July 21 - July 27

Section: 

The Walking Dead S2:E4 lands this week on PC, 360 and PS3, carrying on with a franchise that feels like it might be running out of gas. That could just be me, though. I never got all the way on board with The Walking Dead in any of its multiple formats.

I think it's the zombies. As a beloved menace, only vampires seems to gather more prime-time visibility, but I just don't love zombies the way it seems so many others do. I've passed on most of the great zombie flicks, avoided many of the games and, with the exception of World War Z, have read no novels — graphic or otherwise.

I don't have some huge indictment or complaint about tales of zombies, except maybe that it feels like the same story told over and over and over again. I even get that zombie stories are in many ways not really about the monsters, but about us. I see the cool metaphors wrapped into the slow, dead, inexorable doom of the zombie apocalypse. It just doesn't usually grab me.

Games like Dead Rising, Dead Island, Resident Evil and even The Walking Dead — all games I've played — have usually been something I spend a couple hours with and move on. Doesn't mean they're not great games, just games where inevitably the thought of another zombie or another dealing with the problems of a world overrun with zombies sounded like a job perfectly crafted for someone else to deal with.

Which is how I've come to think of The Walking Dead. It sounds like a terrific story and engaging experience that someone else is expertly suited to deal with. Enjoy.

PC
- The Walking Dead: Season 2 - Episode 4 (download)
- OlliOlli (download)
- Gods Will Be Watching (download)
- Data Hacker: Initiation (download)
- Freedom Planet (download)
- Halfway (download)
- Unrest (download)

PS4
- Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty (download)

Xbox 360
- The Walking Dead: Season 2 - Episode 4 (download)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Training Lair (download)

PS3
- The Walking Dead: Season 2 - Episode 4 (download)

Wii U
- Wii Sports Club
- Wooden Sen'SeY (download)
- Master Reboot (download)

Vita
- The Walking Dead: Season 2 - Episode 4 (download)

3DS
- Siesta Fiesta (download)

Comments

I don't have some huge indictment or complaint about tales of zombies, except maybe that it feels like the same story told over and over and over again.

I sense a meta joke here.

My save got corrupted transferring from TWD's season 1 episode 4 into episode 5. I never bothered replaying from the beginning, and didn't want to play without transferring my save. I resorted to reading spoilers to get the finale of the story; it's a pity I didn't get to play it, as it was a solid finish.

But damn was that a depressing game overall. I'll have to wait until I'm in the right mood to play season 2.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Training Lair was robbed! Those Kinect movie tie in free games are always the best!

Halfway looks interesting.

Yes. Yes it does!

Yup. TBS, I'm in.

It's not the zombies that is interesting. It's the peoples reaction and struggle to the zombies that makes the stories interesting. That is why the running zombies or different zombies types never catch the imagination, because it's really not about them. That is why walking dead is interesting, as it shows heroes desperately trying to maintain their human dignity while those around them fall apart. The real monsters are the people throwing away all morals and conscience. The zombies just follow instinct, but the people know they are becoming monsters in order to survive.

wordsmythe wrote:
I don't have some huge indictment or complaint about tales of zombies, except maybe that it feels like the same story told over and over and over again.

I sense a meta joke here.

It's like the zombie genre just won't die.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
I don't have some huge indictment or complaint about tales of zombies, except maybe that it feels like the same story told over and over and over again.

I sense a meta joke here.

It's like the zombie genre just won't die.

And the general audience just continues to mindlessly consume it.

Naxx expansion coming on the 23rd for Hearthstone! Squee!

What's the deal with the "Wii Sports Club" release? Are they adding another game or something?

danopian wrote:

What's the deal with the "Wii Sports Club" release? Are they adding another game or something?

Nope, just the retail release of the collection.

MeatMan wrote:

Halfway looks interesting.

Looks like a perfect candidate to be a popular Winter Steam Sale gift.

I'm not so psyched for season two of The Walking Dead myself after playing season one a second time. Aside from the "wow this gameplay isn't really good" I've already gone into on the forums here, it also felt like a wonderful self-contained story. I kind of feel like it'll just harm the original season to discover what happens to Clementine.

Oddworld was robbed.

The Walking Dead S2:E4 lands this week on PC, 360 and PS3,

And Vita, as the list below the post states.

Portman wrote:

cat mario online

Best MMO or greatest MMO?

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty someday, when I actually get a PS4.

For now, Unrest, which I've had an eye on for a while, should be added to my ever-growing pile.

Gods Will Be Watching
, Data Hacker: Initiation, and Freedom Planet should be getting some attention from me eventually.

I think someone should have told the Freedom Planet people that overwrought voice acting barely sounds okay in context and out of context is just terrible (re: their trailer).

Other than that it looks like old-school Sonic with better gameplay.

Dwango wrote:

It's not the zombies that is interesting. It's the peoples reaction and struggle to the zombies that makes the stories interesting. That is why the running zombies or different zombies types never catch the imagination, because it's really not about them. That is why walking dead is interesting, as it shows heroes desperately trying to maintain their human dignity while those around them fall apart. The real monsters are the people throwing away all morals and conscience. The zombies just follow instinct, but the people know they are becoming monsters in order to survive.

I'm with Dwango on this one, at least in the case of The Walking Dead. The point of the zombie apocalypse is that it's supposed to put people under duress, and that they're more likely to show their true colors once society's conventions have been stripped away. The result is altered social interactions and jeopardized integrity.

I do agree with Elysium that zombies are starting to lose steam, and aren't as appealing as they used to be (in short, I'm kinda getting tired of it). Nevertheless, I downloaded episode 4 of TWD: S2 last night and eagerly await tonight, when I'll get home from work and get to play as Clementine again.

I also think that TWD series is running out of gas. I don't get the same satisfaction as I did in season 1 but don't get me wrong I have enjoyed season 2 overall and I am excited about how it will end!! I think it should end after this season and move onto something else!!

Eleima wrote:
Dwango wrote:

It's not the zombies that is interesting. It's the peoples reaction and struggle to the zombies that makes the stories interesting. That is why the running zombies or different zombies types never catch the imagination, because it's really not about them. That is why walking dead is interesting, as it shows heroes desperately trying to maintain their human dignity while those around them fall apart. The real monsters are the people throwing away all morals and conscience. The zombies just follow instinct, but the people know they are becoming monsters in order to survive.

I'm with Dwango on this one, at least in the case of The Walking Dead. The point of the zombie apocalypse is that it's supposed to put people under duress, and that they're more likely to show their true colors once society's conventions have been stripped away. The result is altered social interactions and jeopardized integrity.

But that's really any post-apocalyptic scenario, isn't it?

wordsmythe wrote:
Eleima wrote:
Dwango wrote:

It's not the zombies that is interesting. It's the peoples reaction and struggle to the zombies that makes the stories interesting. That is why the running zombies or different zombies types never catch the imagination, because it's really not about them. That is why walking dead is interesting, as it shows heroes desperately trying to maintain their human dignity while those around them fall apart. The real monsters are the people throwing away all morals and conscience. The zombies just follow instinct, but the people know they are becoming monsters in order to survive.

I'm with Dwango on this one, at least in the case of The Walking Dead. The point of the zombie apocalypse is that it's supposed to put people under duress, and that they're more likely to show their true colors once society's conventions have been stripped away. The result is altered social interactions and jeopardized integrity.

But that's really any post-apocalyptic scenario, isn't it?

Indeed, and I feel like what made Telltale's Walking Dead: Season One wasn't even that it was necessarily about that. More that it was about a rather unlikely topic (that I happen to be going further in-depth on in video format (shameless plug)). Most of the time zombie stories are essentially just a pessimistic view of society, but if you look at season one of The Walking Dead as a story about proper parenting, it gains value and also stands out amongst the rest of its kind.

Similarly, Zombieland is unique because it's a comedy, though it's also more optimistic in that it teaches an introvert to "nut up or shut up", gives another man a family, and teaches two sisters to trust in others. Granted it's much more simple and Hollywood, but it makes Zombieland a more enjoyable film to watch because you like the characters.

Basically, A Boy and his Dog says some f*cked up things about a post-apocalyptic world where the rules of civilized society go out the window, as well as a lot of other things, but I'm not about to watch the film again any time soon whereas I'll watch Zombieland again at the very mention of it.

Of course, the point still being that ultimately, the zombies are the least interesting thing about the stories/films either way.

Definitely, Wordsmythe, that pretty much works for any post-apocalyptic scenario (case in point: Fallout), the zombies just add extra incentive.

Ans Ccesarano... Parenting is hard enough as is, I'm glad I don't have to do it with zombies chomping at our heels.

Putting this here since there is no catch-all for Halfway.