News: Xbox Gets a Little Bloodier

Left 4 Dead 2 lovers who play the using the Xbox 360 platform have been left out in the cold a little bit when compared to their PC/Mac counterparts. In March of 2011, L4D2 released a new campaign but only on the PC/Mac versions as a beta test. Well, the time has (almost) come for us Xbox users to join in on the fun.

On July 24th, a mere three weeks away, Valve will release the "Cold Stream" campaign as downloadable content for the Xbox. I'll be honest, my L4D2 game has been gathering some dust on the shelf recently, but I guess it will be time to crack it back out. I need the "stream crosser" achievement asap!

Review: Z-Day iPhone App

This weekend, a friend alerted me to a new zombie app for the iPhone and iPad platform. The app, Z-Day, is a sort of digital "choose your own adventure" with realistic scenarios and choices.

The good? This app is logical and is clearly made by lovers of the apocalyptic genre. I didn't feel like choices had unrealistic or random consequences as some choose your own adventure stories do. When I died, I felt that I probably deserved it. You also get to make almost every choice which gives you an added commitment to the game. You don't feel like a spectator; you feel like you are truly at the helm of the storytelling. Additionally, the visuals for this game are well stylized. It has a very comic book noir vibe to it. The game also provides you with a variety of different side characters, inventory items, and interesting weapon choices.

The bad? Well, first of all it isn't free and I'm always skeptical of paid apps on the iPhone. This one is $1.99, which isn't bad, but it's also not a whole lot of game play for your dime. There is really only one main route for the storyline. Your decisions can either get you killed or take you on small detours, but for the most part this doesn't hold up to hours of replaying. I'd say this is an hour of entertainment at best. The story is also short, so you could probably play from beginning to a successful end in fifteen minutes. Also, and this is just the nerd in me, but they misspell "apocalypse" on the title screen. Uncool, guys.

Overall, I think this is a good buy if you're having a particularly boring lunch break, train ride, or blind date. It'll keep you pretty darned engaged even if that only lasts for a limited amount of time. However, if you are looking for a more fulfilling choose your own experience, pay the extra dozen bucks for Max Brailler's Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? ($13.98 on amazon.com). Check out the review for that novel here.

Review: Episode 2 of Telltale's Walking Dead

Well, it's better than going out to the movies and it's half as expensive. That's right. I spent my Wednesday evening like any self-respecting geek should: sitting on my couch and taking in Episode 2 of Telltale's Walking Dead game. Almost a month late from its anticipated monthly release, this game was certainly a tease...but now that I've bedded the beast, I must say that it was worth the wait.

You can check out my review of Episode 1 right here, and I wouldn't proceed any further on this review if you haven't played the first episode yet. This episode was so packed with suspense that it will be difficult to review without giving away too much of the good stuff as it is.

Episode 2 jumps Lee, Clementine, and the group forward about three months. They're still in the motel, but they're starving and even more at each other's throats than usual. After making the difficult decision of whom to feed and whom to leave hungry, you embark on the main narrative of the episode which is sure to have you paying attention to every detail.

My favorite thing about this episode was that it built consistent and realistic tension in a variety of ways. You didn't have moments where you could let down your guard, sigh, or grab a quick trip to the bathroom. Instead, I was planted to my sofa for the two hour duration of the game play. I was fully engaged in the decision making, and I found myself really stressing the decisions--even the seemingly minor ones. Even more so than in Episode 1, Episode 2 feels like a fairly realistic scenario. Often it's difficult to know what the "right" choice is, and there often isn't a way to please everyone or look like the plucky hero. This makes the game satisfying in its honesty and commitment to truthful storytelling.

My only major complaint would be that during a couple of sequences, I felt smarter than the game was allowing me to be. I saw a few things before they came, which helped add to the suspense, but it also made me frustrated that I couldn't say or do the appropriate thing to act on my suspicions as I would have in real life. Still, it obviously only made me want to play that much more. I would also say that the character of Larry made me want to hurl my controller on more than one occasion, but a strong emotional response is the sign of a captivating game. Lastly in the "negative" department, this episode was a little light on the zombie combat, but if you've read any of my posts, you'll know that that isn't the main thing that makes zombie drama compelling to me anyway. Despite the absence of zombies, there's no shortage of life or death situations. In fact, I think I died almost twice as many times in episode 2 as I did during my first crack at episode 1.

I hope it doesn't take them two more months to come out with Episode 3. It's going to be a long summer if I can't swing some punches with my man Lee Everett until the end of August. For now, start playing Episode 2! Xbox users can download the episode starting today for 400 points ($5), but PS3 and PC/Mac users will have to wait until Friday. Or, you could just buy an Xbox like us cool kids.

Review: Tellltale's The Walking Dead

Telltale games released the first episode of The Walking Dead game to PC/Mac, Xbox, and PS3 this week. This afternoon, after 2.5 hours of supremely focused game play, I immediately headed to their website to see when I'd be able to continue to play with the next episode...only to find out they're only releasing one a month! AHHH! Patience FAIL!

So, needless to say, I enjoyed the game. The gaming style was really the kind of game play I can get into; it was primarily based on character interactions and decision making. There was some zombie killing action, but really not very much. This isn't the next Left 4 Dead, but I think it's something just as special and engaging.

The game follows the story of Lee Everett, a man on his way to prison for murder when the zombie apocalypse hits. After his cop car crashes, Lee finds a young girl, Clementine, and the two team up to face a bleak and dangerous world. From there on? I can't really tell you what happens because that will be determined by the decisions that YOU make. And, unlike in some games, the decisions are reasonable and your response choices are realistic. I didn't feel like I was forced to say anything in the game that I really wouldn't have said in real life.

In episode one, Walking Dead fans will enjoy seeing Herschel and Glenn as well as the Greene farm. The world seems to be a comic-television show hybrid. For example, Herschel only has two kids (like in the show), but his farm looks a lot like the comics. In fact, the animation was very reminiscent of Adlard's work which gave it a familiar feel.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing and I can't wait until next month! Download the game on Telltale's website or on your Xbox/PS3. I opted for the XBox version and was happy with the choice.

News: Kirkman's Georgia Invades Your PC

Telltale Games, a PC game developer, will be bringing Kirkman's Walking Dead world to life...or...well, interactive two-dimensional cyber life...super soon. The first episode of their Walking Dead adventure game is slated to be available at the end of April. If you preorder it now, however, you'll be entered into a contest to be animated into the fourth episode of the game. Kind of exciting? A bit, yes.

I'm not really sure how this one slipped by me for so long; I feel super late to the party. I've wondered why they didn't make a video game of The Walking Dead for a while now, but it seems like they were already on it. There's so much more information to explain and I'm sure many questions to answer, but I'd suggest you watch the video below instead of just listening to me regurgitate information. The video is a bit long, but it features a very informative interview with the game designers.

And this video will give you a little preview of the graphics and narrative...pretty cool...