| The Walking Dead | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:The_Walking_Dead,_Season_One_cover.jpeg) Video game poster artwork depicting Lee Everett and Clementine | |
| Developer(s) | Telltale Games |
| Publisher(s) | Telltale Games |
| Director(s) | Sean Vanaman Jake Rodkin Dennis Lenart Eric Parsons Nick Herman Sean Ainsworth |
| Designer(s) | Sean Vanaman Jake Rodkin Mark Darin Harrison G. Pink Andrew Langley Sean Ainsworth |
| Programmer(s) | Carl Muckenhoupt Randy Tudor Keenan Patterson |
| Artist(s) | Derek Sakai |
| Writer(s) | Sean Vanaman[2] Mark Darin[3] Gary Whitta[4] |
| Composer(s) | Jared Emerson-Johnson |
| Series | The Walking Dead |
| Engine | Telltale Tool |
| Platform(s) | Android iOS Kindle Fire HDX OS X Windows Nintendo Switch Ouya PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation Vita Xbox 360 Xbox One |
| Release | Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4
Episode 5
|
| Genre(s) | |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The Walking Dead[a] is a 2012 episodic graphic adventure video game developed and published by Telltale Games. Based on the comic book series of the same name, the game is the first of The Walking Dead video game series published by Telltale and consists of five episodes, released between April and November 2012. It is available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire HDX, Windows, Mac OS X, Ouya, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X and Nintendo Switch.
The game takes place in the same fictional world as the comic, at the onset of the zombie apocalypse in the state Georgia. Most of the characters are original to the game, which centers on convicted criminal Lee Everett who becomes a protective figure to a young girl, Clementine and must help her find her parents. Robert Kirkman, the original creator of the comic book series, provided oversight for the game's story to ensure it corresponded to the tone of the comic, but allowed Telltale to handle the bulk of the developmental work and story specifics. Some characters from the original comic book series also make in-game appearances.
Unlike many graphic adventure games, The Walking Dead does not emphasize puzzle solving, but instead focuses on story and character development. The story is affected by both the dialogue choices of the player and their actions during quick time events, which can often lead to, for example, certain characters being killed, or an adverse change in the disposition of a certain character or characters towards protagonist Lee. The choices made by the player carry over from episode to episode. The choices were tracked by Telltale and used to influence their writing in later episodes.
The Walking Dead received universal acclaim, with reviewers praising the harsh emotional tone of the story and the relationship between Lee and Clementine. It won year-end accolades, including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications and has been cited as one of the greatest video games ever made; its success has been seen as constituting a revitalization of the weakened adventure game genre. More than one million unique players have purchased at least one episode from the series, with over 8.5 million individual units sold by the end of 2012, and as of July 2024, the game sold over 28 million copies, making it the highest best-selling video game in an adventure game genre.
In 2013, Telltale expands the game into a franchise, released an additional downloadable episode, 400 Days, to extend the first season and bridge the gap towards Season 2, released later that year as well as 2014. Season 3 and the final season were released in 2016–2017 and 2018–2019 respectively, along with a spin-off game based on Michonne.
- ^ Norris, Erick. "The Walking Dead: Episode 2 Available Today". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
- ^ Hamilton, Kirk (August 31, 2012). "Everything Breaks Bad In The Darkest, Strongest Episode Of The Walking Dead Yet". Kotaku. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ Hamilton, Kirk (June 9, 2012). "Why The Walking Dead Game Is in Black and White". Kotaku. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ Conditt, Jessica. "The Walking Dead Episode 4: Around Every Corner sneaks over in October". Joystiq. Archived from the original on September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ Miller, Greg (November 19, 2012). "The Walking Dead: The Game – Episode 5: No Time Left Review". IGN. Retrieved November 23, 2012.
- ^ Holzworth, Chris (August 27, 2013). "Telltale Games Bringing The Walking Dead Season One, 400 Days to Ouya". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
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