With the gaming style of “point and click” games making their comeback on the consoles, TellTale seems to be the publisher at the head of the movement. Before this, they have successfully released two games based on the comic book version of THE WALKING DEAD and now there is a third that has been released based on the fan favorite character, Michonne. The game is named THE WALKING DEAD: MICHONNE – A TELLTALE MINISERIES and it has 3 episodes in total. This miniseries explains her missing time between issues #126-#139 in the comics.
Gameplay
The gameplay is like the other Telltale games out there but it has definitely been refined. The character movements and choosing from the selection wheel has been improved a bit so you find yourself choosing the incorrect actions a lot less. The game has more action than the other games with the character being a blade-wielding survivor who uses her weapons from the jump. White the story is being setup; you get a feel for the movements you need to make to kill the walkers or foliage in your path. The on-screen indicator for action feels a little bigger so there are less mistakes when performing the tasks. To get the actions just right is always a welcome challenge because you don’t ever want a game to be too easy or too difficult.
If you were to compare the camera placement and its movement to the first series that was released, you can tell that it is another part of the game that has been refined. Is it perfect? No but it is the closest to perfect that we, the gamers, have been able to get so far with this type of game.
Graphics
The graphics have been cleaned up a lot and are smooth, keeping that gritty comic book feel in the characters on screen. The thick lines and well-placed details on faces also help with the realism of the game. The walkers/zombies are still gory & disgusting and it’s the first thing you see in the second episode. The character movements look like motion comics but that is all a part of the charm. As for the background images, Telltale has always made sure to keep the visuals looking natural and lived in. Settings are detailed with natural decay of the boats and buildings. I love the look and feel that Telltale creates in these games.
Audio
The voice acting is strong in this series with the casting being about what I would imagine the characters sound like. Of course, Michonne is also on the TV series and played by Danai Gurira. In the game, she is voiced by Samira Wiley who is best known for being on the Netflix series ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK as the loud Poussey Washington. Her voice fits well with the character but she doesn’t really make the character her own. It is like she is doing an impression of Gurira’s version of the character. I’m not saying there is anything bad about it but the softness of her voice seems a bit off.
Like the visuals, the audio immerses you into the game right away. There are many layers to the audio that elevate the experience. It starts with the soft score that’s always playing and only gets louder during a transition or intense action. Next are the ambient sounds of the insects and water hitting the boats or the shore. The effects and voices are the final layer and all together sound great.
Bottom Line
As a whole, Telltale has another winner here with the entire miniseries. This is a nice way to fill in the gaps to some of the favorite characters from this awesome IP. This is a compelling story about the tough Michonne and it’s always nice to see her in a different setting. I really enjoyed the ending and I feel like it fits well with the character. The graphics are excellent and the audio is good but my only gripe is with Michonne’s soft voice. It’s a very minor complaint and it is not, by any means, enough to tell gamers to avoid the game. I highly recommend this game for fans of the previous games, comics, and the show.
Have you played it? Have any questions? Let us know in the comment section below:
