The Walking Dead: The Game - Episode 2 Review

For interactive fiction fans, new episodes of The Walking Dead: The Game can't come soon enough. Telltale Games are in spectacularly fine form when it comes to this series. Following the path of other survivors than those featured in the TV series and comic books is an inspired touch.

Episode 2 skips ahead a short time after the events of Episode 1. The group are just about surviving in an old motel, mostly arguing over what to do next. The events of the first episode has cemented some relationships, depending on choices the player has made, but also divided opinions. That theme continues in this latest episode, but things turn even more horrific and grittier.

It's tough to talk about what happens in the story without spoiling the events that unfold. Just bear in mind that this episode is much more focused on interacting with other groups of survivors rather than escaping the zombie hordes. It's tough going and some of the choices are especially gruelling. Even characters that didn't feature in the first episode still manage to tug at your heart strings.

As before, The Walking Dead: The Game demonstrates that there's a lot more to surviving a zombie invasion than simply dodging the undead. Dividing up minimal food supplies is one major obstacle.

Much like the first episode, there are still issues with slowdown and sluggish performance on an iPhone 4. This particularly affects action at the start of new scenes, before settling down a bit. It's never frustratingly stuttery but it is a minor speed bump for an otherwise exceptional game.

At around 2 hours long, Episode 2 isn't the longest of games but it is intense enough to ensure that it's consistently gripping. By the end of the episode, players will be desperate to see what happens next and, almost certainly, a little guilty at how they react to certain events.