Best Games 2012? Rightly !!!

How can a game like "The Walking Dead" (= TWD), the graphic technically auslastet neither reasonably modern computer, can boast außerodentliche gameplay innovations, still can drive the thoroughbred adventure fan with sincere head nuts to Enigma heavy lifting, smooth unanimously in the trade press praised, are showered with awards and titled as probably the best game of last year? What is the reason?
It's simple: Telltale Games has (also thanks to the comic / TV series template) shown in a surprising manner that a high-class game does not take much to captivate instantly and continuously. The magic word is: Storytelling! In its most mature form, intensely and harmoniously staged. TWD will not go down as one of the most challenging adventures in the games story, even adventure beginners come here hardly breaking a sweat. But it will remain because of its plot full of shocks, drama and tragedy long in the memory, perhaps as the most wichigste play this still so young decade. And I am not exaggerating.

Right from the beginning we support the university teachers and convicted murderer Lee Everett, who is to be transferred by patrol car to jail. Insofar as there is not, because the vehicle off the road. By dead. A living dead. Everywhere zombies spreading like an uncontrollable epidemic. Villages, towns, cities all ... There is no spot in the US, where they do not rage and try not pounce infected over the few survivors. Lee is to get rid of the police car and manages to escape. On the way he meets the little Clementine, which keeps home hidden from the walking dead. Her parents are gone; uncertain whether these are still alive or not. He takes care of her and tried with her to do with other survivors together. As a community it means to stand against the deadly threat. With each day of survival but all is clear that risk not be a matter for the dead ...

The Story of TWD framework consisting of five successive episodes be built, it is clear from start to finish. You can not change or be working towards alternative ends the story itself. As a player, but we can steer our decisions and time-critical actions the development of events in certain directions, leave some moments to run differently. Primarily we form Lee Everett according to our expectations. We give him a profile, its own character, a conscience.
When Lee is always in thankless situations, to make decisions that have an influence on the survival or death of other fellow human beings or integrity or suspicion to his opposite. What choice is also made, followed by consequences, with both good and bad outputs. This brings about scenes that go incredibly under the skin and touch so emotional, as you have experienced it in any other game before. Constantly are conflicts in the air, all the time you're afraid, a beloved companion to send unintentionally in death or losing by a wrong word sympathy values ​​important people.
As I said, the overall story is statically defined, a high replay value of TWD thus not really given. And yet one can not resist it for a second time to try for his first ride through the apocalyptic hell of blood and tears, as it makes it curious about what would have happened if I'm in sitution XY for solution B instead of A the temptation or C would have decided.

The gameplay itself is kept extremely simple. Never very many objects are picked at once, the ability to combine with each other or with background objects always remains more than clear. Classic puzzles usually occur simply and without large scale, it makes TWD most use of multiple-choice dialogues, partly under pressure. Does not sound very sophisticated, but has the advantage that the flow of the game is held so very fluid and exciting.

Telltale attacks as in all his previous matches on the in-house graphics engine, with even the "Sam & Max" -Seasons, "Tales of Monkey Iceland" or "Back to the Future" came to life. This is not very spectacular and even stingy with modern effects. Even the texture quality is at most average, and on closer inspection noticed that here and there was substantial savings to polygons.
Nevertheless, this graphic style with pale colors and hard contours perfectly matches the same comic book, is modeled on a graphic novel does more than justice. Above all, it is the wonderful facial expressions design of Lee, Clementine and Co., who make all criticisms of the optics again forgotten. And if one still takes the voice for the original sound, the sad to pessimistic provoking music and the economical use of sound effects to get an idea about the relatively "weak" presentation no longer come to mind. TWD is washed with all waters Mood grenade with which it can not absorb any other game of its genre in terms of atmosphere. Anyway, I could neither ad hoc call, and I've worn bulky Adventures.

Conclusion:
Simplicity in the art, the great content. 12 hours horror drama at its finest; a Gefühlskarussel that you would not expect from video games like this one.
TWD demonstrates how "interactive movies" must look like. More of that! I want a second season !!! :-)