The Walking Dead as Literature/Interactive Fiction

nateav

As Telltale fans, I wondered what you all though about what The Walking Dead means for games and fiction in the years to come.

My friend and I co-write a gaming blog, and I recently shared my thoughts on The Walking Dead as a piece of literature, along with the nature of games and story.

Is The Walking Dead a revelation, or just another good game?

thestalkinghead

for me The walking Dead game set a new standard of storytelling in games, it is the "............" (no I'm not going to say it ) , from the time it came out it has been something to compare all games to in terms of a believable story with believable characters, so yeah it is a revelation and a good game

nateav

I definitely think that it's both, too.

There are a lot of people for whom gaming isn't really their jam, but they do like a good story. I think they should play The Walking Dead. It really raises the standard for what interactive fiction is and should be.

Bioshock Infinite WD

I am afraid the standard is way to high thanks to The Walking Dead, not like that is a bad thing.

TTaing987

I think it's a revelation, it needs to be recognized as that. I know many people that wouldn't give it a chance because it's "just a game."

Bioshock Infinite WD

I know to many people that think it's not even a game, I will continue to say it's a game until the end of time, if it requires you to do stuff it's a game.

SestrenNK

That was a well-written piece.

I'm not sure if I could call the game a "revelation" but can't fault anyone who believes so. To me, I feel that TellTale succeeded where others haven't. Right now we're seeing a shift of whether the medium should be seen as "video games" or "interactive entertainment", one where I find myself conflicted. I'm a bit wary of the notion that games in general should begin to place story above gameplay. It works great for some games, but it's not something I want the entire industry to pursue like some people are pushing for, as if games without story are destined for failure. Telltale is a unique developer, and I'd like them to remain so.

To me, it feels like many other and larger developers try to utilize every asset they have available to them to make an engaging experience and completely miss the mark. Some stories take themselves too seriously, some are clearly the result of a writer with a huge ego that feels their message must be heard, and even good stories suffer from weak characters or settings. And a lot are good but don't dominate the game. While I normally prefer fast-paced action arcade games, I can always count on Telltale for something different with clever writing, and one of the few developers that can actually make me laugh out loud.

With how much money is spent from so-called AAA development, and all the hype and attention those games get, I was pleasantly surprised to see that The Walking Dead received the most praise. I think it makes something of a statement that big money, marketing, graphics and the like doesn't necessarily make a great game, and to me those games feel driven not by creativity and respect for the player, but solely by demographic appeal. To me, The Walking Dead doesn't try to be bigger or more complicated than it needs to be, and I think that plays a big part in why it works so well. It immerses you without all the unnecessary distracting bells and whistles, and makes it believable. It got it right, and while the gameplay isn't perfect, it's designed to accompany the storytelling and it does that well.

I do hope that people can recognize that games can invoke emotional experiences no different than books and films, but I don't want games in general to lose the "game" element either. Not to say story-based interactive entertainment has no place, but I don't feel it should dominate the market either. There's got to be plenty room for all kinds of games.

Bioshock Infinite WD

Amen to that brother, you are so right about that.

nateav

I like your comment about how the "The Walking Dead" doesn't try to be bigger or more complicated than necessary. Keeping the universe simple and focused removed opportunities for glitches and other confusing things that might have messed it up. That's maybe one reason why I think "The Walking Dead" works better than other story-driven games such as "L.A. Noire"

Creating a good story-driven game is extremely difficult, partially because it requires a seamless integration of good storytelling and good game mechanics. If a game is more, say, strategy or reflex driven - an interesting story may be a plus, but it's certain not required. If a game is story driven but has terrible mechanics, well, most people won't get far enough to appreciate the story. Even if they do, good story telling requires elements like tension and timing, which bad mechanics can easily screw up.

"The Walking Dead" is more flawed technically than in any other area, but the one element in the game that mattered most was executed brilliantly, and that was the dialogue tree and decision making. Telltale really did a bang-up job there, and it makes me excited to see what's coming next.

Bioshock Infinite WD

I do believe there games will have less technical problems as time goes on, saying that got rid of the save glitch for season 2 is a great start.

BritishBurger

In this game I feel everything is switched from what it normally is. In a game like... The Last of Us I actually have to move my character down the road and the dialogue is chosen for me. In TWD the game moves my character for me as I chose my dialogue.

That is why this game is so special.

Bioshock Infinite WD

That is so true how many games can you name that does that, I can't say any other then this one.

nateav

Good point about The Walking Dead inverting things from most narrative type games.

I think that's one thing The Walking Dead has that I've been craving for a long time - a sort of relational and emotional control over an action-oriented control. It's not about reflexes or strategy or puzzles, it's about your culpability in decision making -- which the game makes inescapable.

watertommyz

I think of The Walking Dead as a bit of an experiment in what kind of story games can potentially tell if it chooses to do so. I do think gameplay should be the bigger part, or the focus for a majority of games, but since this was more of an experiment, and the way it was presented, I can't imagine any other way to have adapted TWD as a video game. Especially comparing it to the rushed cash in from AMC. Ick.

That being said, I think TellTale's The Walking Dead is on the level of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend (the book I mean, and not a single iteration of the movies), and it really paved way for what can be done with a video game story. You don't see child death in video games, nor zombie children for that matter, and the way TellTale used this theme to better reflect your connection to Clementine was so very powerful and haunting, not to mention done in a tasteful manner. It made the story all the more realistic, and all the better.

I've already given most of my thoughts on the matter here back when I completed the game; http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42491