Is Telltale's The Walking Dead the one of the best stories ever written?
Telltale's The Walking dead is a fantastic piece of storytelling, and has phenomenal writing, characters, dialogue, and excels in basically every area involving story. I'm pretty sure that everyone here can agree on that, but is it the BEST?
I'm sure that quite a lot of people here would say that The Walking Dead is the best when you only take video games into account, things like The Last of Us, Bioshock Series, and The Wolf Among Us, but when talking about all medias? Including Books, TV Shows, and Movies, are there any that are better written than this masterpiece?
Let's take something like... The Lord of the Flies for a comparison. I personally feel that The Lord of the Flies, is one of the best written books, right next to stuff like The Stand, and to Kill a Mockingbird. It has several layers of symbolism, and a much deeper meaning. TWD also has quite a lot of symbolism, maybe not as much as The Lord of the Flies, but it does excel in terms of theme. TLOTF explores the idea of Inner Evil, and it does it quite well, but TWD has many themes across, all well explored with different symbols and characters connected to each.
As a whole, TWD had TLOTF beat in one area as a whole, the actual characters, dialogue, and anything the makes it... Enjoyable to the vast majority of people. Lord of the Flies doesn't do to well here, because it's more of a commentary than a well-rounded story.
When doing a lot of these comparisons against stuff like Contact, Breaking Bad, To Kill a Mockingbird, I find that in my opinion and objective and analytical view, The Walking Dead always comes out on top. So, what do you guys think, have Telltale written the greatest story ever with the first Season of The Walking Dead? Or do you think that there might be something better out there?
EDIT: Perhaps I should say this instead, there probably isn't any real "Best" story ever. Really, it all depends on opinion, judging everything for it's own merits, etc. Still, I will say that Telltale's The Walking Dead is my favorite Story ever, and I would call it the best that I personally have ever experienced.
Comments
I've got one that might be better: Les Miserables (the original book). Its also a story about a man who you first meet as a convict. I highly recommend it, but it's LONG.
Yes, I've heard about that book. I saw the new movie and didn't really like it, so it put me off the book, but I might read it if I can find it. Also, I'm not too worried about length. I read the complete version of The Stand by Stephen King. 1141 pages. Though, it doesn't seem that long because it's constantly changing the perspective. Fantastic book, one of my favorites next to Lord of the Flies and The Great Gatsby.
Think like 2k pages, maybe a little less. The book is much better than any of the movie versions. I highly recommend it.
Wow, that is pretty long. I'll give it a try at some point, I haven't got much more to read at the moment.
The story is fantastic, but I don't think it is as good as others. I think the interactivity of the game is what pushes it over the top as a 'must own' and 'deeply loved' story.
The story of Bioshock: Infinite is a possible winning challenger to me.
Personally, i'd like Telltale's The Walking Dead to be as puzzling someday. I can only hope, though...
The only game that I can think of that comes close to TWD story wise...Heavy Rain?
I haven't played TLOU or Bioshock.
The story of Walking Dead is great for sure. But, I think you are making a pretty big leap to conclusion here, saying that it is better than any story written in the last 6000+ years of human history, since writing was invented. It definitely deals with a subject of human nature, but so many writers, philosophers, poets, comic book writers and movie makers have explored this subject thousands of times, and probably in a better way than TWD has, some have gone so far to go directly to human mind itself detailing every thought and everything that is happening in man's mind, and exploring emotions so deep that TWD will hardly ever be able to.
BUT!! One of the greatest stories ever told in video games as an art medium? Now on that... I can agree! Although I still wouldn't call it the best story ever, things like those are highly subjunctive. If you really think that TWD's story is the best there is, than it's okay.But,I would have to disagree on this.
The Walking Dead, Contact, Breaking Bad, To Kill a Mockingbird, or even The Last of US (my favorite GAME story) arn't the greatest story's ever told. Sorry but there is one story the conquers all story's. It's a love story. It's...
There are plenty of other great, and amazing story's out there but this is the best.Watch it and feel the empty void in your heart once it's over (unless you have a brick for a heart). There are shows and games I will watch and play more often then this, but that's because Clannad is special. It's not a show you just watch over and over.
Eh, it's got a LOT of plot holes if you examine it close enough, I don't think that it's as well written as the first two. The only reason that it'd be better is because of Booker and Elizabeth.
The reason that I think that it's better than other things that also explore human nature is because it's a well-rounded story as well, where as most of those are more like thought experiments, or if they do act as stories, they aren't quite as good. Telltale's Walking Dead does both and does them both equally well. This is one of the things that I think pushes it over most of what else there is. The other thing is it's interactivity. Because of this, people got attached to the characters, they felt part of the story, and outside of Telltale, this is something that nothing else has EVER been able to do, I'd argue that not even Heavy Rain did it nearly as well as TWD did it. I honestly do think that it could literally be the best story ever, I know it a big leap, but those two things, along with the fact that it's just genius, are what I think sets it apart.
........
I've heard this before, and I'm just not convinced. Nobody has EVER convinced me to watch Clannad, and I don't think they ever will. I honestly don't think that it will make me cry or whatever, and really my biggest problem with it is that it is just so overly... Anime. It's got so many anime tropes that get in the way of me enjoying it, or at least, it looks like it does. I'm just not buying that this is better than... you know... the majority of things.
The story itself is pretty generic. The characters and the way the story is told are both exceptional.
The characters are well written and well played and the ending is fantastic. The world the game is set in is pretty amazing also. What are the plot holes you speak of? (Actually interested)
So you won't watch the show... but it's filled with tropes... YEP, LOGIC MAKES SENSE TO ME.
It looks like some weird Japanese show that's going to incorporate tentacles as a main character....
But I'll bite, what's it about?
Many books which deal with human nature also have quite rounded stories. Just as I said, your opinion mate, it is all subjunctive, but I just have to disagree it being the best story there is. I am glad you like the story so much
Had Lord of the Flies made you cry like a bitch?
Did Mass Effect make you cry like a bitch?
No? Well, that's some kind of something.
I'd argue that it is just as good.The dialogue in The Walking Dead is by far the best I've ever seen, I simply can't explain how fantastic I think it is, and it is extremely well-acted. The story is very well paced, and it's got a bunch of twists and turns that are all very well placed in context of each other. The only episode that doesn't follow this is maybe the first episode. I don't think that there was a poorly written character in the entire thing.
The whole thing was a masterpiece, I believe more so than anything that I've ever experienced. However, I definitely wouldn't say that it's the best story ever based on that alone. There are really two things that make me come to that conclusion. The first is it's complex themes, symbolism, deeper meaning, etc. Specifically, how it handles this. Other things that do this, try to achieve a message, often end up more like a thought experiment, or at least lean towards being that more than being a story. The Walking Dead, all series of TWD, don't do this. They balance it. They are as much a story as they are a commentary on human nature.
The other thing is the interactivity of Telltale's, and how it moved the story forward. First off, they didn't do this like they were just trying it, they knew what they wanted, and knew how they wanted it to affect the story. Because of the interactivity, players felt more connected to the character, more involved and part of the world than anything else could achieve. Because of this, it is a very personal and emotional story for the majority of people. By being more connected to the characters through the interactive element, their deaths were that much sadder, and it enhanced the writing of these characters so much more because people felt a part of this world. Outside of Telltale, this is something that just doesn't happen.
These two things are what set it apart from everything else, and on top of being a masterpiece, I think that this is enough to push it towards maybe being the single best story ever written.
As an anime fan I can tell you that, that is overly stereotypical, most anime never has anything of the kind. However your being open minded enough to let me tell you about the show and I thank you. Clannad is simple for the most part. It is a love story (in my personal opinion the best) about a high school boy and girl. For the first season it's almost like a typical romance, you know how it goes (it is done well however). The second season is what makes the best story though. You see most romance story's end with the kiss or maybe sex, and you never get to really see what happens to the characters you've grown attached to over the series or movie or however the story is being told. That's where Clannad's second season comes in, it changes the show from a simple love story into a story about life. Characters go through troubles and pains, and we get to see them try and figure out how to live after the events of high school. I really don't want to spoil much but if your still not convinced I'd be happy to go on in as vague terms as possible.
The Last of Us is really great with character, but it's story is a bit cliche.
Bioshock is a really smart story that builds a fantastic world, but it doesn't excel in much else besides character, which is brought down by the fact that the first two have silent protagonists.
Umm I don't understand your post. Are you trying to say that a story has to make you cry to be good ? That's wrong.
This video is basically my thoughts on Bioshock Infinite in a nutshell.
I didn't have as many problems with it as this guy did, but yeah, at least look at the part where he kind of takes the timeline apart to show just how horribly convoluted it is. I really don't mind that though, it's more that it just wasn't as good as the first two, but got a lot more recognition.
Of course that's what I'm trying to say! You wouldn't cry to a story or cry for characters if you didn't connect with everything in there.
Look at the picture you posted. That alone is covered with anime tropes. Also, I've heard quite a lot about it. It is basically the embodiment of 'love' anime , with full metal panic being the embodiment of 'action' anime.
I don't mind anime, it can tell fantastic stories, but as of now, I'm just not watching this show. There's other stuff that i've been told to watch that it seems is better...
I'd like to share a second story seeing as the OP didn't seem to like my first post (even though it seems he didn't try it) So here we go.
TENGAN TOPPA GURREN LAGANN !
All of the characters GREAT, The story GREAT, the hype MAXIMUM !
Not sure about being the best story ever but it definitely is the best game i've ever played and i've been playing games since the NES days.
Exactly, possibly the biggest strength of The Walking dead is just how attached some people get to the characters, and how involved the become into the world. I don't think that anything has done that to that extent. Really, nothing else comes to mind.
I don't think that it's that generic, in what way would you argue that it is?
IT'S THE MAIN CHARACTERS ! It's not the embodiment of love "anime" it's the embodiment of the love story. It is one of the most well crafted pieces of our time. I hate it when people judge things without trying them, it's the worst.
You haven't said anything that makes it seem like just a love story, what makes it different? Just good writing?
Fantastic writing, characters, visuals, sound, everything. Everything is top notch.
Alan wake has a deep story within it, if you delve deep enough. Bioshock is Bioshock. The witchers 2 setting and story for me are ace. The characters of Bioware games are just sublime. These are just some of the games that can compete or beat the walking dead in my opinion.
Can you name some?
Also, why would you disagree, what's better? I'd really like to know what you think is better. Also, I get that it's something that opinions can't be kept out of, but trying to view it objectively, I honestly do think that it's better than most stories, and with the added interactivity and how it adds to the story, I believe that it's better than anything.
I understand that you disagree, but can you at least give me some examples of what you think would be better?
As a person who doesn't watch anime I can tell you stereotypes are all I have to judge.
Sounds interesting. While I'm not a huge fan of anime artistry I am always down for a good story, and in todays chase of action and violence I don't think we get enough well made stories set in real life situations so I very well may go and watch Clannad. Is it english spoken or english subs?
It's the zombie apocalypse, but the humans are the real threat. The group survives for a while and then goes to Savannah to look for a boat. What is special about the story itself (not the characters in the story)? How is it not generic? Did you completely ignore my second statement?
Also remember that generic isn't synonymous with bad.
Sorry, I'm interested in what you find as holes in the story but I don't have time to watch a 40 minute video
Both take your pick. For the most part the English voices are great, save a few who may try a little to hard, but for the most part good voice work all around. I think someone uploaded the entire dub and sub to youtube, not sure if it's still up though. Shouldn't be a problem in any case, there are plenty of websites to watch it from.
I've seen you say TLOU is cliche and I think you send out the wrong message by just saying that and that alone.
Some intances in the game are a bit cliche, but overall it is no more cliche than TWD or... most any other zombie story.
Mass Effect 3's ending made me want to cry in frustration, if that counts.
Also, the intro of The Last Of Us made me cry, but nothing like the full-on sobbing into a pillow that ensued from the ending of The Walking Dead.