control of the character in some combat scenarios... which is okay. I don't recall having that option before... so it's pretty cool to see although it was a bit limited, it was a nice way to deliver some variety.

Gameplay is still interesting enough because it's wrapped up in one heck of a well rounded story. I didn't care for the whole relationship scenario, it didn't feel as organic (just felt like someone just wanted to tuck it in there). The relationship aspect flowed better in the previous season... it's not the meat of the game, but I didn't see the point in it. Fillers could've come in another form... like more cameos, but I digress.

The fun factor is definitely there based on the overall adventure. You get good times, really bad times, action on top of edge of your seat action, adventure, jaw dropping moments and some down time in between to calm your nerves.

The Walking Dead: Season 1... looked good, but I think the visuals improved as the seasons progress. This final season wasn't expected to max out the specs, but they did a good job visually and I like the way they bumped up the comic art in this one.

Replay value is also tucked in there thanks to the various decision possible to shift the story. You're still on the same trail, but... damn... that final episode... oh my god. I'm not going to hit you with any spoilers, but I was floored... completely! I covered my mouth because I think I swore a few times... okay, quite a few times.

There is something that happened and it took a hard shift from one direction to another... in terms of the story. I won't say what it is... but it rounds out the story. I'm curious if I can avoid a particular situation if I take a specific survivor out. I let her live and it bit me, but... yeah, there are so many areas that make you second guess so... the replay value can't be ignored. The curiosity almost makes you want to play again and again and again... just to see how certain things would play out.

I hate being super vague, but I don't want to rain on your experience.

Price wise... the game is the standard retail price of all other seasons upon release, and if the story fell short... I'd say the price should be less, but its on point. Great story, and I'm glad I was able to take the ride from beginning to end. So if you like a good story... consider giving it a whirl.

Overall, the Walking Dead game franchise is an experience that i'll remember. My daughter's name is Clementine because of it. I don't get invested into every single story driven game, but when the right game emerges... it gets my attention (and they aren't released every single day).

I've played titles from TellTale even in their earlier years... but this story made me want to know and experience what came next (I sorta played others here and there). I loved some characters in TWD, and completely despised others... which is something the writers can pat themselves on the back for (while at their new jobs). The story is bloody marvelous.

Fun factor: 4

Visuals: 5

Replay value: 5

Price: 5

"4.75 / 5 Cool Points"

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OVERKILL’S THE WALKING DEAD KICKS OFF SEASON TWO!!!

Let's go!!!

DESCRIPTION

OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead is an action-filled four-player co-op multiplayer first-person shooter set in Washington, D.C. after an outbreak brought the dead back to life. In this test of skill, strategy and teamwork players will band together with up to three friends on a variety of missions, securing supplies as well as survivors to strengthen their camp against the threat of both the dead and the living - by any means necessary.

A New Story Within the World of The Walking Dead. In OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead, players are introduced to Aidan, Maya, Grant and Heather; four people brought together by necessity and the willingness to do whatever it takes to stay alive in a post-apocalyptic world. Inspired by the rich story universe of Robert Kirkman’s original graphic novels, OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead sheds light on some of the events that take place in Washington D.C.

Welcome to the Wasteland of Washington D.C. Explore the capital after the outbreak, and discover what happened. Journey through the districts of the desolate city, and search lost neighborhoods such as Georgetown for loot, supplies and other survivors. Tread lightly, as any noise can be heard by both the dead and the living, and any mistake runs the risk of attracting a horde of walkers.

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. In a world where everything has stopped working, players will have to make do with what they find. The post-apocalyptic world of The Walking Dead is a harsh place to live in, let alone find things that work. As players loot the city for supplies, they will come to understand that weapons and ammunition are scarce and their condition vary. If not maintained, guns will jam as you pull the trigger, silencers will break, and old sights will challenge your skills as you take aim.
Home Is Where Your Camp Is. You won’t always have to go looking for trouble, it will also find you. Defend your camp against roaming hordes of walkers when they lock on to your camp. Strengthen your defenses, and take on waves of walkers while keeping the other camp members safe.

Think. Fight. Live. Each playable character comes with a unique skill tree, squad role, play style and background story. They all share a common objective, where survival and teamwork is paramount. The action is up-close and intense: take out enemies carefully with silent melee attacks, or go in guns blazing. You need to be able to improvise, as nothing is certain and a horde of walkers will always be right around the corner.

The Story Continues. Development on OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead will continue after release, offering players new story-lines to experience, new places to explore, new weapons to use, and much more. The post-launch campaign is built around OVERKILL Software’s philosophy of constantly evolving a game together with the community.

Powered by Unreal Technology. Capturing the dark and moody universe of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead in stunning detail, the Unreal Engine offers players the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in a highly-detailed rendition of The Walking Dead universe. Experience hundreds of horrifying walkers on-screen in a way that will get your heart pounding.

From The Makers of PAYDAY. OVERKILL’s The Walking Dead is made by OVERKILL Software, the developers of PAYDAY: The Heist and PAYDAY 2. OVERKILL is a blend of industry veterans, freshly graduated specialists and great partners. Our passion is to create kick-ass cooperative action games together with our community. We set our own deadlines, production rules and design our own pipeline – a truly inspired gameplay machine. We live and die by our gameplay.