Just after eating on Friday, I had the good idea to make an appointment to see a virtual reality game taking you into the universe of The Walking Dead. Blood and prowlers, what better way to digest?! I allow myself a small digression to remind you that this is the second game linked to the Kirkman license that I have seen during this 2022 edition of gamescom. The first was the Facebook game The Walking Dead: Last Mile. Despite the end of the main series, there is no doubt that the license is doing wonderfully!
The first chapter of The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinner was released on most virtual reality headsets in early 2020 (Steam, Oculus, PlayStation). It offers twenty hours of play, for an adventure that has generally been very well received by critics. This second chapter continues the story that takes place in New Orleans, adding fifteen hours of play (at least) and various improvements. Namely that, even if the two chapters are linked, a new player is able to enjoy the second without having played the first. The scenario remains consistent with what is expected of the universe: an important narrative, strong characters, difficult choices.
Among the notable new features: environments, weapons, bosses, movement animations, work on light... Skydance Interactive, the studio in charge of the project, wants to keep the AAA VR game label. And the bet is successful as far as I have been able to judge.
I played the tutorial, a great way to test all the possibilities, whether it's movement or combat. Immersion in the post-apocalyptic world is immediate, with excellent gesture precision. Of course, it takes a bit of practice. I've dropped my pistol several times for not putting it back in its holster properly. I also struggled for some reason to cut my ax one of the walkers. Despite a good fifteen blows, he refused to let himself be cut. But these are details, which I can put as much on the game as on me (and the fatigue of three days of gamescom).
It is for this reason that I then let a professional proceed. He has sheared prowlers masterfully using one of the new weapons, the Chainsaw. Height of perfection, it is now possible to slice without restriction, in all directions. Members just have to watch out! On the other hand, this weapon is double-edged (if you allow me the expression) because it requires gasoline to operate. However, the service stations in the area no longer really provide regular service...
The quest then asked him to destroy enclosures, in order to stop the arrival of the walkers. To move around the house, he used the same technique as Nick in Fear, that is to say cover himself with guts to pass unnoticed among the walkers. I really like the reference! It just doesn't last very long. Maybe a minute or two. Contrary to what happens in the series where the young man wanders among the horde for whole days without being worried.
A great discovery for this game that I completely missed when it came out. But I intend to catch up before the release of the two, scheduled for the end of this year, on PC, PlayStation and Quest. It could even be that a bundle is offered with the two opuses brought together...
