The world of The Walking Dead has been ever-growing since Robert Kirkman, the creator of the original comic book series, published his apocalyptic masterpiece with Image Comics in October 2003. The perfect time of year for zombies! (I mean…Walkers!)
With the series being such a success among the -*ahem*- “comic book nerd” community, Kirkman teamed up with AMC to bring everyone’s favourite characters from page to screen in October 2010. The show is still growing strong today, with the final episodes airing later this year. But was that enough? NOPE!
So, we’ve seen these characters from the pages of comics come to life on our TV screens, with some added characters to keep the story nice and fresh. Thank you Kirkman for bringing Daryl Dixon into our lives! What could be better? A VIDEO GAME!
In 2012, Telltale brought us something different within The Walking Dead universe. This episodic game brought us brand new characters, new storylines and multiple player choices. Yes, the player decides what happens in the game. There is no better feeling than when a character's fate is completely in your hands. Sorry-Not Sorry Ben! The popular game series aired its last season (season 4) in August 2018.
So, what made this game series so popular? Well, from the start we are introduced to characters we've never seen before. Lee Everett, the player's character, is whoever you want him to be. He can be played as the typical good guy, or a complete a**hole…or you can choose to stay silent through most of the game and just see how it plays out. (Although, you will still have to make some tough choices. Believe me, I tried to stay neutral, but the game WILL make you choose a side in some situations). Another reason fans seem to love the series is sweet little Clementine! A little girl who Lee meets hiding in a treehouse from her walker babysitter. It is Lee's…or rather, the player's job to protect this innocent girl from the horrors of this new apocalyptic world. Through season one, she is the only thing still pure in the world. Later in the series, fans can play as Clementine as she transforms from a sweet little girl into a hardened survivor, doing everything necessary to keep those she cares for alive…just as Lee did for her.
That being said, what other games are out there now that we no longer have The Walking Dead to look forward to? Well, here’s a list of the top ten games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead!
10. Tales of Monkey Island
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A graphic adventure game developed by Telltale and LucasArts in July 2009, Tales of Monkey Island is the fifth instalment of the Monkey Island series. Just like The Walking Dead, Telltale has us play through the narrative in an episodic adventure.
The game is based around the player's character, Guybrush Threepwood, a self-proclaimed mighty pirate. While trying to defeat an undead pirate by the name of LeChuck, Guybrush accidentally releases "Voodoo Pox" into the Gulf of Melange. So, since he created a pandemic, it’s up to him, with the help of his wife, Elaine-Marley Threepwood, to find a cure. If you liked The Walking Dead for its episodic gameplay with a gripping story, you should consider this one.
So, you miss Telltale’s The Walking Dead for the creative storytelling and episodic adventure. But what about the blood, the gore and, most importantly, ZOMBIES! Is that not enough for you? Okay, how about we throw in some mutant monsters in there too! [Resident Evil 2]
This game follows the adventures of the characters Leon and Claire as they come together during a virus outbreak that turns people into…well…zombies. The two characters stick together to stay alive, even though Leon gets bitten pretty early in the game. Not to worry, he later finds out that there is a cure. The poor folks in The Walking Dead wish they were so lucky. The two often get separated, but this is necessary as both characters are playable with their separate paths to the shared goals. Both paths introduce the players to more characters, both good and bad, and we learn more about the outbreak and the experiments that cause it…all while fighting monsters and heavily mutated people. Oh, and there is an unkillable creature named Mr X that comes after you from time to time. These characters certainly don't seem to catch a break, which means there is never a dull moment for players. If a game about finding a cure to an experimental virus that creates zombies and mutants is what you're looking for, look no further!
Next on the list is one of my personal favourites, Life is Strange. Similar to The Walking Dead, it is an episodic, multiple-choice story with different outcomes based on said choices. Every tiny detail throughout the game could be important to the plot and vital to how you make your choices. That's what makes this game so interesting. I was surprised how much I missed during my first playthrough that I had to play again to see how different to story would be. There are many different ways the story could go. You play as a teenage girl named Max who, after accidentally witnessing a shooting, finds out she has the power to travel back in time. Wow! Wouldn’t that be handy for embarrassing situations!
It's with this power she tries to stop bad things from happening, all while trying to help her childhood bestie, Chloe, find out what happened to her friend, Rachel. It's a neat little mystery full of clues that you just have to keep your eye open for. The smallest detail could change things within the story. It's a fun and interesting game to play with a lot of intense and emotional moments that just get you hooked. If you find that you really love this game, you would also love the prequel game about what Chole was up to while Max wasn't around, it is just as gripping as the first game with answers to some questions players of the first game might be asking.
Just like the title suggests, this game focuses on a plague infecting the people in medieval France. Continuing our theme of people getting infected by some form of disease or virus. A young girl, Amicia de Rune, is the main character in this game. Her overall goal is to protect her little brother, Hugo. From the start, we are aware that Hugo is sick with something, but is not contagious. When people come looking for him, their parents are killed, leaving Amicia to flee with her brother. Now, this brother-sister dynamic will seem familiar to The Walking Dead fans as it already shows similarities to Clemintine and AJ in season four.
Of course, what the people are being infected with is the Black Plague. But it is commonly referred to as “The Bite”. Yes, it's not zombies coming to eat you alive this time, it's rats!
Whatever Hugo is sick with, it's up to Amicia to pick up where her mother left off and find a way to cure him of it. As it is believed that he is the cause of the plague.
This game is split into chapters, seventeen of them. So, it should keep you busy for a little while. Although it is very exaggerated, the game has insight into what it was like for people during the time of the Black Plague. A very interesting play. Just stay out of the darkness and away from those rats, don't get bitten!
Even looking at the artwork for the game, you can tell that The Quarry is made for and by people who love the horror genre. From the very beginning, it slowly builds tension and atmosphere. Asking the player to make decisions throughout the course of the story.
The story is based around nine teenage camp counsellors/potential murder victims who are stuck in the woods with nothing better to do than drink and have one last party before trying to make it home in the daylight. Of course, there is something stalking them in the woods. After all, it's a horror game inspired by horror movies. Oh, and who survives depends on the player's choices. This is how it is similar to The Walking Dead. Just as the lives of the characters depended on the player's choices, the same applies to this game too.
The player controls each of the nine counsellors one at a time at various points in the game. You can influence how the events play out through conversational choices, exploration scenes and quick-time events. You could try and make sure everyone gets out alive, but that all depends on you and your choices.
I would never forgive myself if I didn't put this one on the list. This game about fables living undercover in the city is amazing. It has Telltale’s comic art style, the multiple-choice dynamic and many interesting characters. But the best part is, it's a detective mystery where the player is the Big Bad Wolf. You can play him as the good cop or the bad cop, it will influence how certain characters see you.
It all starts when Bigby Wolf is sent to a domestic disturbance in an apartment building run by Toad of Toad Hall. Bigby comes to the rescue of a prostitute, Faith, who is getting beaten by the Woodsman. Later, Faith is murdered, and it’s up to Bigby and Snow White to solve the mystery. Of course, there’s a bigger picture to all of this and the plot has some twists with many "WTF" cliffhanger moments. It was really frustrating waiting for the next episode.
This one is for the Tarantino fans out there. This story, unlike the others, is told in a non-linear narrative. Showing our playable character, Jodie, at different stages of her life in no particular order. Interesting for a videogame, to say the least. Another interesting part about this game, Jodie is tethered to a ghost-like (playable) figure named Aiden. He is her twin brother who didn't make it past childbirth and bonded his soul to her ever since. That explains the title.
There are so many emotions thrown at us that it can be disorienting at times. From horror to drama, to action, to sci-fi. Even a bunch of different antagonists make it seem like they tried to fit too much into one story. But there are quite a few moments that keep things compelling. There are also quiet and more human parts to the story that makes you feel for the character and care about what she's going through.
Mostly, the quick-time events have been put aside in this game, giving us more intuitive interactions with Jodie’s world. It’s a very story-driven game that should entertain gamers for a good amount of hours.
Detroit Become Human is a moving mellow drama that bends to your choices throughout the game. Just as in many other games on this list, who lives or dies can depend on the choices you make. In some games, it feels like some of the choices the player makes do not really matter in the bigger picture of the story. But in this case, your choices bring meaningful results.
The game's plot rarely lags and keeps a good pace. Alternating between three android characters. Connor is a prototype android that was built to assist law enforcement, particularly on cases involving rogue androids. Kara is a housemaid android that takes care of her owner’s daughter. It is through her relationship with the human child that breaks Kara out of her repetitive existence as she escapes into the world. Finally, Markus, the main protagonist of this game, is the android who starts a life of freedom and rebellion for androids. However, this character portrays himself as an unlikeable character despite his moral challenges. And this fact doesn't really change, no matter how the player decides to play him. He's just one of those characters that wasn't supposed to be liked all that much. Sorry, Markus, we know you mean well!
With each character, the player's choices can alter their personalities and the tone of their stories. Most of the supporting characters also adapt to the way you play, increasing the almost endless possibilities on how to play the game.
The game has a nice balance of both emotional and intense. It keeps the player hooked throughout. Chapter after chapter, it’s just so gripping. It even makes us wonder about our own morality, and at what point does a machine become human?
This game really has all the aspects The Walking Dead fans will love. It's an open-world zombie apocalypse game where you play as a badass character on a motorcycle that goes around smashing enemies in the face. Remind you of anyone?
The main plot of the story revolves around our character, Deacon, finding answers to where his (previously assumed to be dead) wife is. All the while fighting hoards to zombies. Oh, did I mention that we can't call them that in this world either? Atlanta may call them Walkers, but in Oregon, they call them Freakers. You can decide which sounds better.
There are some enjoyable supporting characters in this game along with some older survivors Deacon meets along his journey. They are well written, and you can feel the kind of relationship the characters have with one another, and how dreary the older survivors are from living so long in an apocalyptic world.
So, we have the biker and his motorised companion, what else do we need? YES, a crossbow! The player gets to use this weapon, along with an assortment of guns as he takes on the freakers and human bad guys alike. If you're looking for a game like The Walking Dead with a more open-world aspect and you want it to be similar to the television show, this is the game for you!
Of course, I was going to put this at number one. What could be more similar to Telltale’s The Walking Dead than another The Walking Dead game!
This one is even better, you get to play the zombie survival game in VR! So it feels like you are actually in an apocalyptic environment. As you play, you need to find food, craft weapons and kill zombies. Oh, and you only have a certain amount of time in the day to do it. Once the bells ring and it gets dark, the more zombies come out. However, if you play it safe and go back to camp early, the more zombies would be walking around during the day when you wake up. This wouldn’t be much of a problem, but you have limited inventory space, and your weapons can wear down and break…usually at the worst times. And if you don’t eat, it will affect your character. When fighting off zombies, you have to use your real hand-eye coordination, giving the feeling of the realness of trying to stay alive when a zombie is snapping away at you.
There are NPCs you meet throughout the game. You can choose to help them, leave them or just kill them and take their supplies. It’s all up to you! While Telltale’s The Walking Dead had great storytelling and a lot of decision-making, it never gave us this much freedom. It truly is as if we are inside the world of The Walking Dead. I would suggest this game to anyone who's a fan of The Walking Dead, or survival games in general. You will not be disappointed!
As a potato living in the shadows of my flat, I find myself needing an escape from the harsh ways of reality and take a dive into the worlds unknown while, sometimes, creating my own...through gaming!
