Adaptive Storytelling: I am a fan.

If you haven't given Telltale Games The Walking Dead a shot then you probably are not among the gamers that found themselves incredibly depressed but in the most awesome way possible after playing the recent release of the third episode.  Episodic content is something that has been done before, has been talked about for a long time and ultimately is what DLC should be, not horse armor or different weapon and character skins.  The Walking Dead is succeeded at not just episodic content but in changing the way stories are told in games, releasing bimonthly Telltale is taking their time crafting an ever changing story that leaves the player continually guessing not only what is coming next but more importantly questioning the same things one does when something doesn't go their way.  How did I end up here?

The beauty of The Walking Dead is not the decisions the player makes, not the freedom they are given to treat other survivors how they see fit but it is the decisions the player doesn't know they are making until the consequences happen.  When in conversation you are giving brief descriptions of what to say, conversations can escalate rather quickly as they tend to do but it is not until the person you are speaking with forms an opinion or creates a memory based on what you have said to them pops up in the upper left corner does it hit the player that there is a direct impact to what is being said.  These interactions happen so quickly that it emulates everyday conversation in the sense that the player might dwell on negative things that were said, not do characters remember the way you have treated them but so do you, it weighs heavily on your choices.  The story choices create such a feeling of tension for the player, as if you are walking on egg shells the entire time to keep yourself in characters good graces but the events that you cause and how you deal with them is what ultimately leaves a lasting impression. 

Many times throughout the first three episodes of The Walking Dead decisions have to be made in the heat of the moment, this has evolved to a point that there are noticeable improvements in to how these are presented to the player.  For example Telltale has gone away from the this character is being attacked and so is this one but you can only save one choice, to in the latest episode life or death choices can happen in an escalated conversation as the story of these characters is beginning to reflect the unimaginable times they are trying to survive.  People make irrational decisions every day, it is no different in the world of The Walking Dead.  Do yourself a favor and pick up the first episode, you won't regret it, at least not as much as some of the choices you might make in your playthrough.