A brand new online game based mostly on the favored TV present The Walking Dead is out now on consoles and followers who’ve jumped in to test it out are reporting one other clunky, damaged, and ugly Game Mill-published mess, identical to that terrible King Kong recreation from earlier this 12 months.
My job is to jot down about video video games and to remain up-to-date on what’s occurring within the trade. So I used to be fairly shocked to see a brand new Walking Dead recreation—that I had no concept existed—land on consoles as we speak with little fanfare. I don’t doubt there have been advertising supplies and even adverts for The Walking Dead: Destinies earlier than it launched, however in some way I fully missed all of that and solely found the sport existed about an hour earlier than scripting this paragraph. And let me let you know, it’s been a pleasant Friday afternoon deal with.
Let’s simply lower proper to the very first thing I noticed of this recreation: A boss combat between Rick and Shane over who ought to lead the group. The large draw of this recreation is that gamers can change the occasions of the present, which is cool in idea! I like that concept. Sadly, the shootout between the ex-friends and former cops is likely one of the worst and silliest boss fights I’ve seen in 2023.
I believe Rick takes about 20 or so point-blank shotgun blasts to the face earlier than getting knocked down. Then the combat transitions to a second stage and at this level, the audio begins to chop out and character voiceovers play on prime of one another as Shane smacks Rick repeatedly with a crowbar. Eventually, in spite of everything this silliness, Rick dies and Shane walks away the victor, altering the occasions of the present. But at what value?
Game Mill strikes once more, sadly
The remainder of The Walking Dead: Destinies doesn’t look a lot better. Cutscenes aren’t animated, character fashions look ripped out of a PlayStation 3 recreation, and gameplay appears to boil all the way down to “Run as much as zombie, kick or punch zombie, and press the stab button.” Then simply try this a number of hundred instances or so.
Without enjoying it I can’t say if it’s truly worse than Skull Island: Rise of Kong, one other recreation revealed by low-budget writer Game Mill. But even when The Walking Dead: Destinies is healthier, that’s a low bar to clear.
I don’t blame the builders behind this recreation for it being such a large number. As beforehand reported about Kong, Game Mill appears to supply little help and few assets to the studios engaged on its video games.
So it’s solely attainable (and sure) that gifted and passionate builders crunched onerous on Destinies in a brief period of time to get one thing out, and that is what we acquired. And whereas that sucks and is perhaps one other signal of how the sport trade treats its staff like rubbish, it doesn’t change the truth that you most likely shouldn’t purchase this new Walking Dead recreation. But benefit from the movies of its wonky boss fights all you need.
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