Should you get this episode? Read our The Walking Dead Episode 2 Review
Starved for Help starts off three months after the events of episode one. Episode one felt more chaotic and reactionary to the showing up of zombies, while episode two shows the characters are more settled in to their surroundings and have a better understanding of the outbreak. Even the walkers aren't as scary as they once were. At the end of episode one, the game painted a bright and somewhat positive future. The cast stumbles onto a motel that seems like the perfect place to set up a defensive position. Everyone seems happy that they'll have beds, supplies, and a fortified position. But after three months you realize that this zombie apocalypse will not go away easily. Lee and his group are running out of food, tensions are high, and certain characters have their own agenda.
The centerpiece of Starved for Help is obviously food. The group may have a dug in position, gasoline, and a good amount of able bodies, but one major thing they are running out of is food. Early on you'll be given a choice: With four pieces of food, which four of the ten people will eat today? And it isn't like a full meal or anything; Lee is deciding who gets half an apple for the day. So as you could imagine, tempers are flaring and tensions are high. There is a power struggle going on within the group, and new members are shunned. Many post apocalyptic stories center around humanity as a whole rebuilding, but in The Walking Dead the group is set on not helping anybody else, since food is so scarce.
There also seems to be a theme throughout the episodes that I noticed. Clementine is the young girl that Lee is protecting. While she is still hanging on to the thought that her parents are still alive out there, Lee knows better and he is there to protect her in this crazy new world. Clementine seems to embody innocence and some of the decisions that Lee is able to make reflect that. She represents humanity in a world where little is left. If Lee were ever to break down and forget that compassion is a driving force in what makes a human a human, then he will most likely lose Clementine and his own character.
The story of The Walking Dead is a breath of fresh air for zombie games in my opinion. It really proves that less can indeed be more.
The graphic-novel visuals look fantastic on these platforms and there are no problems with stuttering. Sound syncing errors with the 360 have also been cleared up on the PC and PS3, so lip syncing and atmospheric audio effects are now in time with on-screen animations. But the camera cuts and the frame rate issues are still there which sometimes can become really annoying.
Overall Episode 2 is great. The story around it is amazing. During the episode we learn that in a zombie outbreak, the most dangerous things are not the zombies, but the humans itself! Definitely buy and play this game and if you missed our review of the first episode, you can check it by clicking right here.
9/10-Editor Choice
