A third trip through the apocalypse- Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season 3
Hello, Ladies, Gentlemen and those of a non-binary nature! My name is Daibhi, this is the Gamerhub Community and over the last week, I’ve worked my way through a metric tonne of horror games as we run up to Halloween. So, for the next few weeks, I’m going to give you reviews of as many horror films as possible. You can thank me afterwards and reward me for the countless sleepless nights I’ve had as a result for you people. Also, on a personal note, we can’t ignore the leaks coming out of the Microsoft emails, but I’ll write an article in the morning going through it for you, and explaining it as best as I can.
In this seemingly ever-expanding universe of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, where humanity’s struggle for survival takes centre stage, we return to what was a highly anticipated third season of their episodic and morally complex series, set in the world created by Robert Kirkman. When the first season launched, it caught the attention of comic book fans, TV fans and gamers alike, and now, we’re ready for round 3. Round 1 (if you follow the boxing metaphor) knocked us down with an almighty gut punch, and round 2 was about learning to get back up off the proverbial mat. In season 3, Telltale faced an almighty challenge of continuing Clementine’s story, while introducing a new raft of characters and a whole boat of narrative complexity to boot.
We start up several years after the events of season 2, and the dead still roam the USA. Again, one of the brilliant tropes in this genre is that the humans can often be as deadly as the reanimated hordes trying to eat them. Clementine, our beloved protagonist from the last two seasons, is a bilt older now. She’s scarred both physically and psychologically, and we can see from the moment the first episode loads that she has become a hardened survivor. Telltale skilfully balances the character we have now with the wee lassie we all grew to love and protect in the last two seasons. I absolutely love her character development, which is something the TV show sometimes didn’t excel at. (Say it all you like, Negan doesn’t really change). In this season, her character development is one of the central pillars of the game, showcasing the toll that life has in this hellhole, and what that does to her psyche, her innocence and her sense of trust.
We also have a new protagonist this season, called Javier. Javier is a former baseball player turned survivor. This dual-protagonist approach adds depth to the narrative, allowing gamers to experience this apocalypse through multiple perspectives simultaneously, which is a nice touch. Javier’s no stand-in for Lee or Kenny either. He’s a fully fleshed-out character and his motivations can often be just as compelling as Clementine’s. The dynamic between the two characters was a highlight for me this season, as their greatly differing worldviews and priorities created a sense of tension that season 2 lacked in certain regards.
Telltale’s hallmark choice-driven gameplay also makes a welcome return, and the stakes have never been higher than they are here. Every single decision, from which direction to move to which character should you talk to first feels like it weighs a tonne. These decisions have far-reaching consequences that can come back and bite you on the arse when you least expect it, and it didn’t surprise me that this game took up about 50% more space on my hard drive than previous games in this franchise. The intricate branching of narratives encourages repeat playing and playthroughs not seen like this before, revealing different storylines with each varying choice. Seriously, the gameplay this time is a major step up.
The game’s episodic format is back, with 5 episodes to play through. Whilst I was a little crestfallen to find out there are only five episodes this time around, they’re incredibly well structured. Pulling back the curtain for a little bit here, I’m currently writing a book (it’s on hiatus until the Gamerhub community team are back to full strength), and I’ve had to do a lot of research into story structure. I have genuinely been in awe at the way this series is structured, and how much foreshadowing and payoff works in this series. There’s little in the way of pacing issues this time around, as it feels as though this game is creating something of a turning point for Clementine, and the Telltale and TV worlds feel as if they’re converging on each other. Due to my commitment to not spoiling too much for you, I really can’t say more than that here, but bloody hell, the plot is enhanced by this structure, as opposed to contrived by it, and there aren’t that many videogames where I get to say that.
On the visual side of things, Telltale’s The Walking Dead Season 3 maintains the distinctive cell-shaded art we all know and love, and which has become synonymous with the studio. I actually, as I go on this adventure with you, don’t really want that to change. This is after all, based on a series of graphic novels. To be honest, seeing what they cook up for me every week in terms of visuals is something I’m really enjoying right now, and this time was a major step up. To show that time has passed, the walkers look even more decayed than they did before, the colour palette’s a little darker and it really works to help you feel this game and the themes of growing up in a hopeless world. It really does blur the line between comic book and videogames, with the interactive storytelling increasing the immersion. It creates this wonderfully engaging but grim atmosphere that feels like a major upgrade from season 2.
One of the aspects of this art style that I love is that it simply doesn’t age. You can play this on a Xbox One X or a smartphone, and it always looks good. It feels new, exciting and timeless, irrespective of the device you use. I couldn’t work out where to put this in my review, but I felt it was worth pointing out.
The character designs reflect the passage of this time as well, as it conveys the toll that this world has on people. I mentioned earlier that Clementine resembles a battle-hardened survivor and I’m not kidding. She’s got a much more mature appearance, with weathered clothing, visible scars and she’s a fair bit taller than last time around. These visual cues help serve as a poignant reminder of the journey she’s been on and the people that she’s lost along the way. Javier’s design is also really memorable, with his rugged appearance and baseball attire, he stands out from other characters like a sore thumb. This visual contrast helps underscore their characters differences and adds depth to their character dynamics in a way that Telltale hadn’t really done before this game. To me, it’s clear that meticulous attention was paid to every last detail of this game, and I’m very happy about it.
It’s worth pointing out that whilst this game is indisputably the best season of Telltale’s The Walking Dead I have played yet, with an amazing plot, good gameplay and superb soundtrack and visuals, there is an elephant in the room. If you’re reading through this series of articles as I review each Telltale’s The Walking Dead game, I imagine several of you are playing them on Microsoft’s Game Pass. These games hold up pretty danged well given their age, but don’t go into these games expecting a AAA gaming experience. It’s not going to happen. That being said, choosing to prioritise storytelling and substance over style really did work for me, and overcame a couple of technical hiccups I had playing this game through.
I give this game a Joystick rating of…
4.3/5 Joysticks
For the Gamerhub community, I’ve been Daibhi and you are all legends.
If you’re ever in the Zombie apocalypse, heading for Canada’s not that bad of an idea
