AMANDA DYAR: The Walking Dead Survival Instinct follows brothers Darryl and Merle Dixon in their adventures to the presumed safety of Atlanta during the opening days of the zombie apocalypse. Why were these two characters chosen to be the protagonists of the new game, and how much will we learn about the duo by playing the upcoming release?
GLENN GAMBLE: There are a 1000 reasons why we went with Daryl, and honestly I can’t think of a reason single reason why we wouldn't have chosen him. At the time in our development process when our attention started to turn toward the story, season 2 was airing on AMC and Daryl was really becoming a character unto his own. We all thought he was a compelling character, and he was trending well with the fans. He was a TV show exclusive character, which didn't hurt either. The game was being designed as a survival game and if you recall back to season 1, the first time the audience was introduced to him, he was hunting a deer. More and more he just seemed like the best fit for the game we were making.
So, once the decision was made to make Daryl our hero, we started looking at what we could do with him. We scoured the show for any comments he made about his past. What it all kept coming back to was the character progression he makes in season 2. We wanted to answer some of the question of, ‘Why does he change so much?’ What most people don't think about is that until the most recent episodes in season 3, Merle and Daryl haven't really shared any screen time together. We wanted to go back and give these interesting characters a bit more time together with a story about where they came from. Considering there have been few stories told during the time Rick is in a coma and the world is starting to fall apart, we felt this gave us the most latitude to tell this particular story. Not to mention it gave us the opportunity to tell you where the crossbow comes from (and no it isn't from the side of the road).
AMANDA DYAR: The Walking Dead Survival Instinct will be the second video game series based on the comic and television series following 2012's Game of the Year The Walking Dead. In what ways will these two titles be similar, and what are the main features that will be included in Survival Instinct that was not featured in the Telltale series?
GLENN GAMBLE: As a gamer, it is really cool that we can have two separate but complementary Walking Dead games out at the same time. However, short of being set in the same franchise, however the two games are very different. The awesome Telltale game is based on the comic and is more of a story driven adventure. Survival Instinct is based on the AMC show and is a first person survival game, so it is more action orientated where players have to make dynamic decisions and use the items they find for combat and survival. Instead of watching the story from a third person perspective, we want to ground the player in the universe, which is one of the reasons we went with a first person camera. It is much harder to see what is coming when you can't angle the camera around the corner in front of you (though we do have a peaking option to help you with that).
AMANDA DYAR: There are obviously many highly successful zombie games in the video game industry at the moment including the aforementioned The Walking Dead from Telltale Games, Valve's Left 4 Dead series and Treyarch's Call of Duty Black Ops. Will The Walking Dead Survival Instinct include any form of multiplayer like so many other games in the zombie genre, and what is being done to ensure the upcoming release is a success in this crowded genre?
GLENN GAMBLE: In a word, thinking. As Daryl, you will have to think in order to outwit our Walker A.I. This means being environmentally aware and checking your corners for Walkers. Think of it as a high stakes game of cat and mouse, where you constantly have to evaluate the situation in front of (and sneaking up behind) you, hopefully without drawing too much attention to yourself. It is a single player search-and-survive game with minor resource management. You can play the game run-and-gun style if you want, but that is like ringing the dinner bell. Firing weapons alerts every Walker in the area to your presence and is a good way to get torn apart. Walkers are incredibly aware of their surroundings while looking for potential food, are drawn to "human sounds" like breaking glass or footsteps. They respond to this external stimulus, but that doesn't mean they all react the same - they are the undead after all. Just like on the show, we can't predict what a Walker is going to do every time. Some are quicker to react than others; some may take the long way to get to the player, etc. We have had more than a few deaths in playthroughs because someone forgot to check a corner and got taken down by a sneaky Walker. This is why I prefer using distraction items, like throwing a bottle so it breaks in the distance. The strategy has its pros and cons, of course – it might make it easy to get by a group of Walkers, but then you have to be double sure to not attract that group when engaging the next one. I’ve seen other players here who want to kill every Walker as they go, but that is too risky for me. It is up to you, and we encourage everyone to come up with their own play style.
AMANDA DYAR: For fans of The Walking Dead franchise, picking up a copy of The Walking Dead Survival Instinct . Will players need to have some understanding of the series that came before it to fully appreciate the storyline you guys are cooking up in The Walking Dead Survival Instinct , and what sort of surprises will be included in the game for those of us who can't get enough of the comics and television show?
GLENN GAMBLE: That is the beauty of doing a game focused around the start of a series, anyone, fan or not, can jump in and participate. For the fans, they will hopefully get more out of both the characters Merle and Daryl in seasons 2 and 3, because they have an interesting relationship that we are expanding on. There are a few things about Daryl that may surprise you about his past, like the last moments he had with his father. That said, I don't want to spoil anything since a big part of any Walking Dead experience is the story. But I am not completely heartless; I'll give you just a taste. You'll find out about Merle's favorite chair in one of my favorite scenes in our game.
AMANDA DYAR: The Walking Dead Survival Instinct seems to be largely a game about surviving at all costs, and this means rationing supplies and sneaking past zombies whenever possible. What sort of incentives will players have to choose flight over fight and ration supplies. Also, can you tell us a bit about some of the other characters we will meet throughout the game?
GLENN GAMBLE: In The Walking Dead Survival Instinct we really wanted to capture the feeling of the show. So that means three Walkers is a serious threat, which was inspired by the episode in season 2 where Rick gets overwhelmed and piled on by three Walkers. This is a fairly low number for most games. My record in hand to hand combat with a group of Walkers is six at one time, but I helped make the combat system so I have more practice than most. This is a huge reason not to engage Walkers directly if you can help it. A player that tries to analyze the situation in front of them will do better than one just charging blindly in. But don't think too long either; we try to keep the player from ever feeling safe. Walkers can smell you out if you sit still. Given the dynamic situations the player finds themselves in, sometimes it is better to just run than going for that extra tank of gas.
The interesting thing about rationing supplies is that it goes hand-in-hand with managing the survivors of the game. All resources that help Daryl also help the survivors. So the rations that heal Daryl also heal the survivors. The weapons Daryl uses can also be given to a survivor to aid them if they go out to forage (except the crossbow, no one is touching that). So this shared resource pool helps the group, but you run the risk of losing a shotgun if the person you equip it never comes back. Gas is the item you have to conserve the most since every time you drive somewhere you are burning a valuable resource. It is an interesting mechanic. Along the way you will encounter random mini missions that can help you out if you are willing to explore, however you will be exposed and the threat level will be that much higher.
AMANDA DYAR: The Walking Dead Survival Instinct release is right around the corner. Fans will get to explore more of Merle and Daryl's relationship in the game. How will having two brothers as the main characters effect gameplay as opposed to starting out with a group of random strangers (as seen in Telltale's game series)?
GLENN GAMBLE: Who said you are starting out in a group of random strangers, or with Merle? The characters you start the game with are new to fans, but well-known to Daryl. These are the first days of the apocalypse so you will get to see how those people survive in this strange new world: adapt fast or die.
As for Merle, exploring a relationship with him is a nice way of putting it. If you watch the show you know he is more of a force of nature. You either get out of his way or you get hurt. Merle is the type that does better in this kind of world since it allows him more freedoms to capitalize on his particular skills – most of which society normally doesn't approve.
Now, if it sounds like I am hedging a little here with details, that’s a fair accusation. We both know that a big part of what makes The Walking Dead universe so awesome is the story. I don't want to ruin it for anyone. We had two talented writers (one from the game industry and the other from television) write the script, and it has some really stellar moments. My personal favorite part is Merle’s favorite chair. I have said too much already. No more spoilers, my lips are sealed.
AMANDA: The Walking Dead Survival Instinct focuses more on survival than shooting. How will this be emphasized throughout the game, and how much can players interact with the elements in their environment? Basically, will players be able to interact with anything they come across or just those that are important to the gameplay?
GLENN: We tried to streamline everything across the board, so the player can focus more on playing the game and less about the micromanagement associated with survival. Though collecting some resources and items is vital, we didn't want to make that a tedious chore. The decisions the player makes are on a group level when it comes to their survivors. In the game, there are glass bottles that can be thrown for a distraction and they are distinctive for that reason. This way a player can target in on them instead of them instead of having to dig through a pile of trash. Since things can go from bad to "Oh God, Oh God, we are all going to die" very quickly, this can allow for fast strategic improvisation from the player which can mean the difference between life and death.
AMANDA: With the popularity of the Walking Dead TV series, I foresee a lot of first time gamers coming out to play The Walking Dead Survival Instinct. How much of the television show is carried over into the game and will any unanswered questions from the show be answered in the game?
GLENN: Hopefully we carried everything over from the AMC Walking Dead series. We have their sound and music, with a lot of new materials as well. We copied the show's desaturated color pallets and hot whites. Norman Reedus and Michael Rooker were even gracious enough to bring their immeasurable talents to voice Daryl & Merle—we’re very focused on authenticity and giving players a true Walking Dead gameplay experience. By setting the game to lead into season 1, while Rick is still in his coma, we really got a chance to explore an area of the universe that has not been addressed. The main idea is to follow Daryl on his journey of survival, much how the first episodes of the show followed Rick. The big difference is Daryl is not in a coma when the game starts when the craziness was actually happening. Something to remember is survivors are not the same in the early days of outbreak as they are in season 3, where they are forming alliances and trying to kill each other. At this time everyone still has that sense of hope that the authorities can help, and that military will rush in at any minute to save the day. We also get to expand on the story of Merle and Daryl and give them a bit more of the history that they have only alluded to in seasons 2 and 3. The most exciting part in my opinion is we get to see how Daryl gets his crossbow, which has its own story and adventure unto itself.
AMANDA: One of the most important questions is, How scary will The Walking Dead Survival Instinct be? Can we expect a ton of blood, gore and violence?
GLENN: The Walking Dead is one of those shows that is so intense that is what makes it scary type of thing. Anything can happen to anyone at any time. Our goal is to mirror that feeling by keeping the player from ever feeling safe in our game. Of course we’ve set up a few scares, but the honest truth is that the behavior of our Walkers makes them far more effective at scaring us than we even hoped. You see, our Walkers A.I. is coded so that—as in the show--they don't always behave in a predictable manner. They take all their cues from sensory perceptions: sight, smell, and hearing in particular. They might investigate something that isn't there, they might take the long way to get to a player, some react faster than others. They can also smell you if you stay still for too long. There are also random dead bodies that are actually Walkers. So what this all boils down to is the Walkers can get the unexpected drop on us from time to time. Even on us, who made the game and know how it all works!
As far as blood and gore, what would The Walking Dead be if you couldn't stab a Walker in the eye so deep that you get that satisfying squish when you hit the brain? Walker abuse is one of my big guilty pleasures of the show. Our Walker heads bruise when you hit them with a bat and our limbs amputate if you do a heavy slash with the machete. We spray blood on the walls when you shotgun them in the head. And when you play, try tossing a propane tank at them before firing a few rounds in it. This results in a fiery red mist that can't be beat. I think we got the semi-coagulated, chunky red stuff covered.
AMANDA: Players will be able to complete side-quests to come across other characters and expand their adventure. Will this be the only way to meet other characters and how many of them will be from the TV show?
GLENN: There is a whole host of survivors you can run across as you play the game. What I love is their range of personalities. Some are terrified and would join the first person who offered help while others require a bit more coaxing. As it goes, each survivor has their own skills which can benefit Daryl in his journey as well as unlock different special relics at the end of the game to encourage replay. Which is a good thing since if you play the game through once, you only encounter about half the levels based on your decisions.
Another nice thing is that our areas are laid out in such a way that you will want to explore to find items and survivors, but you have to weigh that against the risk of encountering more Walkers. A great example of this is the second town in the game. There are three survivors there, but most players we’ve had check it out only encounter one of them. You tell them after they finished playing that there were two others and they want to go back in to try to find them. The side quests in Survival Instinct occur naturally. If you find a car that you want to appropriate, you must then find the keys for it. Or, when you are driving to your next location on the map, road events may occur – opportunities you can choose to take advantage of, or situations you have to react to in order to continue your journey. Road events can range from searching an abandoned farm house to having to push cars out of the way of a blocked highway as a horde is shambling in. In that second example, you will use up more gas if you choose to find an alternate path to drive around the blocked highway. However, the option to drive around may not be there for the player who hasn't explored enough to keep their fuel reserves up. Running out of gas on the side of the road is really not something you want to do.
AMANDA: Lastly, what makes The Walking Dead Survival Instinct stand out above all the other games in its genre? And what future DLC is planned?
GLENN: Crafting a compelling flesh-eating, brain dead menace is not as easy as one might think. These aren't your typical video game bad guys that can run around and dive behind a table to shoot a gun back at you. The zombies that shamble through the Walking Dead universe are slow, unintelligent undead. There are no super zombies here. Our amazing programmers made them incredibly threatening and gave them an acute environmental awareness.
Three Walkers at once is a serious threat if you are thinking about going in for some hand-to-hand combat. That is a fairly low number if you consider how many enemies get thrown in most other games. These guys want to do nothing more than feed, and they will investigate anything that can lead them to a possible food source. If you make a lot of noise the walkers will immediately know your location so a gun is usually a weapon of last resort. But you can also use noises to your advantage. For example, players can throw glass bottles to get the attention of the walkers and then sneak past them while they’re distracted. Breaking glass is one of those 'human sounds' that they will go to investigate. Think of it as a high-stakes game of cat and mouse where you constantly have to evaluate the situation in front of (and sneaking up behind) you, hopefully without drawing too much attention to yourself.
As far as DLC goes, we have announced a weapon pack and a herd mode releasing later in April.
To learn more, visit the official The Walking Dead Survival Instinct website.