Not to be confused with Activision’s shameless cash-in The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct from earlier this year, Telltales’s episodic The Walking Dead series one of the most pleasant gaming surprises to come out of 2012.

Starring you as Lee Everett, as you tried to survive the onset of the zombie apocalypse, the game was split across five episodes released periodically over the course of the year. Focusing on story over gameplay, it gave gamers on of the most intelligent, thought-provoking and harrowing experiences available. It was also one of the few games where your actions and choices felt like they had genuine consequences down the line and you were always kept on your toes. I won’t give any spoilers in case you have not played it and if you haven’t go and do so now, that’s an order! Telltale has announced a second series to the game, but not set release date for that, fans were left clamouring for more. That is where 400 Days comes in, a standalone story expansion that will bridge the gap until the new series releases.

400 Days, is split across five individual scenes, each lasting about 20minutes and each starring a different character. Each story is at a specific time after the initial outbreak, with the first once two days in final epilogue set on day 400

One of the main selling points of this approach is that it really gives you a good range of perspectives and how different personas would react to such a world changing event. Having spent so much time getting to know and love Lee and Clementine in the first season, it is refreshing to get to see so many different takes on the ever crumbling world. The stories each intertwine in little ways which make them feel more connected than they really are. Each character has their own individual dilemmas to contend with, aside from the walkers trying to devour them, of course. Vince is on his way to prison when the outbreak starts, Bonnie gets caught in the middle of a love triangle and Shel is trying to teach her sister what is right in community that is slowly becoming more dictatorship than democracy.

As with the previous first season, gameplay really is not the focus here, it is purely on story and the element of choice. One of the areas the first season fell flat was in its action sequences, which were usually trial and error and led to instant death if failed. 400 days tries its hand at a few action sequences, and this time they feel more distinct and appropriate, rather than the tacked on feel they had before. They also do not feel as frustrating as previously, as it is more obvious what you need to do, and the game gives you more room for error.

Each characters story gives you just enough time to understand their plight and their motivations and usually follows the same pattern; conversation, action scene, final choice and every episode can be played in any order, so you do not need to follow the chronological series of events. Decisions made sometimes effect small changes in the episodes played after as well and although these are usually incredibly subtle, it really helps the immersion when you notice them. One minor point of note though is that the final decisions in most of the episodes are a bit more black and white than they were previously, with generally a good or a bad response. In season one, the choices tended to be in more a grey area with no real right or wrong answer, but when the scenes are this short and there are no real consequences to worry about, the options can be made more black and white.

The real thing that hurts 400 Days however, is that you never really get a chance to know any of the characters. Yes each episode it unique and fun on its own merit, but at only 20 minutes a pop, you can’t help but feel like you are just beginning to care about the characters in question when it seems to end so abruptly. Telltale has done such a great job of making every scene unique, it is just a shame we do not get the chance to see the characters and there stories fully develop.

That being said, 400 Days is a great way to bridge the gap between seasons, offering a unique take on the apocalypse from a number of viewpoints. It sets the tone for the forthcoming The Walking Dead Season Two and will keep you appeased for some time. The epilogue also strongly teases at season two as well, and it will be interesting to see how, if at all, the actions taken in 400 Days effect proceedings going forward.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days is available now for 400ms point on Xbox 360, or for £4.99 on the PSN Store and Steam. Please be aware you will need at least Episode one of The Walking Dead to play 400 Days, as it is technically DLC despite its standalone stories. You can check out the launch trailer below.

© 2013 – 2014, zero1gaming.com. All rights reserved. On republishing this article your must provide a link to this original post