The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day

 PC
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 853 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 703 out of 853
  2. Mixed: 74 out of 853
  3. Negative: 76 out of 853

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  1. joffacakes
    Sep 9, 2013
    9
    I'm not really a fan of zombie films/games, and point and click usually isn't my thing either, but my word this game is good. It's actually more of an interactive story than a game, but for me, that's not a problem. Sure, some of the puzzles are a little tedious because of the slightly clunky movement engine, but these blemishes are completely forgotten about when you're forced to save oneI'm not really a fan of zombie films/games, and point and click usually isn't my thing either, but my word this game is good. It's actually more of an interactive story than a game, but for me, that's not a problem. Sure, some of the puzzles are a little tedious because of the slightly clunky movement engine, but these blemishes are completely forgotten about when you're forced to save one of your two best friends, and have to make the decision in a split second. Comic cartoon graphics, and a very well written story makes this one of the most gripping, heart-wrenching and captivating titles out there.… Expand
  2. St1fleR
    Jul 5, 2013
    10
    If it is honest, still not to be believed me that Talltale Games could make so shedevralny interactive drama as the best that is in a game store of this developer are satirical projects, and another special doesn't deserve attention.
    This game not about the zombie apocalypse, not about a survival in this world (can only partly), it about relationship between characters, about education of    If it is honest, still not to be believed me that Talltale Games could make so shedevralny interactive drama as the best that is in a game store of this developer are satirical projects, and another special doesn't deserve attention.
    This game not about the zombie apocalypse, not about a survival in this world (can only partly), it about relationship between characters, about education of the little girl in the world which became even more cruel to people.
    The gameplay is a mix of interactive cinema, an arcade and a quest. Here is both QTE, and logical riddles (but, I admit, very easy, too), and branchy dialogues. But the big minus is an illusion, choice illusion, actually isn't so linear as we about it were spoken by developers and game claims, but some choice can incur itself consequences, not at once, somewhere later 2 episodes, can more. But not this main thing in game.
    Plot, here that does it unique, it (in my opinion) the best that happened to the industry for this year. When you endure so many events with these characters, you watch how they change, you start enduring with them that grief or pleasure, and the girl to become not only to the character, but also you, native.    … Expand
  3. LaMagiadeVirue
    Aug 10, 2013
    9
    Jamás vi la serie, pero el juego es uno de los mejore que he jugado. Nos mantiene prendidos a la pantalla, con un suspenso que jamas vi en otro juego. Casi perfecto.
  4. uniquebulletzz
    Jul 22, 2013
    10
    Amazing game. Not only is it fun and imersive but you really get involved and get genuine feelings for the characters and events. Love it. Can't wait for season 2.
  5. SilverSurfer
    Dec 8, 2013
    9
    Wow, what a ride this was.

    TellTale has done a great job. The writers created a story which was not only captivating but an amazing emotional experience. The Walking Dead is a comic-book drawn style adventure game in which the choices you make tailor the story you play going forward and continuously shape the people around you and your game play experience. Every action has    Wow, what a ride this was.

    TellTale has done a great job. The writers created a story which was not only captivating but an amazing emotional experience.

    The Walking Dead is a comic-book drawn style adventure game in which the choices you make tailor the story you play going forward and continuously shape the people around you and your game play experience.

    Every action has consequences and you never can please everyone.

    -----------------
    -- Gameplay
    -----------------
    The game mechanics are nice and simple. The story progresses through point-click action and mainly through dialog with the people you encounter.

    During the dialogs you will be presented with several choices of answers.
    Each answer may or may not have consequences and alters how other people see you, trust you or even start disliking you.

    Every now and then you will end up in a heavy story-changing scenario in which the story going forward is altered quite strongly.
    You might need to make a choice to save one or another person, run or fight or other difficult choice.
    Those choices alter the story quite drastic in places to the extend whereby you might end up continuing your story with different people then if you had made different choices or people start treating you completely different from that moment on.

    -----------------
    -- The Story
    -----------------

    The game places you in control of Lee a man on his way to prison as the story begins and has no idea yet what is happening.
    As you are trying to deal with the world as it now is you stumble across an 8 year old girl named Clementine who you will decide to help out and team up with.

    For the duration of the story your relationship with Clementine and others you meet evolves and are shaped continuously based on the choices you make and how you treat each person.

    I don't want to give to much of the main background story away so I'm not going into to much details.
    Let's just say, for the rest of the game you and Clementine will come across other people and groups, some highly irritating and disturbed while others are more neutral and well meaning, though you will find it hard to quickly know who to trust and who you can't.

    Quite often you will find yourself in situations you wish you could make different choices then the ones presented or make choices you know might not be right but need to be made.

    -----------------
    -- Summary
    -----------------

    Personally I can only say that TellTale and the Writes have delivered something very simplistic but yet so wonderful you are feeling you are writing your own story which will grab you, slowly pulling you deeper and deeper into this emotional roller coaster ride and will not let you go.

    By the end of Episode 5 you will just find yourself staring blankly at the credits slowly processing this whole experience.
    Well, that what it was like for me and I'm already looking very much forward to December 17th to continue on.

    I cannot recommend this game highly enough and hope you will enjoy it as much as I have.    … Expand
  6. DrunkenBlackGuy
    Oct 12, 2013
    9
    Anybody who rates this game less than a 8 is a got darn idiot.. Ive never been a fan of point and clicks but this has to be the most amazing story-driven point and click ive ever played. Not only that it is one of the best gaming experiences ive ever had. i bought this on steam on sale at a super discounted price and the dlc episode...My drow dropped at some of the things that happend inAnybody who rates this game less than a 8 is a got darn idiot.. Ive never been a fan of point and clicks but this has to be the most amazing story-driven point and click ive ever played. Not only that it is one of the best gaming experiences ive ever had. i bought this on steam on sale at a super discounted price and the dlc episode...My drow dropped at some of the things that happend in this game. Damn near cried after episode 5... you get attached sooo much to the characters. I am a real gamer and not a dev check me out on steam and you will see...this game is simply amazing and would give season one of the show a run for its money. i will buy the walking dead season 2 at full price...and i dont say that about ANY games...because im cheap as hell. Point blank buy this masterpiece. IT won GOTY for a reason.… Expand
  7. tonedef
    Dec 30, 2013
    8
    Great game and story. Would recommend even for people who are not into point and click games. I do wish you could skip through some of the dialogue. It would save a lot of time when you already spoke to a character for the second time. Small complaint but highly recommended and worth the buy.
  8. phantomglitch
    Sep 26, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Telltale’s The Walking Dead is an episodic graphic adventure game based on the original graphic novel series by Robert Kirkman. It tells the story of Lee Everett; a convicted murderer, who during the course of the zombie apocalypse comes across a young girl; Clementine, and vows to take care of her. Perhaps one of the most unique elements of the game is that in many ways game play is secondary, it’s more used as a medium to tell the story which is based around your characters choices. These choices change the way the story plays out and are carried over from episode to episode.

    The choices are probably the most important part of the game and it’s where a lot of the fun comes from, you’re constantly placed in moral dilemmas that never seem to have a right or a wrong answer. Try to do the right thing and it can seriously backfire, do the wrong thing and it may come back to haunt you episodes later. One of the first major choices in the game takes place during Episode 1; Walkers break into your hide out and grab two of your people, you can only save one. This choice; Doug or Carley, can completely change the way things happen within the next few episodes. It only gets harder from there, someone in your group has just murdered another in cold blood, do you leave them behind or take them with you? A car lies abandoned by the side of the road, do you take the food or leave it?

    Another big impact of your choices is the way it affects other characters disposition towards you, and chances are at some point you’re going to need their help, how you’ve acted towards them in the past decides how they act in the future. The plot seems to have more twists than M. Night Shyamalan can shake a stick at, never take anything for granted while playing, seriously, it saves a lot of tears. Joking aside the plot twists are done very well, many you never see coming and they integrate very well into the overall story. Throughout all of the story your main focus is on Clementine; an eight year old girl who has to be the best child video game character ever written. She’s intelligent and witty, she gets scared and puts on a brave face, she’s your average eight year old. You really discover how much you come to care for her as you play the game, your choices are affected as you find you’ll do anything to protect this one little girl. At the end of the day she seems like the only character you can trust in the game.

    The gameplay itself is rather simple, built using the lua based Telltale tool it allows the game to be ported to many different platforms such as the PS3, PSVita, iOS, Ouya, Mac, Xbox 360 and PC. As I said before the gameplay really tends to come secondary to the story, unlike most adventure games there’s a lack of puzzles, which although it may disappoint some gamers I personally find it a refreshing take on the genre. The game operates mainly using a simple point and click interface that is obviously designed for console use, although slightly more taxing to use on a PC there’s not much difference. The simple UI is clear and informative without being too spartan or verbose. At certain points quick time events appear, usually requiring the rapid pressing of the Q key or to use the mouse in some fashion. All in all it makes for a simple, yet effective gameplay system.

    Despite all this the game isn’t perfect, it suffers some frame rate issues and graphical bugs. Characters sometimes can seem to move a bit oddly, while not too jarring they can occasionally be an annoyance. Like any game with dialogue trees statements can sometimes seem out of place in the mood of the character, although on the whole the voice acting is excellent and it’s not too noticeable. There are also some reports of some infrequent save game issues although personally I haven’t experienced any.

    The game also has a DLC pack; 400 Days available for download. 400 Days is not a part of the main story, rather it’s a special episode following five different people through the apocalypse as their paths are interwoven with each other, again it’s a very well written, well voice acted episode and while not required to enjoy the rest of the game it’s a nice fix for those of you who have completed the main game and are tired of waiting for Season 2.

    All in all Telltale’s The Walking Dead is an excellent video game, one of the few licensed video games that actually got it right for once. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of the TV and graphic novels, also to anyone who’s a fan of zombie fiction and post apocalyptic horror. in fact I recommend it to pretty much everyone. A very well executed game, and what’s more there’s a second season on the way pretty soon. I give it a 9 out of 10    … Expand
  9. Achti
    Oct 9, 2013
    10
    I seldom felt this much for the characters in a video game. The gameplay itself is pretty simple, but nevertheless entertaning, because of the hard choices you have to make under time pressure.
  10. SunSparc
    Jan 1, 2014
    9
    Absolutely wonderfully done game. Not your typical game where you will sit and strategize, but it definitely puts the user into the story. The story is extremely gripping and I found myself with my jaw dropped due to plot twists and just plain old shocking moments Walking Dead style. You really don't know what will happen next.
  11. fateappointed
    Feb 3, 2014
    8
    Story: 7 out of 10, Graphics: 7 out of 10, Fun: 8 out of 10, Controls: 8 out of 10, Ease to Learn: 9 out of 10, Length: 8 out of 10, Re-play: 5 out of 10, Value: 8 out of 10

    I have a low re-play score on this game because when you re-play the game (which there is a strong desire to re-play this game to try other choices) the new different choices you make either 1) don't make much    Story: 7 out of 10, Graphics: 7 out of 10, Fun: 8 out of 10, Controls: 8 out of 10, Ease to Learn: 9 out of 10, Length: 8 out of 10, Re-play: 5 out of 10, Value: 8 out of 10

    I have a low re-play score on this game because when you re-play the game (which there is a strong desire to re-play this game to try other choices) the new different choices you make either 1) don't make much difference and/or 2) the way the main character and other characters act/re-act for non-mainstream choices is highly unrealistic. I really loved this game and would of given it a 9 for my over-all score, but the re-play that I was anxious to try was a real dud and took away from my original experience; thus giving the game an over-all score of 8.    … Expand
  12. Ne0plex
    Nov 29, 2013
    9
    Some people may say that this game is too slow, and it may not be for those people, but seriously, when I got into this game, which sometimes takes a couple of chapters it is one of the deepest and most emotional games that I have ever played. BUY BUY BUY!
  13. Newton
    Jan 7, 2014
    9
    I really enjoyed this game. I agree that some of the choices are made for you and some caracters will die whatever you do, but it's to be expected to be able to tell a story. Overall caracters have a sense and a meaning to their being there and to story keeps you going with a good sense of tension. Just be aware that this is more of a point and click adventure than an action title, so ifI really enjoyed this game. I agree that some of the choices are made for you and some caracters will die whatever you do, but it's to be expected to be able to tell a story. Overall caracters have a sense and a meaning to their being there and to story keeps you going with a good sense of tension. Just be aware that this is more of a point and click adventure than an action title, so if you expect Left4Dead with a story, you will not like this game.… Expand
  14. iPreciousPanda
    Dec 31, 2017
    10
    I loved this game. The storyline is amazing, and the suspense and adventure of it is very interesting and addicting. I couldn't stop playing! I would highly recommend playing this game, especially if you are a fan of the TV show like I am!
  15. Davidnotavailab
    Jul 3, 2023
    9
    I remember when i first play i liked it it so much and all my friends were like 'this is Not A Game u just look' haha. This is such a good episode and if i hadnt played it back then idk how i would ve perceived games these days
  16. clemleet
    Apr 28, 2022
    10
    this game is awesome. it made me cry. the whole series of games is beautiful, except for part 3
  17. ZID346
    Jul 5, 2022
    8
    I really love the whole series but i think that the first and second season were best. The atmosphere and the story were amazing. Not many interacting and we can say that this is a movie. But i love it. History doesn't bore us and every part of it is interesting (Im talking about The walking dead episode 1).
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Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best PC Game of 2012
40
#40 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012
53
#53 Most Shared PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Jul 8, 2012
    80
    Great both standalone and as a gateway to a larger series. Let's hope it all pans out. [July 2012, p.76]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Jul 3, 2012
    80
    A slow-burn character study, some quick thinking and a constant air of menace make for a gripping start to a new adventure. [July 2012, p.68]
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  3. Absolute Games
    Jun 28, 2012
    72
    Rich atmosphere compensates for poor gameplay mechanics of The Walking Dead.
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