The Walking Dead: The Game is a point and click adventure, set in an apocalyptic world of despair, desperation and the dead.

The third installment of the episodic series titled “Long Road Ahead” is set a week after the second episode. Our protagonist, Lee, and his fellow survivors are still holed up in a barricaded motel, scavenging for supplies and fending off not only “Walkers”, but humans too.

Paranoia and fear is rampant among the group. The former has struck deep in Lily, whose ongoing dispute with Kenny and suspicions of  betrayal is really getting to her. Watching Lily slowly descend into madness is a compelling experience, and a testament to how amazing the voice acting is and how far Telltale have come with their storytelling and presentation. Suicide and murder are among the themes present in Episode 3. Often they are trivialised in video games, but here they are expertly explored; They are meaningful events, and because of their occurrence you will feel sentimental, disgusted, and vengeful. Again, it’s a testament to Telltale’s talent.

Choice defines The Walking Dead. You are in control of how the plot progresses, your choices lead the story. The morality of each choice isn’t black and white; you will feel guilty when you make the “wrong” choices, and sometimes when you make the “right” ones you’ll still feel a little distraught, even if it was ultimately for the best.You feel responsible for the group and for the friends you’ve made in the group, but even more so for Clementine, an endearing little girl you (Lee) found alone in her treehouse in Episode 1. Her parents where away and her babysitter was infected. Your responsibilities carry weight and guide your choices, and make them feel crucial.

These choices of course carry on between games, and characters will remember if you sided with them or did something they didn’t approve of. They’ll reference past conversations and altercations, and how friendly or hostile they are towards you depends on how you conversed with them, who you sided with in arguments and who you saved when given the choice of 2 people. This makes the story feel dynamic and your relationships realistic.

The action scenes can be intense at times, the quick-time events are well-scripted and the zombie kills are gruesome, but these more action packed segments can make the gameplay feel limited. I wanted more control over what I was doing and how I was going to defend myself. A shootout in this episode was particularly good. Looking down the scope of a rifle and being able to freely aim gave me the control I craved, but while thrilling, it was short-lived.

Graphically the game is hit and miss. It looks sharper than most, boasting a 1080p resolution (on PS3, the platform I played it on), and the comic book art-style is great, however animations can look awkward and rushed and frame-rate hitches, whilst not experience breaking, can be annoying.

The Walking Dead does something many games don’t even touch upon, and those that attempt to often fail; It makes you feel. It’s a test of your humanity. Gameplay can sometimes feel limited and it’s not the most polished game technically, but the focus and the meat of the game, the story, is outstanding.