The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 1 – In Too Deep Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 1
  • Platform: PC
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  • Gamepad support: Yes  
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The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 1 review on PC

Telltale Games has made interactive history with its The Walking Dead series, taking the hugely popular comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and telling some amazing stories across two full seasons of five episodes each, plus a bonus DLC one.

Now, while the studio has confirmed that it’s working on a third original season, it’s decided to make the wait a bit easier by releasing a mini-series that’s directly based on one of the characters from the comic books – Michonne.

There will be only three episodes in this spinoff, chronicling the adventures Michonne had between issues #126 and #139. This is a treat for comic book fans as well as an opportunity for gamers to get a taste of the solid characters seen in the graphic novels.

The first episode, called In Too Deep, is finally available on a multitude of platforms, including the PC. With a solid main character and some interesting plot points, does this debut chapter live up to the pedigree of the series or should the walkers devour it? Let’s find out.

Story

Michonne is one of the most popular characters in The Walking Dead comics. Right from the introduction, you get to see her impressive zombie-killing skills but also her traumatic memories involving her two daughters. The opening sequences are tough, and after a gentler number of sections that set the stage for the current state of the character, things get even more challenging.

As in many cases throughout Telltale’s The Walking Dead stories, Michonne and the players guiding her are soon caught in a pretty fierce conflict between two other groups of survivors. There’s no easy choice on who to back, as both possibilities can seem untrustworthy. As such, you can go with your gut and try different choices in a second playthrough.

Michonne’s trauma is highlighted in a few other sequences besides the prolog but, for the most part, she certainly seems like a voice of reason. Of course, your dialog choices can make a big impact on how she interacts with others.

The secondary characters aren’t that well-developed, but they don’t seem paper-thin either. You can spot some traditional archetypes, such as the leader with a fist of iron in a velvet glove, the trigger-happy madman, or the survivors who get mixed up in bad things.

There are some hefty choices to be made, but only a few end up making a difference, in classic Telltale fashion. Even so, you can always rewind to make other decisions and hope for better results in the next two episodes.

Escape the zombies in The Walking Dead: Michonne
Escape the zombies in The Walking Dead: Michonne

Gameplay

Regarding gameplay, there’s no big deviation from the established Telltale recipe. You walk around in some stages, interact with objects around you, engage in various conversations, and go through quick-time events to kill walkers or avoid other dangers.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Besides one rather awkward quick-time event in the first third of the game, the gameplay is solid, and the action sequences are quite intense. Michonne’s machete-wielding skills get highlighted several times against various walkers and all of these situations keep you on the edge of your seat.

Conversations unfold pretty well, and there weren’t any cases of misleading options, in which you select a dialog choice and the character speaks it in a completely different way. As always, many of the characters Michonne interacts with are going to remember their conversations with her, as signaled by a notification. Right now, however, very few of your choices come back in a significant way.

This initial episode is fairly lengthy, running at about 2.5-3 hours, so you’ll certainly get a fair amount of action for your money. The next chapter is set to appear in March, and the conclusion should make its debut in April.

Visuals and Sound

Very few changes have been made concerning visuals in this initial episode. The cel-shaded style employed in past The Walking Dead experiences returns, with washed out colors that drive the point home that the world is grim and dark. Character models, especially Michonne, look pretty good, and animations are a bit more polished. However, you’ll once again find a bit of lag during hectic sequences.

The soundtrack is decent but doesn’t stand out all that much. Voice acting, however, is quite good, with Michonne, in particular, being brought to life quite well by Samira Wiley, aka Poussey from Orange is the new black. The rest of the cast also does a good job of portraying their characters throughout the different adventures in this first chapter.


The Good

  • Strong new protagonist
  • Interesting story
  • Lots of intense moments
  • Tough choices

The Bad

  • Some awkward quick-time events
  • Lag in hectic sequences

Conclusion

The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 1 – In Too Deep is a solid debut of this spinoff mini-series. Michonne is a good main character and the adventures she goes through, as well as those that await her, are quite interesting. While there may not be that many changes in terms of gameplay, it’s still worth it for those who’ve enjoyed the past experiences from Telltale.

story 8
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 8
audio 8
multiplayer 0
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 

The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 1 (12 Images)

The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 1 review on PCPlay as Michonne in The Walking Dead: MichonneMichonne in the comics in The Walking Dead: MichonneUse a radio in The Walking Dead: MichonneNew characters in The Walking Dead: Michonne
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