**Note: This review contains SPOILERS from The Walking Dead (Season One). I suggest that you finish that game prior to reading this review. That is, unless you don't care about spoilers. Consider this your fair warning.After the acclaimed success of 2012's The Walking Dead (Season One), it's no surprise that TellTale Games released a follow up less than a year later; what is a surprise is that we don't have a Season Three yet. During that short time, the company managed to add some additional mechanics that made the experience still feel as fresh as ever, despite its familiar graphics and linear styled gameplay. If your feelings and conscience were strained with the series' first installment, you haven't experienced anything yet.
Continuing nearly a year after where the first game left off, The Walking Dead: Season 2 puts you in the shoes of 10 year old Clementine. Since Lee sacrificed himself to save her, Clementine eventually regrouped with Omid and a very pregnant Christa. It doesn't take long for things to heat up, and within a matter of minutes the first character is killed off, proving to the player that this title is going to be filled with even more dramatic, hard-hitting events than its predecessor. After this event, sixteen more months pass and eventually Clementine is alone in the world, left to defend herself and scavenge for food and water without the aid of anyone. It's truly a horrific plot if one thinks about it, and how dangerous a world like that would be for such a young kid, especially a little girl.
Sticking with TellTale's signature design, the game is split into five episodes. As well, the player is given the choice of four dialogue options in any given conversation; jerk, nice, apathetic, and no response generally speaking. If you have a save file of Season One, the game will take the choices made from there and implement them into the storyline. While the quick time events are still present, there's also the addition of a slightly more sophisticated combat system that requires aiming with the mouse or controller. As well, the player can move Clementine around the world more in this title than Lee in the sophomore release. Basically speaking, there's more freedom of movement in this title. Other than that, the core mechanics stay the same; including the "remember" system where characters will remember your conversations and actions toward them.
The graphic style has pretty much stagnated from the first release, although Season 2 does feature more luminosity with a few brighter colors scattered sporadically throughout; such as the sunset sky, or a campfire. It still features cell shaded comic graphics, as it should given the history of the series. It also seems to be a little more detailed, and a lot more gory than its predecessor. All are a welcomed upgrade. As usual, the voice acting is in an unrivaled top tier, and the emotions of the characters really bleed through wonderfully.
If you enjoyed TellTale's first Walking Dead game, then The Walking Dead: Season 2 will not disappoint you at all. Some, like myself, may not enjoy playing as Clementine as much over Lee or another "grown up" character, but there's a deep appreciation for how adventuresome the storyline is. Playing a ten year old girl in a harsh environment such as the zombie apocalypse is genuinely unfathomable, and psychologically horrifying if one sits down and thinks about it deeply enough. Even though to some people it doesn't stack up as well to the first game, it's still a worthy successor and amazing story without question. Again, given its age I do recommend this title on sale.
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