A small walker horde started coming in quick. They snarled and groaned with every step, but it seemed like I still had time. Before I knew it there were 4 walkers within just a few feet of Clementine. With only a knife to defend herself, Clementine was quickly overrun by these slow moving creatures and I was sent back to the checkpoint to try again. I was dead, and this wasn’t the only time.
The Walking Dead started as a black and white comic in 2003 that sold well enough to produce a TV show for AMC that premiered in 2010. It wasn’t too long before The Walking Dead became a worldwide phenomenon that garnered millions of viewers and left the video game industry yearning to get their piece of the action. Unfortunately, Telltale games didn’t last long enough to see the end of their successful Walking Dead series.
‘Broken Toys,’ Episode 3 of The Walking Dead: The Final Season, builds on the legacy of the game and adds serious weight in the story. Clementine and AJ had found solace in an abandoned school in the first episode. In the second, the school is attacked by a militia that kidnaps some of the other kids leaving the school reeling and ready to retaliate.
Through the first 2 episodes, I saw some of the consequences of my choices. I could see how AJ had changed through episode 1 and most of episode 2, but there wasn’t any evolution in his character. By many standards, he was still the same despite my choices until the end of the second episode where my AJ killed Marlon. This was the first time I could see the difference in the character, but I had no idea AJ would see so much change in episode 3. The storyline and the character was so well written and the choices so well integrated into the game that I began to see how my choices were producing results within the game.
‘Broken Toys’ also builds significantly on the character of Clementine and how she embraced the role of leading the children that were left from the attack on the school. Clementine in episode 1 was a skilled survivor, but she was desperate to find a group to fall into. She wanted someone to follow, but my version of Clementine was the unquestioned leader of the group by the end of ‘Broken Toys.’ However, AJ and Clementine weren’t the only characters that evolved significantly. There were consequences and changes for every character in the story no matter how important which really speaks to how well Telltale integrated the concepts of choices and consequences into the game.
In addition to a fantastic story, the animation is simply spectacular. It reminded me of the art from the comics that made The Walking Dead a household name while also bringing a fresh take that was unique to this game. Telltale managed to bring a 2D style of art to a 3D game and blend them together seamlessly to create something that is truly visually stunning. The characters, walkers, buildings, and background look as though they were ripped off the page of a comicbook. However, the most impressive thing is that the gameplay is just as beautiful as the cinematics. Usually there is a drop off from the animated segments to the game itself, but The Walking Dead: The Final Season delivered extraordinary visuals in both.
My only complaint about this game is that it simply isn’t replayable. Sure, you can play back through picking different choices but all the big twists have already been revealed leaving subsequent plays without the substance that the first one will have. The first play through is fantastic, but I can’t see myself playing it again despite the fact that the story is variable depending on the choices you make for Clementine. Although it speaks to the quality of the game that my only complaint is that there simply wasn’t enough of it.
Overall, ‘Broken Toys’ is fantastic to play through. The animation, the story, and the choice based gameplay kept me captivated through the entire game and left me impatiently awaiting the final swan song for Telltale’s The Walking Dead even though I think ‘Broken Toys’ will be hard to beat.
9.5/10
Check Out The Walking Dead Final Season Ep. 3 “Broken Toys” Trailer:
The concluding fourth episode of TELLTALE’S THE WALKING DEAD: THE FINAL SEASON releases on March 26, 2019. Fans interested should stay tuned via Skybound Games’ Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, as well as www.skybound.com.
Xbox One Review
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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