24.9 hours played
Written 6 days ago
The Walking Dead is an iconic TV series that has influenced an entire generation across all forms of entertainment since its inception in 2010 for both good and bad. However, we never really received a proper adaptation of the original series in VG format until now (2023). Well, it’s just ok and I think it can be enjoyed by both fans and newcomers alike, if you can get past unacceptable quality of life omissions and the fact it is made to play on anything with a screen.
My Steam rating: Mostly Positive
Lets jump right into those QoL exclusions as this will make or break a majority of players choice to purchase:
- First, There are no video options, no graphic settings, no advanced settings, nothing. I am speculating the game is running at 1080P but the game did auto adapt to my 3440x1440 ultra-wide monitor. I have seen other games take this route as it is not a graphically intensive title and difficult to see if there would be any graphical difference. However, I know cutscenes are running at 1080p as the image does shrink.
- You cannot rebind keys or reconfigure controller inputs
- There are camera/gun sight sensitivity settings, but it is a small scale option (1-5). This leaves you either too fast or too slow, especially when you ADS.
- There is no manual save feature, no chapter/episode selection. The game autosaves your last 3 checkpoints and you can restart the episode you currently are playing from the start.
I will be the first to say these exclusions to provide options for the player to have the best game experience is 100% unacceptable and if they were implemented, I think you would see the user score be a little more positive.
So If you have made it here, lets now talk about the game. The Walking Dead Destinies is an old school choice driven 3rd person action game that tells a cliff notes version of the first 4 seasons of the Walking Dead TV series. The game is told in 5 chapters and 25 episodes(5 ea) with a focus entirely on the most epic and iconic moments of those seasons. Those scenarios are all here from the start where you escape the hospital as Rick, Herschel’s secret in the barn, the showdown between Rick and Shane, clearing and relocating to the prison, meeting the Governor, etc. It really is a game for the fans but also for newcomers who are curious or just fans of anything zombie related can find fun. You may not get everything story wise but with the epic music playing and a fully voiced cast, it hits enough notes to keep you interested while it doesn’t overstay its welcome. My only disappointment for the story was the ending which felt a little rushed and incomplete.
As a choice driven game there are quite a few but none will impact the direction of the story or ending. Fans will enjoy that one major controversial choice that changed everything and its consequences which are only found in a few pieces of dialogue and cutscenes. Also, choices will affect those who will be in your camp and who you will play as during certain episodes but as most play the same way, outside handling of a specific weapon, there is again no difference.
If you have played any 3rd person action game the past 20 yrs(or even last week) with an emphasis on melee, guns, stamina and stealth then everything will be familiar. Combat is simple as melee comes with heavy and light attacks, you can dodge roll to avoid attacks as there is no blocking. If you go the stealth route you will see that common design in full effect as crouching makes you less visible, quiet and hiding in bushes makes you invisible. You also possess x-ray vision which helps you see the walking path of enemies I guess to help light your way for those easy backstab kills. Gunplay is also simple as you will get the normal arsenal of weapons to headshot your way around the maps.
Enemies are also of the common variety in the genre from slow dead walkers, runners, crawlers, large size, exploders, and armored types. While the world is not populated to the likes of Dying Light or a Dead Island the levels are small enough to still make the world feel dense with enemies and they pose a viable threat especially on some maps and during boss fights all depending on the difficulty you choose to play.
The biggest threat from the horde is grabbing and surrounding you where this will put you into a QTE to escape. However, if you are unable to escape, instead of dying(first time) you will receive a scar(debuff) that lasts until you kill an enemy or hold out for a few seconds to replenish some health. I actually dont mind the combat in the game and I think the boss fights where they utilize the zombies in each fight is sort of interesting as it ties into the narrative and world.
The Walking Dead Destinies is simply a fine old school game that does a good job of retelling the first 4 seasons of the TV series into an episodic VG format. It has good level design with familiar combat that kept me interested to the end. While it is an absolute failure when it comes to QoL options every game should include, I think fans of the series or zombie fans in general will find something to like here. But make no mistake this was designed to simply play on anything with a screen from a PC, console, phone, tablet, watch, rear view mirror or even the mirror in the bathroom. If you understand that aspect and are looking for a good story driven game to complete in an afternoon and on sale, I think it could be worth your time, just don’t set your expectations too high.
Positives
Good job of retelling first 4 season of the TV show
Doesn’t waste the player’s time
Good old school fun
That epic soundtrack and VA not bad
No crashes or bugs, better than 99.9% of the market today
Missions and level design
Solid, fun achievement list
Negatives
The absent QoL options
Skill tree is unnecessary
Ending felt incomplete, rushed
Over Priced
Still not the quality use of TWD license we deserve
