Overkill's The Walking Dead
Overkill's The Walking Dead | |
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Windows | |
Release | November 6, 2018 |
Genre(s) | First-person shooter, survival horror |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Overkill's The Walking Dead is a first-person shooter developed by Overkill Software and published by Starbreeze Studios and 505 Games. The title, based on the comics of The Walking Dead, has a strong emphasis on cooperative gameplay. The game was released worldwide for Windows in November 2018. On 26 February 2019, Skybound Entertainment terminated their contract with Starbreeze Studio, leading to the discontinuation of all efforts on the game, including cancellation of efforts to bring the game to consoles.[1] Critical reception of the game was mixed, and it was a commercial failure.
Gameplay
Overkill's The Walking Dead is a
Plot
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (February 2020) |
In post-apocalypse Washington, D.C., Anderson Banks loses his wife and daughter. Unable to cope, Anderson becomes suicidal, wanting the walkers to find him. He is found by Heather Campbell, a former kindergarten teacher. They form a bond and bring more survivors together, setting up Camp Anderson in Georgetown. The camp survives by scavenging food and supplies from the city and avoiding any dangerous locals and walkers. They are met by a group called "The Family," who makes Camp Anderson an offer: they can take half of the camp's food and supplies. Anderson gives them a counteroffer: they can leave the way they came. After threats are exchanged, the Family leaves, but walkers appear and attack the camp. While the camp is successfully defended and barricades are rebuilt, the group learns that the walkers were a distraction, allowing the Family to raid the storehouse, kill some of the group, and steal the water purifier. Unwilling to accept defeat, Anderson orders Heather to lead a group to the Family's hideout and retrieve the purifier.
In Central Georgetown, Heather goes on a reconnaissance mission with Grant Moore, a seasoned hunter, and they infiltrate an apartment building. Heather kills a walker with her pickax inside an apartment with a good vantage point, while Grant uses his silenced sniper rifle to scout the Family's hideout. He sees walkers at the gates, a lot of the Family inside, and the purifier, which has already been installed. Heather contacts Maya Evans, a former surgeon, via radio. Maya, along with Aidan Hunt, a former architect, infiltrates the hideout on its south side, where they regroup with Heather and Grant. Once inside, Aidan and Maya sneak up on two men and kill them with knives, and Heather kills a third with her scoped crossbow. Maya unhooks the installed purifier while Aidan keeps watch, getting his nailed baseball bat ready. When an armored guard with a riot shield and a revolver notices the dead bodies, spotlights are switched on and Maya is discovered. Heather tosses a smoke grenade at the guard, and Grant shoots the lock at the gates with his rifle, allowing the walkers to enter. With the water purifier retrieved, Maya shoots at the armored guard with her submachine gun, but the guard blocks all shots with the shield. When Aidan attempts to kill him with his bat, he is knocked to the ground. Facing Maya again, he is shot at some more, but Aidan shoots him in the back with a shotgun. Maya helps Aidan up, and the group escapes into the streets with the horde coming after them. Heather fires a flare into the sky for Caleb Bernard, their getaway driver, to find them in his truck.
Camp Anderson is attacked by the Family, attempting to steal supplies. The Family is driven back, but Anderson knows they will not stop coming. Heather suggests they steal a radio from the Family to listen in on their plans and prevent any more surprise attacks. After finding and scouting another outpost in the
At the camp, with limited supplies, Maya can only help so many that were wounded during the attack. However, Reina reveals that the Family had retrieved drugs and antibiotics before the Brigade attacked them, but this supply of medicine is still at the shopping mall in Foggy Bottom, which is controlled by the Brigade. With Reina, the group infiltrates the shopping mall once again, fighting through Brigade soldiers and hordes of walkers, eventually finding the medical supplies and escaping safely. Once back at the Eckington camp, the group places defenses in preparation for the Brigade's retaliation. When the Brigade attacks, the camp is successfully defended.
Anderson decides to take the fight to the Brigade. A maintenance tunnel leads close to their camp at the Lincoln Memorial. Once the camp is infiltrated, the group fights their way through to the Memorial, where they discover Heather's body hung upside down in front of one of the pillars. Continuing on, they find Hurst hiding in a panic room. The group enters the panic room and kills Hurst. In the aftermath, the Brigade becomes scattered, and Anderson learns that Hurst was only taking orders from a superior named Patterson. But this does not deter Anderson, and he is prepared to fight any enemy that comes against him and his family.
Development
Overkill's The Walking Dead is developed by
The game was announced on August 14, 2014 by Overkill Software. To celebrate the collaboration, Overkill announced that Lucille, a weapon from The Walking Dead, will be available for players of Payday 2.[2] The game showed up at E3 2015 at a "proof of concept" for the virtual reality headset developed by Starbreeze Studios.[6] In 2016, the game was delayed to ensure that the game would be available in Asian markets during the game's initial launch. It was delayed again in 2017.[7] At E3 2018, the first gameplay footage was released.[8] Starbreeze Studios released the game for Windows in November 2018 while 505 Games was to release the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions in February 2019.[9][10] All future efforts on the game were discontinued on February 26, 2019, and the console versions were cancelled as Skybound Entertainment terminated its contract with Starbreeze Studios due to the game's poor reception. This decision was made despite physical copies of said console versions already being shipped to stores alongside marketing material. These copies were recalled and the game was later removed from sales on Steam.[1]
Due to these issues, the game was considered a commercial failure. Starbreeze had been anticipating significant revenue from the game, and spent a year from December 2018 to December 2019 in corporate restructuring to regain a stable financial base to move forward.[11]
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
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Metacritic | PC: 51/100[12] |
Publication | Score |
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GameSpot | 3/10[14] |
IGN | 5.3/10[13] |
Metro | 5/10[15] |
Slant Magazine | [16] |
According to review aggregator Metacritic, the game received mixed reviews from critics.[12] The game was a commercial failure for publisher Starbreeze.[17]
References
- ^ a b Jacka, Sally (February 26, 2019). "An Update on Overkill's The Walking Dead". Retrieved February 26, 2019.
- ^ a b Matulef, Jeffery (August 14, 2014). "Payday developer Overkill is making a co-op The Walking Dead FPS". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ GamesRadar. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ Prescott, Shaun (August 21, 2014). "Overkill's The Walking Dead is a co-op first-person shooter set in the comic series' universe". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (April 25, 2015). "Payday 2 publisher teams up with Overkill for The Walking Dead shooter". Polygon. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (June 14, 2015). "Starbreeze making its own VR hardware, shows off The Walking Dead VR demo". Polygon. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ S. Good, Owen (May 7, 2017). "Overkill's The Walking Dead FPS is delayed another year. Again". Polygon. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ Knezevic, Kevin (June 11, 2018). "E3 2018: Overkill's Walking Dead Game - Gameplay Trailer Confirms Release Date". GameSpot. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- ^ Juba, Joe (June 11, 2018). "Overkill's The Walking Dead Releases November 6". Game Informer. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- VG 247. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
- GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Jagnaeux, David (November 13, 2018). "Overkill's The Walking Dead Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Metro.co.uk. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Aston, Ryan (November 12, 2018). "Review: Overkill's The Walking Dead". Slant Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved December 4, 2018.