[E3 2011] Fresh Blood
First details on Telltale's adaptation of The Walking Dead, straight from the show floor.
Published: June 15, 2011
Though a rather startling amount of content washed over us as we entered Telltale Games' E3 meeting rooms, we were struck -- literally -- by the studio's upcoming video game treatment of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead graphic novels. Okay, so technically it was a zombie's arm, reaching out from one of the doors, but it helped give some physicality to the information we were given.
For starters, the project is only just now entering the design phase. Much of the project, which takes the source material and will shadow it, but not fall in lock step with it, is still under wraps, but we were at least able to find out how things will start. Though the license is for the comics rather than the TV show (and thus will stick more closely to the longer form storylines that have been detailed in the comics thus far), the actual game storyline is separate from the comics.
Instead of series protagonist Rick Grimes, The Walking Dead game will center on Lee Everett, a con on the way to the big house when the dead rise around Atlanta and cause his transport to head a little off the beaten path. While avoiding the shuffling masses, Everett meets up with Clementine, a 7 year-old abandoned by her parents. Together, the pair will try to escape Atlanta and find some semblance of relative safety wherever they can.
Forced to do more than just save his own skin, Lee's interactions with Clementine represent the tent pole for the entire game experience -- remember The Walking Dead isn't really about zombies, it's about what's left of humanity and how it interacts when society has completely broken down and the only real rules are those of survival. As such, while the unlikely pair exist outside of the main Walking Dead storylines, there will still be cameo appearances by other characters. Given how little of those characters were tapped for the TV show, there's plenty of places Lee and Clemmy's tale can go while working in some of those cameos. Because the game is still so early, we weren't actually able to see how things will look, though Telltale promises it'll at least have its roots in the kind of art styles of Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.
With so little to go on, we're still very much in the cautiously optimistic realm of interest, but it's clear that Telltale "gets" The Walking Dead, and were careful to point out they would be exploring the human side of things more than the groaning hordes. Sure, zombies provide an interesting foil for character interaction, but it's obvious the studio wants everyone to know this isn't another Resident Evil, and for that we thank them.
The moment we find out more information about The Walking Dead's progress, we'll make sure you know. Check back soon for the first screens and hopefully a little hands-on time down the road.
For starters, the project is only just now entering the design phase. Much of the project, which takes the source material and will shadow it, but not fall in lock step with it, is still under wraps, but we were at least able to find out how things will start. Though the license is for the comics rather than the TV show (and thus will stick more closely to the longer form storylines that have been detailed in the comics thus far), the actual game storyline is separate from the comics.
Instead of series protagonist Rick Grimes, The Walking Dead game will center on Lee Everett, a con on the way to the big house when the dead rise around Atlanta and cause his transport to head a little off the beaten path. While avoiding the shuffling masses, Everett meets up with Clementine, a 7 year-old abandoned by her parents. Together, the pair will try to escape Atlanta and find some semblance of relative safety wherever they can.
Forced to do more than just save his own skin, Lee's interactions with Clementine represent the tent pole for the entire game experience -- remember The Walking Dead isn't really about zombies, it's about what's left of humanity and how it interacts when society has completely broken down and the only real rules are those of survival. As such, while the unlikely pair exist outside of the main Walking Dead storylines, there will still be cameo appearances by other characters. Given how little of those characters were tapped for the TV show, there's plenty of places Lee and Clemmy's tale can go while working in some of those cameos. Because the game is still so early, we weren't actually able to see how things will look, though Telltale promises it'll at least have its roots in the kind of art styles of Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.
With so little to go on, we're still very much in the cautiously optimistic realm of interest, but it's clear that Telltale "gets" The Walking Dead, and were careful to point out they would be exploring the human side of things more than the groaning hordes. Sure, zombies provide an interesting foil for character interaction, but it's obvious the studio wants everyone to know this isn't another Resident Evil, and for that we thank them.
The moment we find out more information about The Walking Dead's progress, we'll make sure you know. Check back soon for the first screens and hopefully a little hands-on time down the road.
