The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct

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List Price: $49.99
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Like many other people that purchased this game, I was highly disappointed.

I will get the ratings over with first, then I will go further in depth with my thoughts on this game

Graphics: 1 out of 5

Story: 1 out of 5

Gameplay: 3 out of 5

The game is short. I have been recovering from surgery and can't move around too much, so taking my time with this game was the perfect opportunity to see what it was all about. Unfortunately, what I thought would keep me busy for at least a week or so only lasted for about a day and a half. I was left with the feeling, "That was it?!" The $50 price tag on this game is ridiculous for the short amount of gameplay. Although, I have to say the game developers were probably wanting to make this a game with "replay value." I only say that because as you go through the maps in the game, you can choose which roads you wish to take (which will bring you to different locations obviously). So, if you didn't visit the mall or the hospital in your first playthrough, you can start the game over and visit all the locations you had not visited previously. Some maps were more fun than others, but you will get that in most any game you play.

The main reason I purchased this game is because I love stories. I was psyched to learn more about Daryl and Merle's back story, about the crazy, unadulterated mischief they get into before running into Dale's group. But I was sorely let down.

(SPOILER ALERT*

Knowing exactly what happened to Daryl's father is kind of cool, but not cool enough to justify a $50 price tag on this game.

And knowing what happens to Daryl's father is about the deepest this "story" delves when it comes tothis game.

As another rater commented, at the beginning of this game, there seemed to be a hint of a story unraveling, but it quickly fell apart and the game just turned into repetitive zombie-killing, doing menial and highly boring tasks for survivors you find along the way and lots of driving. I would like to mention that no, you do not actually get to drive a car in the game (I would have given this game a higher rating if you were able to drive a car imagine all the zombie-smashing possibilities!) driving a car in this game just consists of watching your vehicle move across the map on the loading screen (which happens far too often).

*HUGE SPOILER ALERT*

The only other thing that excited me about this game is the fact that Daryl runs into Amy and Andrea's parents. But that excitement lasted for about a fifth of a second. I thought that maybe the story might get rolling at this point, but I was sadly mistaken. They only wanted me to go on a supply run for them.

And speaking of stories, this area of the story (running into Andrea's parents) doesn't fully line up with the show. You would think that after Andrea's father actually mentioned the names of his daughters to Daryl, that Daryl would have at some point mentioned to Andrea that he had run in to her parents in suburbia somewhere on his way to Dale's group. But I'm not pitting this against the game, because I know I'm being overly picky about that story loophole (like I said, I love stories, GOOD stories).

The graphics on this game are poor compared to other games being released. It is blocky, the animation is jerky at times, some textures are used too often, huge parts of some environments are left empty (and boring) and the zombies' hit boxes seem to disappear when there are a large amount of them grouped together. Truth be told though, I didn't expect much when it came to graphics when I heard it was an Activision game (as they're not well-known for being high quality players in the graphics department). So, all I can say about the graphics is, I kind of expected it.

Overall, the only thing I truly enjoy about this game and had fun with is the crossbow. Plus, I like the fact that Norman Reedus (Daryl) and Michael Rooker (Merle) actually did the voices for their characters in the game.

If you want a decent walking dead game, check out The Walking Dead by Telltale Games.

Click Here to Read More Reviews >>

I think the graphics have been covered already, and it's not a real concern for me. First, let me state there are areas of this game that are difficult and frustrating. Not difficult in the sense that it takes some unique game playing skill or expertise, just that you have dozens of zombies on you and the 'kill' methods aren't the quickest or most precise. As another reviewer stated, this game has one true positive attribute, and that's the tie-in to the show. The game is hardly much fun, doesn't introduce any new gameplay mechanics, and isn't open to roaming. I loved the Walking Dead from Telltale, and I realize some didn't. It was engrossing and engaging and you felt the true desire to keep Clementine safe. This is more of a zombie kill game with no thrills or frills, but the zombie killing isn't much fun. I wish when one was coming toward me I could just jab my blade straight into the head or grab the rascal, shove him against the wall and jam it in the head. Basically, any halfway realistic proficient use of your weapons during a kill would be welcome. All the characters in the show would be dead by the first commercial break if they were so inept at killing the undead.

The stealth actions on this are ok, but you won't stealth your way around huge zombie hoards. My best recommendation is buy this game sub $20, I got it on a 'deal' for opening day, and believe me, I had enough research ahead of time to know not to buy at the $50 mark. I think there are diehard fans of the show that will rate this high, but I feel giving it more than 3 stars isn't realistic for the average gamer. Let me stress that an average gamer doesn't mean the COD fanboys, just people who enjoy fun games, unique games, and ones that you can't wait to start after work or school. The Walking Dead could truly be a great game if done better, with more diversity/roaming, better game mechanics and actions, and I'd actually love some true scares, not just a zombie that happens to be around the corner. I think this game is more about seeing 20 zombies between you and the getaway car, over and over and over...

Buy The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Now

We all know most of these things but this review is just to cover basics and give you an idea of what you are in for when you rent/purchase this game.

Graphics: 2/5

Simply they are not up to PS3/360 standards, however they are not horrible.

Gameplay: 3/5

The game gets very repetitive you are breaking down in you vehicle at the same 2-3 spots all the time or looking for supplies in the same 2 places through the entire game.

Story: 1.5/5

The story.... well it almost does not exist. There starts being a hint of one developing in the first 10 mins of the game and then it is gone. It is re-mentioned once here and there but not often enough.

Action: 5/5

The action brings this game back, lots of zombies to kill and some good "scares" in the game as well :).

OVER ALL RATING: 3/5

Meaning buy it in a month or so when it is less then 50 dollars ;).

Read Best Reviews of The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Here

Of course we all love the Walking Dead.

But this game was way to short, poor graphics and not as expansive as we all had hoped out of this game. I wouldn't spend more than $20 purchasing this used.

Want The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Discount?

If you're a hardcore fan of the show, you might get a couple hours of satisfaction running around stabbing walkers in the face as Daryl Dixon, but anyone who has any idea what to expect out of a modern game will be disappointed. Graphics are just plain bad, and the gameplay is horribly repetitive. There were a couple good ideas here, but none of them were executed well at all. Decent sound design and voice-acting by the actors from the show are pretty much the only strong points of this game.