The Walking Dead video game, like the TV show it’s based on, will be a serial experience.
In other words, it will be released in a series of installments, or “episodes.” Each episode will be available for $5, and will be distributed through the online distribution channels on the PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as PC and Mac.
In addition, those who want all episodes will be able to buy a $25 season pass.
Until the new TV show season picks up in the fall, eyes will focus on the video game adaptation. The trailer doesn’t actually show any gameplay footage, but does demonstrate how well the tone and darkness from the comic book series and TV show are translated to the new medium.
The Walking Dead has gained notoriety for its epic storytelling, and for its ability to tell expand what has become a very traditional pattern for zombie-related action stories.
When it comes to zombie plot lines, they are almost always written to be conveyed in a very finite, time-sensitive context. The story involves a city or town being overcome by zombies, until eventually some top-secret government group is able to come in, nuke the place, and erase any memory of the zombie existence.
In The Walking Dead, though, there is a more realistic depiction of a world that becomes completely overrun by the undead creatures, and showing that such an event is more than something that could be summed up in a 90-minute movie.
Indeed, this is the first time that a zombie invasion has been the subject of a serial drama, and it’s opening up the imagination of zombie fans the world over.
The game is being released by Telltale, which gained fame for its masterful video game adaptations of Wallace & Gromit and Back to the Future, which were also released through a series of inexpensive “episodes” that were released over time.
