The Walking Dead is a media juggernaut that has spawned its own TV series and several video games. Adding to the list of the latter is The Walking Dead Assault, the new action shooter and strategy game for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It was developed by Skybound LLC, the same company that brought the original TWD comic series to life.
Gameplay
The Walking Dead Assault is a top down action game that loosely follows the first few issues of the original series. The game starts with the player controlling protagonist Rick Grimes as he wakes up from the hospital after getting shot. Along the way, he must get weapons and ammunition in order to fight off the hungry zombies in his way. He will also be encountering some familiar faces within the TWD continuity, and players can get to mix and match players in order to form a formidable team to combat the relentless walkers out for their flesh.
Chapters
The game is divided into chapters, which further advances the storyline. Players must guide the party and complete all objectives, all the while avoiding getting bit and getting turned into a walker. Once a chapter has been completed, stats and rankings will be provided, and these would include total time as well as number of walkers disposed of. Depending on how you performed, rewards would be provided. There are also some special objectives that you can try to attain, and these are specific to each chapter as well as optional to complete.
New chapters will be unlocked once the previous chapter has been completed, though you can still play finished chapters in order to get the highest possible score.
Battle Mechanics
The combat system is pretty basic. Each character has a weapon, either a gun or a melee type object, which basically defines their attack range. When a walker comes within range, the character will attack automatically. Of course, the closer the enemy is before you can attack, the higher the probability that you can get bitten.
Once players have acquired some fellow survivors, they can choose among them to form a party of four. This allows players to control them individually or as a single unit. Each character has their own weapon as well as their own set of attributes, so proper mixing and matching of members to go with you on a mission is a must.
Players can also tap on green glowing objects as these can be used to distract walkers. This is a great way to separate a group of walkers so that you may divide and conquer, as well as an effective way to have them turn around so that you can sneak around and attack them from behind.
Players can also trigger special skills, which are unique for each character. These are great when used in combination with other characters, and is a very effective way when trying to dispatch of or get away from a large herd of walkers.
Supplies
Supplies can be collected throughout the chapters. These can be used to unlock characters so that they may be included to your team, and they can also be used to improve character attributes so that they may be more effective in battle. Supplies, however, may come in short supply for your tastes, in which case in-app purchases of additional supplies can be made via the application.
Rewards
The Rewards section is where you would be able to access special items that you may have acquired such as special artwork as well as canon trivia from the series. While these have no value in game, these bonus items would surely be a treat for any hardcore TWD fan. Bonus supplies and additional characters may also be accessed and purchased here.
Conclusion
The Walking Dead Assault is a must have game for any TWD fan or for those who enjoy zombie themed games in general. It can even be enjoyed by those who love strategy games as there are multiple ways on how to build up your teams for each mission and use their attributes and abilities to take advantage of each specific situation. The graphics are also top notch, done almost in comic book style down to the artwork and color being used, and this gives the game that authentic The Walking Dead comic look and feel.
While some may see the gameplay within The Walking Dead Assault as repetitive and boring, others can argue that the various combinations that you can do with your party can add countless hours to your playing time. Also, the ability of players to control and manage their teams while in the field and battling zombies can be pretty fun, challenging, and entertaining indeed.
The TWD series has been known for breaking new grounds, and The Walking Dead Assault is no exception. While it is an action filled game, TWD Assault focuses more on strategy rather than the actual battles, making this game something that is unique in its own right and fully deserving of the TWD label and brand.
