The Walking Dead: Episode 2 – Starved for Help Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: August 8, 2012

Finding our heroes still surviving a few months down the road, albeit much hungrier, the group has fortified their position at the Motel. While they may be safe, or safer than before, from approaching zombies outside, the true struggle of man begins to form on the inside as the group once again has difficult choices forced upon them.

After a power struggle between Lillie and Kenny, we are given the task of handing out food for the day, but with their food supply running so low, only 4 people are able to eat daily. Do I try and patch things up with Larry, who knows all of my dark secrets, by allowing him to eat, or do I side with Kenny and his family, who has stuck by me even though I have gone to great lengths trying to get his family killed?

From the beginning, the choices already made in the first episode and those that you continue to make will tailor the game to how you want to play it and what kind of person you want Lee Everett, our protagonist, to be. It's not long before two strangers appear from a farm nearby. While I grew suspicious of them right away, they did have plenty of food, and we needed it badly. It is here that I truly start feeling like I was Lee. I actually cared for the characters and began doing what I could to make sure everyone was happy and able to survive.

The zombie count might be lower than the previous episode, but the moments they do appear are done perfectly. Surviving in this world isn't just about worrying about Walkers but the struggle between the good and evil natures in people as well.

You never get the chance to wonder about the repercussions of your decisions as you quickly decide what to choose and have to live with your decisions. It makes it feel like you really are Lee and not just controlling some random character. If I sat there all day, I could weigh the options and figure out who may benefit from my choice and who it may affect negatively. In Starved for Help, the luxury does not exist, as choices and moments fly by us, forcing quick, reflex decisions to be made. While I never thought I would make some of the decisions that I have in the game, when the time came, I had to put the needs of the group over the morals of a few. To survive, you must do what you have to do and pray in the long run everything will work out.

For the two hours the episode lasts, the tension remains high, and the conclusion was simply unbelievable. Sitting here writing the review, I still can't believe what transpired at the end of the episode or how it can be topped in the remaining episodes.

As in most Telltale titles on the PlayStation 3, there are issues with stuttering during the game's cut scenes. This usually centered on when the game was trying to change to a new scene or camera angle, where it would stutter or pause completely, although the audio would sometimes keep playing with the video having to play catch up. It does bring you out of the experience, and during some of the more suspenseful segments, it ruins the magic that unfolds on screen.

Simply Put

Am I happy with how my Lee is evolving? I think I am. In the end, the choices I made will not always be the popular ones but ones that I can live with. The dialogue and writing have hit a high note, and I await patiently (okay, so not really patiently) to continue on with the next episode.