Half-Ass Gaming Reviews: The Walking Dead Episode Five: “No Time Left”

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It was inevitable that it would all come down to this. The sweet little girl that Lee has fought hard to keep at his side is no longer with him. The feeling of losing her is a much worse hell than the thousands of zombies that now roam the streets of Savannah. Lee understands that he must find sweet Clementine no matter what stands in his way, and the sickness that now sweeps over his body will not stop him from saving her. It is up to the remaining survivors to put it all on the line to save one of the last beacons of innocence in the world.

The affliction of the zombie curse weighs down on our hero, Lee. His essence is slowly flowing away, and the rest of the group knows it. Everything begins to fall apart, as the group faces their toughest encounter ever. The ultimate culmination of events comes to a head, with all the major player choices thrown back into Lee’s face. The writing is top notch in this episode, and it almost feels like you are watching an impressive TV drama. The search for Clementine brings about pain, sadness, and even bouts of joy. This episode alone is what interactive storytelling is supposed to be.

The story remains consistent and only breaks up the gameplay sections to give the player a breather, or for a detailed conversation with characters that have come with you on this long journey. The puzzle elements do not trigger in the normal adventure fashion, with quick time events appearing at the absolute most harrowing or must win situations. The fifth episode remains streamlined to the point that players will almost never lose focus on the goal at hand. Even the smallest bit of interactivity or surprise will keep your eyes focused on the screen.

This episode is evidence that a game can make a player care about something that is not even alive. Lee will have to make the darkest choices he has ever had to make, all in hopes that he can somehow reach Clementine before he reaches his final breath. Every time that Lee grits his teeth and pushes on past his limits is a hit to your own personal psyche. I felt myself grip the mouse tighter, or slam as hard as I could on the Q button so that Lee would succeed. I wanted to save Clementine even more than Lee did, and I would do whatever I needed to make it happen.

If you are going to play The Walking Dead as a whole, and were wondering if these episodic games would reach a triumphant climax. I can clearly say that “No Time Left” finishes off the first season with excellence, and shows us why a second season is well worth salivating over. If you are into adventure games or just great storytelling in general, you should go ahead and buy the entire series of The Walking Dead game. As an avid reader of the comics and viewer of the show, I can say that neither one has truly captivated me as much as this medium has. Half-Ass Gaming gives The Walking Dead: No time Left an A+; and with that being the season finale… The Walking Dead: Season 1 receives an A from Half-Ass Gaming. This is truly a game worth experiencing, so go try the demo even if you are not into the zombie craze.