The Walking Dead: Episode 4 - Around Every Corner
Overview -
The following review assumes you’ve played the first three installments of “The Walking Dead” and understand to discuss this latest installment; spoilers regarding previous entries are unavoidable.
When players last left Lee and company in “Long Road Ahead,” we were on a train to Savannah in search of both a boat to fulfill Kenny’s plan of escaping the doomed land by sea as well as to see if against hope, Clementine’s parents are still alive. “Around Every Corner” begins with a mysterious voice on the walkie talkie asking about Clementine to Lee’s horror, but before any headway can be made in even deciphering the cryptic, ominous message, the group finds itself under siege by a mob of walkers, which results in a tense, action-based series of events for the player to participate in as well as some split second decisions by characters of the group that will set events into motion that make the journey into Savannah one of the most intense and expansive journeys in the series yet.
Video Review
The stylized look of the series continues in this installment, with solid colors and strong texture work; however, like prior installments, there are some technical hiccups. Apart from some animations not being as fluid as desired, the framerate can still drop during cutscenes as the game engine has to adjust for changes in the narrative based on your decisions. While some of these snags can be jarring, it doesn’t detract terribly from the immersion in the game. The game’s major change in scenery allows for a much more varied approach to art design and a sewer level in particular gets the lighting element right. The bottom line is the game as a whole will never be flawless in the visuals department unless, what now seems like unavoidable, technical glitches are completely wiped from the game engine.
Audio Review
Nothing in the game, save for the voice work, in “The Walking Dead” games fights for the spotlight in terms of being outstanding. As with other titles, the game goes for a realistic, if minimalist sound design with silence or the most subtle environmental sound effects providing handfuls more tension than a cloying creepy score or cheap jump effects could ever dream of. Effects are naturally and cleanly mixed, providing immersion, while the voice work once again is top notch.
“Around Every Corner” sets up “The Walking Dead” for an opportunity to not only cement a reasonable argument for its status as 2012’s Game of the Year, but as a strong contender for the finest downloadable and episodic game ever crafted. Like other entries in the series, there are a few technical flaws as well as overall pacing flaws, but the episodic nature of the game is bound to leave some disappointed at wanting more instantly. For my money though, the emotional impact of the game is only heightened by the two-month wait between titles and as long as the final installment delivers, every second left waiting, is time well spent.
