The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct (the Daryl game) discussion
I'm not sure if this is the right place to discuss this particular Walking Dead game, since it wasn't made by Telltale, but we've had threads on the comics and TV series, so I figured why not make a thread for Survival Instinct, where you play as Daryl Dixon, to see what other members made of it, and how they might change it.
As for myself, I've played it through twice so far, yet I only got it a week ago. I know a lot of people disliked and still dislike this game, but I'd been looking forward to playing it for a long time I can say I enjoyed it for what it was. My biggest gripe is not being able to take every survivor you meet/rescue, probably because I'm a bit of a softie.
Any thoughts?
P.S. I'm not sure if there is a fanfiction/creative writing forum, but I came up with a small outline for a fanfiction I based on this game, crossed over with another franchise. Bottom line, I'm not sure where to talk about it, especially since what it crosses over with may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Comments
I liked the small side characters and some of the locations, but as a whole the game was really clunky and uninspired. Even Robert Kirkman thinks it's a crappy game.
I'm attached to the side characters as well. I personally like it as a straight-up zombie-killing game, as it allows me to do so in a setting which I am familiar/comfortable with.
To bring up a few discussion points (spoilers for whoever hasn't played the game.):
At the first town, Sedalia, there are two survivors who you can help - Jimmy Blake, the town's last standing police officer, quiet, dedicated, and a crack shot with both pistols and rifles who, if you bring him some batteries, provides you some covering fire as you escape the town, and Warren Bedford, a shy, earnest, stealthy yet weak pharmacist and college graduate who prefers blunt weapons, suffers from debilitating asthma and helps Daryl get the fuel he needs for his truck. You can help both of them, but the vehicle you have at the time only has room for one. Of the two, based on their skills and actions, who would you save and why? Personally, I can't decide. Blake is more useful/combat-ready, but Warren seems more resourceful.
In the second-to-last location, there are also two survivors - Terry Harrison, a middle-aged, half-deaf retired banker, implied in-game to be the father of Amy and Andrea, who prefers rifles, and Jane Carroll, a pregnant public accountant whose husband, Aiden, is in charge of signalling the last of the evacuation helicopters. This choice is more similar to the Doug/Carley choice from the Telltale game, as you can only save one. Who would you save and why? Personally, I would save Jane and her unborn child, and in most runs of my game, I have, because of her pregnancy and, at the time, the possibility of reuniting her with her husband.
At the end of the game, Merle stops Daryl from getting on the last helicopter out of Atlanta, then tells Daryl it was because the pilot had been bitten and looked half-turned. We personally never see the pilot, so we aren't sure if Merle was telling the truth, but do people reckon he was or lying in order to keep his brother with him?
Any thoughts? I know not everyone likes this game. This is just a bit of fun and/or food for thought.
Ah I gotcha. I think I would choose the police officer but I only recruited Warren on my first playthrough. But considering what happens on the helicopter, perhaps it is better for him to be left on that rooftop.
You are making me want to replay the game just for the lore and characters.
Well, truth be told, much of what you learn about the characters can be found on the wiki. I just have a vivid imagination (partly via roleplaying when I play games), and part of that imagination is the basic storyline of Survival Instinct crossed over with one or two characters from another franchise.
Honestly, Blake would probably be even more fucked if left on the rooftop. Eventually, Sedalia's going to run out of food and ammo, and as he said, more walkers come every day.
God, the Walking Dead universe is bleak.
It was....okay. THe melee was clunky and the storyline was bleh. Some mechancics didn't make sense. Like when you're in a horde instead of getting swarmed you get grabbed by one walker. If you kill him, you get grabbed by another. Like wut?
I figured how to escape that shit. After killing one walker, use the Pushing Button and you push all the walkers at once and you're free.
This game was good for what it is but it gets hate because of terrible walker AI, the fact that you cannot amputate walkers and their heads is the only thing that kills them, clunky fighting mechanics and short story campaign. This game scared me so hard, the scariest part was the hospital level (Is it the same hospital where Rick was in coma before everything started going to shit?). I loved the side characters and the dark atmosphere, this game had a lot of potential to be a great horror game but of course, Activision had to be retarded to release it unfinished.
Say what you want but this game is better than A New Frontier.
Anything's better than the new frontier.
You sure about that, A New Frontier was bad but it least it was better than this garbage IMO.
I really hated this game, why Daryl seriously, the most overrated character of all time IMO.
The game was not bad but it was not good either. I did enjoy the concept of Daryl and Merle trying to survive however, one problem was at the end when Daryl and Merle get the tank/turret. It ruined the whole keep quiet to avoid getting overrun by walkers. Also survivor mechanic of having them get food, fuel, or ammo was cool but did nothing and felt like a mobile game and by that I mean that while you played the game, the game would randomly choose how much ammo, fuel, or supplies you gain. The plot was ok at best and felt like some of the other levels were fillers (not like the show has enough of those).
I really tried my best to enjoy this game and I did but it got so repetitive that it was putting me to sleep after the first few levels. I think this game deserves a 5/10 only because the story had a handful of exciting moments but the ending was terrible.
At least Survival Instinct had gameplay and a horrific atmosphere. A New Frontier is nothing but a cutscene simulator, almost zero gameplay, no wonder it ruined everything that made S1 and 2 so good.
For some reason....for some fucking reason this game was the most stressful game I have ever played...the chase after getting your objective was horrific...never in my life I'll understand people's hatred for this game.A true horrer experience indeed.
I had done a versus thread awhile back that got no attention comparing the two games and a few comments mentioned how New Frontier was still a better story than survival instinct. I think they were bout equal and it's sad that season three had been brought down to such a low enough standard to be compared to survival instinct when it had much more potential to be something great.
I guess I may as well bring up the other survivors you can find in-game, in the order in which they can be found/encountered, as there are a few discussion points I'd like to bring up about them. Warning, spoilers for those who haven't played or completed the game.
Warren Bedford: "Warren grew up in a large, close family. Thanks to the kindness - and sponsorship - of his Uncle Lester, Warren is the first Sedalia Bedford to graduate from college. Warren is shy and earnest, due primarily to debilitating asthma he has endured since he was very young."
Occupation: Pharmacist
Age: 25
Traits: Stealthy, prefers blunt weapons, weak.
Jimmy Blake: "Officer Blake recently transferred to Sedalia from his native Gainesville, and had barely been introduced to the Department or town before were destroyed. Blake is dedicated, quiet and a crack shot. He has not yet resigned himself to the fate of his family, who hadn't moved yet from Florida."
Occupation: Police Officer
Age: 28
Traits: Prefers pistols and rifles
Sarah Bell: "Ambitious and determined to eventually open her own salon, Sarah was cutting a client's hair during a busy day at Madame Q's when walkers burst through the window. She stabbed her way out with shears and made it to temporary safety. Sarah is friendly, but will take drastic steps to survive."
Occupation: Stylist
Age: 32
Traits: Tough.
Mia Park: "An experienced flight nurse, Mia and her husband, Steve, adopted their son, Frank, two years ago. She doesn't know their current whereabouts. Despite her high-pressure career, Mia is not especially courageous, and can be neurotic. Scout's group rescued her from a bad situation at a rural airport."
Occupation: Flight Nurse
Age: 25
Traits: Prefers shotguns, reckless.
Ahmad Farran: "Ahmad has lived and worked in Savannah, GA, since he earned his Master's degree. He rescued and sheltered 23 survivors in a makeshift bunker during the initial outbreak. All were subsequently lost when travelling in a convoy toward Birmingham while Ahmad was foraging in the woods for food."
Occupation: Civil Engineer
Age: 40
Traits: Stealthy, weak.
Holly Gaines: "Holly is an accomplished, even celebrated, sculptor. In Atlanta to mount a show at the prestigious Sacrament 5 Gallery, she had taken a few days off to roam through the Georgia backcountry for inspiration when the world ended. Holly is a fighter and a survivor, but is very awkward socially."
Occupation: Artist
Age: 60
Traits: Prefers bladed weapons, weak.
Todd Jeffries: "Brash and self-confident, Todd was chafed at his low-level position with a small brokerage firm in Savannah. He doesn't have the knowledge or skills to survive alone in the new world. Todd lost all contact with his family in Bozeman, and has a local girlfriend he cannot locate in the aftermath"
Occupation: Office Clerk
Age: 22
Traits: Prefers blunt weapons, reckless.
Mike Swenson: "From a long line of loggers, Swenson joined Cherokee Hills Lumber's Georgia facility 10 years ago as foreman. He secured the mill when its' executives were eaten, striking a deal with the Military to house and treat survivors in exchange for weapons and medicine. Swenson is decisive and firm-handed."
Occupation: Sawmill Manager
Age: 55
Traits: Tough, prefers bladed weapons, reckless.
Noah Cruz: "Athletic and clever, Noah was a socially active college student. When Scout found Noah picking a supermarket clean, he immediately volunteered for her scavenger group. Noah excels at moving quickly and quietly, but is too friendly and trusting of strangers."
Occupation: Student
Age: 23
Traits: Stealthy, prefers blunt weapons.
Shelley Berger: "Shelley graduated high school last summer, taking a year to work before moving to Arizona to study biology. She lost her boyfriend, Tom, and her parents in the outbreak. Originally pert and easy-going, Shelley is suffering from extreme anxiety trauma brought about by the horrors of the outbreak."
Occupation: Waitress
Age: 19
Traits: Prefers blunt weapons, weak.
Sheila Schneider: "Sheila is a former clinical research technical. She and her partner, Deborah, fell in with the Archer Creek Dam group after surviving a brutal attack en route to Atlanta. Easily bored, Sheila joined the dam's expeditionary/scavenger team under Kevin Hollis. She's calm, with a dry, acerbic wit."
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Age: 32
Traits: Prefers pistols and shotguns.
Gloria Garcia: "Gloria produces a number of regional cable programs, the realization of a dream she now despises. Her 10-year marriage to a local politico is loveless - she was preparing to leave him and move to California before the attacks. Gloria is sharp and cynical, but survival is the only option for her."
Occupation: Television Producer
Age: 36
Traits: Prefers pistols and bladed weapons, reckless.
Jane Carroll: No biography given in-game.
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Age: 39
Traits: Stealthy, pregnant.
Terry Harrison: No biography given in-game. Implied to be the father of Amy and Andrea.
Occupation: Banker
Age: 59
Traits: Prefers rifles, weak.
Discussion points:
In-game, you encounter both Warren and Blake in Sedalia, but you can only take one of them. Whom would you save? Personally, as mentioned in a previous post, Blake seems more experienced/combat-ready, but Warren seems more resourceful.
Similarly, with Jane and Terry, you can only take one of them, but it's more of a Carley or Doug situation - you have to save one or the other. Most of the time, I save Jane out of principal.
Of the other survivors, who would you:
a. Prefer to have in a group with you?
b. Think would last the longest with or without a group?
c. Think would cope in a group like Rick's (comic or TV), Lee's or Madison's?
To answer the third question myself:
3a. Ideally, and if the game gave me the option, I'd try to take all of them. But, practically, I'd have to pick Blake, Sarah, Mia, Mike, Noah and Sheila.
3b. I'd say people who are shy, nervous, inexperienced (or any combination), like Warren, Mia, Holly, Todd and Shelley, wouldn't last long without a group.
And those who are reckless, like Mia, Todd, Mike and Gloria, would be at greater risk with or without a group, as they would be more likely to take unnecessary risks. That's just my view, of course.
3c. For this one, I can't really tell. I guess for Lee's group, those who had lived or worked in Savannah, like Ahmad and Todd, would have a better idea of how bad the city would be overrun.
Any thoughts? I'd really like to get some different perspectives/opinions to discuss.
Anyone?
Coming back to this discussion, I've been wondering if there's a "canonical" path for Daryl to take in-game, given some of his and Merle's actions in-game and during Season 1 and 2 of the show. I guess it can be broken down into whether Daryl is cooperative with other survivors or not.
Personally, I haven't seen Season 1 or 2, so I'm not sure if he would be the cooperative type with or without Merle's influence. According to Merle, they only joined the Atlanta group to rob them.
EDIT: Out of curiosity, to anyone who has played this game, which survivors in particular did you pick/save and why?
Sorry to bring this topic up again, but, despite what others say, I do enjoy this game. (Emphasis on "enjoy", not love)
Going back to questions about a possible "canonical path" for Daryl to take in-game, I have two questions to ask of Daryl, and I wasn't sure if they deserved their own thread:
Early in the game, Daryl scoffs at the idea of warning the police about the walkers in favour of getting Merle. And in Season 1 of the TV series, Daryl dislikes Rick, though mainly because he left Merle behind. With a disdain for authority, possibly inherited from his brother, but without Merle around physically, what would Daryl's chances be of working alongside a cop, and, if need be, saving them?
After Merle is found, he is sick. Daryl has two possible destinations - a (at the time) still-open hospital or a local survivor camp said to be supplied with medicine by the military. If the latter is chosen, Daryl will mention that Merle didn't want to go to a hospital. And yet Daryl brought him there anyway. And if the former is chosen, Merle doesn't seem to complain and even lists what he thinks he needs - methicillin, penicillin and vancomycin. Given the situation (Merle's sick, there's a place that might have meds, and another which definitely would have meds) what we know of Daryl's history with Merle and authority figures, does it seem more likely he'd take Merle to the hospital or the survivor camp?
In-game, there are several survivors the player/Daryl can save and travel with (as described in an earlier post). Many are optional and can only be found on the road, Given Daryl's pre-apolcalypse personality, and with or without Merle around, what are the chances of him travelling with anyone else?
Any thoughts?