Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic series has certainly proven to be a pliant property over the last few years. On top of the hit TV series prominently featured in AMC's blockbuster lineup, Telltale has been delivering one of the best episodic video game experiences to date in its own Walking Dead game. That game is far more rooted in the comic series than the TV show, which means that any opportunistic video game publisher could theoretically make their own game based on the TV series' canon and feel totally well and good about having another game called The Walking Dead because it's kind of a different deal, sort of.

Enter Activision. Yes, the Call of Duty publisher has teamed up with developer Terminal Reality to turn The Walking Dead TV series into, what else, a first-person shooter. However, this isn't a fast-paced zombie target shoot, but rather a survival oriented game where the player will have to decide how to manage scarce resources and whether or not to engage the zombie hordes that stand between them and survival. So, Dead Island then, or thereabouts.

Or should I say Dead Island with massively over-the-top racist protagonists. The game will follow the prequel story of Daryl and Merle, who you may remember as the pair of survivalist brothers who also kinda sorta hate anyone who isn't white. Well, that's more Merle, I guess, and in the game you'll largely be playing as Daryl, who is handy with a crossbow (Year of the Bow!) and also less racist. Other characters will enter the mix and you'll have to decide whether to take up with them or go out on your own. Making important character decisions that will have grave impact on how your story plays out? Sounds familiar.

I don't want to be overly dismissive of this game, because hey, Terminal Reality has made some fine products over the years, and it's not like they've shown any actual gameplay yet. I just question the need for another Walking Dead game when we already have a perfectly good one courtesy of Telltale. Then again, I imagine the Venn diagram of people who want the slow-paced, character-heavy adventure of Telltale's game, and people who want a first-person zombie shooter where your best buddy is a guy who hates black people is probably pretty close to two circles standing entirely apart. I bet I know which one will have higher Xbox Live numbers!

IGN has the first full trailer up, if you want to check it out. Again, no gameplay, but there are some pretty graphics that remind you of things that happened on the TV show. Like that goddamn farm...

Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic series has certainly proven to be a pliant property over the last few years. On top of the hit TV series prominently featured in AMC's blockbuster lineup, Telltale has been delivering one of the best episodic video game experiences to date in its own Walking Dead game. That game is far more rooted in the comic series than the TV show, which means that any opportunistic video game publisher could theoretically make their own game based on the TV series' canon and feel totally well and good about having another game called The Walking Dead because it's kind of a different deal, sort of.

Enter Activision. Yes, the Call of Duty publisher has teamed up with developer Terminal Reality to turn The Walking Dead TV series into, what else, a first-person shooter. However, this isn't a fast-paced zombie target shoot, but rather a survival oriented game where the player will have to decide how to manage scarce resources and whether or not to engage the zombie hordes that stand between them and survival. So, Dead Island then, or thereabouts.

Or should I say Dead Island with massively over-the-top racist protagonists. The game will follow the prequel story of Daryl and Merle, who you may remember as the pair of survivalist brothers who also kinda sorta hate anyone who isn't white. Well, that's more Merle, I guess, and in the game you'll largely be playing as Daryl, who is handy with a crossbow (Year of the Bow!) and also less racist. Other characters will enter the mix and you'll have to decide whether to take up with them or go out on your own. Making important character decisions that will have grave impact on how your story plays out? Sounds familiar.

I don't want to be overly dismissive of this game, because hey, Terminal Reality has made some fine products over the years, and it's not like they've shown any actual gameplay yet. I just question the need for another Walking Dead game when we already have a perfectly good one courtesy of Telltale. Then again, I imagine the Venn diagram of people who want the slow-paced, character-heavy adventure of Telltale's game, and people who want a first-person zombie shooter where your best buddy is a guy who hates black people is probably pretty close to two circles standing entirely apart. I bet I know which one will have higher Xbox Live numbers!

IGN has the first full trailer up, if you want to check it out. Again, no gameplay, but there are some pretty graphics that remind you of things that happened on the TV show. Like that goddamn farm...

Color me interested.

Call of Zombie!

Well, they've already made the right decision to not make it Call of Duty x The Walking Dead. Looking through Terminal Reality's resume though, I'm not very impressed.

Noted, but not anticipating.

Finally the legions of Xbox Live preteens will be able to play a protagonist as racist as they are

Racist protagonist. Is that a concept on the wiki yet?

I'm calling it now. It won't be very good.

Well at least we have the good game based on the comic. Of course they have a mass market game based on the show.

I wonder what the Kill Streaks will be like?

activision? auto non buy for how they treat the people dedicating their work hours to them.

Finally! I've been waiting for Redneck Rampage 2 for 15 years!

@hungrynun said:

Color me interested.

i think i see what you did there

"...based on the AMC TV series."

Well there's your problem.

Oh good, another zombie shooter. Thank goodness we're tapping this well again.

Maybe it's DayZ-like, with higher production values. Unlikely, but that would be cool.

So they saw what Robotoki is going to do with the Human Element and scrambled to compete, then.

Not interested.

Terminal Reality?! what the hell. That's a name I haven't heard in years.

@TheHT said:

Looking through Terminal Reality's resume though, I'm not very impressed.

Noted, but not anticipating.

--^

I'll pass, thank you.

Just...stop it...

I also don't want to be immediately dismissive, but come on. Why can't Activision try anything cool with the giant pile of money they make on the CoD games?

Eh, thank's Activision for getting ready to destroy a good franchise.

Finally, a FPS zombie game!

After Telltale's excellent rendition, this just seems like an exploitative cash-grab off of a popular IP. Business as usual with Activision. Hope Terminal Reality can make something interesting with it, but I'm not holding my breath.

Is this necessary? No. Will I play it? No. Do I hope it fails? Absolutely.

I'd rather have a game with other survivors, not Daryl and Merle, which is why the Telltale games are so good. Different perspective.

@jozzy said:

Maybe it's DayZ-like, with higher production values. Unlikely, but that would be cool.

Yep. That's what I'm hoping to see. Left 4 Dead but with slower zombies and item scarcity and some sick ass crossbows. My guess is it will not be nearly as good as Telltale's series, however.

Lame. Lame. So, so lame.

@louiedog said:

Finally! I've been waiting for Redneck Rampage 2 for 15 years!

So you're saying this game is going to have Moon Pies?

Time to resurrect that Terminal Velocity engine.

Perfectly happy with just the one Walking Dead game that has almost nothing to do with the TV series.

If you put the Dale action statue on top of the RV of Power to activate a sniper scope, I might be interested from a collector's standpoint.

This'll probably be as bad as Season 2.

I am just gonna stay away from this.

Nope.

Awesome. A game revolving around 2 racist redneck brothers.

Don't get me wrong, I will always be welcoming of more Michael Rooker, but playing as these loathsome characters sounds like hot garbage.

I have someone that works at Terminal Reality on my Steam friends list. Played minecraft with him before. I want to try and see if i can get some info from him.

ofc they are

Carl!

haha

I do not want this.

Love the comics, but I'm not really into adventure games, so I initially wrote off the Telltale game. Then I saw the GB QL and was very impressed by the visuals design, non-traditional gameplay and most importantly the characters + story. Just finished episode 2 yesterday and it's pretty great (read: fucking awesome).

Anyway, I don't follow the TV show and what I'm reading about this game does not leave me feeling very enthusiastic to say the least. That being said, I'd love to once again be pleasantly surprised, I just don't think it's likely to happen.

Get ready for a very mediocre shooter.

So will Zombie mode just be soldiers?

If they do it intelligently and actually play up the interaction and survival aspects than it might be interesting.  If it turns into another mindless shooter where you kill waves of zaaaaambies...than no thanks.

@Excast said:

If they do it intelligently and actually play up the interaction and survival aspects than it might be interesting. If it turns into another mindless shooter where you kill waves of zaaaaambies...than no thanks.

It'll be the latter.

Minor complaint but for someone that hasn't watched the second series that picture is a pretty big spoiler.

Not both of them are racist, just the big dude. The other guy is a barely racist, if at all. I forget the beginning of the show.

Unless this is also based on the books, which I doubt, but then I have no idea, maybe they are both ridiculously racist.

Also gotta love all the hate for Activision in this. Did any of you even read it? It's clearly not Call of Zombies, and it's clearly not just a mainstream cash cow. It may be a cash cow, but it's not just going to be them going for the biggest audience.

I don't even like Activision, but people are so silly when they see that name.

TR has made some great games in the past but that was a long time ago, totally different people, and totally different games. Hope this ends up being cool, at least.