News that the release of the Walking Dead: Season Two from Telltale Games is imminent is causing survivors of the first game to lose a lot of sleep. The route cause of this breakout of insomnia is two-fold; excitement about what the next episode in the popular series will bring and speculation as to what incredibly tough choices players will have to make.
Having enjoyed The Walking Dead: Season One, I have always liked to speculate what I believe Season Two should include. So, here is my top 5 list of what I want to see included in The Walking Dead: Season Two.
Please be aware this article includes spoilers for Season One.
The first essential feature I want to see in The Walking Dead: Season Two is that it respects the choices I made in Season One. I am aware that Telltale Games has confirmed it will do this; my concern is to what level of depth this is planned. Some of my choices, such as Clementine’s haircut, will be easily transferred as they are just graphical, but what I want to see is a greater depth of choice bought forward. I made decisions in Season One which had a great impact on the game, and Telltale Games might find it hard to incorporate these in Season Two now that Clementine has taken over the main role from Lee. I think the developer has a hard job here, and I hope it doesn’t take the easy way out and write characters off, rather than try and honor gamer’s Season One choices.
The next feature I want to see in The Walking Dead: Season Two is the continuation of the high level of storytelling drama that was a major part of the first game. The Walking Dead: Season One was a master class in storytelling, from the horrific to the interpersonal, and a plot of the same quality is an essential feature needed in Season Two. Now you may wonder why I am concerned here, as Telltale Games never let the player down all through Season One, but that is where my concern stems from. How do you better a title that was awarded Game of the Year over eighty times? While I am certain that Telltale Games will not disappoint gamers here, Season One created dramatic moments that stuck with me long after I had finished the game, and I hope Season Two can do the same.
@page
My third essential feature for The Walking Dead: Season Two is that I want to see more crossovers with other parts of the Walking Dead universe, such as the TV series or comics. I love a good crossover, and feel one is essential for Season Two to ground the game firmly in the Walking Dead universe. Yet again I’m fairly certain Telltale Games will bring characters into Season Two from the 400 DLC, in an effort simply to sell more copies of it. But I want the game to surprise the player. How about the Governor before he became the power-mad blood-thirsty lunatic from the TV or comic series? Why not reverse the crossover idea and introduce a character who later turns up in another part of the Walking Dead universe?
Well-planned crossovers add flair and atmosphere to a game, and while Season Two could probably easily manage without one, the extra surprise and excitement they can bring to a game make them an essential inclusion for me.
A great game needs a release on a console that can do it justice, and so my fourth suggestion for The Walking Dead: Season Two is that at some point it should be released on PlayStation 4.
Now you could argue here that a game which is more about the story than the graphics wouldn’t really benefit from being released on Sony’s next-gen console, and that is correct to a point. The way I look at it is like this; if a cake has an extra layer of icing on, then that cake has just got a whole lot tastier in my eyes. So if The Walking Dead: Season Two gets a HD makeover for the PS4, then we will hopefully get a game that not only captures your imagination, but looks and sounds fantastic as well. A win all around I’m sure you will agree. I also think Telltale Games shouldn’t just stop at The Walking Dead: Season Two. If it isn’t too busy it would be great to see a HD collection of The Walking Dead: Season One on PS4 as well.
My final feature I wish to see in The Walking Dead: Season Two is an increase in the amount of trophies and their difficulty to obtain as compared to Season One. I wouldn’t say the trophies from Season One were easy to complete, but even I managed to plat it – in fact it’s my only one. As I stated earlier, The Walking Dead is a game all about choice and consequence, and I want to see that reflected in Season Two’s trophy cabinet. Trophies for story progression as per Season One should be included but, where the game forces a choice upon you, there should be trophies based on what path you choose. This I feel will encourage replayability, and the actual trophy achievements can be hidden to avoid potential spoilers. I want the trophies in The Walking Dead: Season Two to be as hard and poignant as the life or death choices the game will no doubt present me with. So when I look back at my achievements from the title I remember the in-game blood, sweat and tears that it took to earn them.
So, I hope you enjoyed my five ideas for The Walking Dead: Season Two, some of them may surface in the game, or maybe Telltale has even better ideas that will shock and delight players. Are you eagerly awaiting The Walking Dead: Season Two? What would you like to see Telltale Games bring to the title? Let us know in the comments below.