As if we didn’t have enough zombie games to begin with, Activision has announced that they will be releasing a video game based on the ever popular AMC TV series The Walking Dead. Now perhaps you’re doing a double take right now as there’s already a video game based on The Walking Dead via the folks over at Telltale Games. But unlike the episodic game from Telltale, Activision’s adaptation of The Walking Dead will be entirely based on the actual AMC series, which to fans of the franchise may be a good or bad news type of situation.
Appropriately titled The Walking Dead, the latest zombie slaying game will be a first-person shooter. I don’t know if it’s some sort of cosmic entity doing such a thing or merely the presumably one-trick pony nature of Activision, but the fact that we’re getting a licensed fps zombie slaying game is simply ironic and a little bit sad in a lot of ways.
Developing the presumably horror filled experience that is The Walking Dead will be folks over at Terminal Reality. Experts at developing licensed games, Terminal Reality gave us one of the best, or at least admirable, licensed games with The Ghostbusters: The Videogame, but they also gave us the mega dud that was Star Wars Kinect. So will we get the Terminal Reality that gave us the fan service filled yet entertaining experience that was Ghostbusters or the same team that gave us the soul crushing experience that was Star Wars Kinect?
For those interested, The Walking Dead video game will not revolve around Shane being a boss and sleeping with the wife of his best friend as it’ll instead be centered on everyone’s favorite badboy Daryl Dixon. The plot of the game will be set before the first season of the series and will have Daryl and his brother Merle trying to travel to the “safe haven” that is Atlanta. As one would’ve guessed, at some point during the trip Daryl, who is the main playable character, will encounter Walkers who can either be taken head on or evaded through stealth tactics.
Gameplay media for The Walking Dead wasn’t released but the game will reportedly blend FPS action with stealth and resource management through items Daryl can pick up along his journey. There will be some kind of key narrative string as Daryl will be able to meet survivors during his trip, some of whom can be recruited as allies to help back him up. Obviously these allies may become zombie chow since they’re not in the TV series, but having a relationship with a NPC could be interesting and provide an emotional string for the game.
At this point I don’t know if The Walking Dead will simply be the latest in the long line of Activision cash grab projects (Battleship: The Game, Men In Black) or if it’ll actually be good. Announcing the game now does seem odd though one can make the argument that its post-E3 reveal is meant to capitalize on the mega event that is the San Diego Comic Con which just so happens to kick off next weekend. Seeing as how the game is slated for release in 2013, it could be possible the game will be fleshed out enough but the question still remains as to whether the quality will be anything above mediocre.
The Walking Dead will be available on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. No zombie love for the Wii U or PlayStation Vita as of now.
