Rick Grimes’ (Andrew Lincoln) sense of morality being put to the ultimate test toward the end of his arc, along with the bittersweet repercussions that follow. There are, however, moments that make us yearn for a different outcome, inviting “what if?” scenarios that could have potentially saved a couple of lives or prevented devastating events from taking place.
This is the key selling point of “The Walking Dead: Destinies,” the 2023 action-adventure game that promised players the ability to reshape major storylines from the first four seasons of the show. The basic premise follows a skill tree mechanic, where you can unlock bonuses for the character you’re playing as, while charting varying endings and outcomes. It is not surprising that AMC and publisher GameMill Entertainment wanted to leverage the nostalgia attached to the franchise, as the concept of playing as Rick, Daryl, or Michonne in a choose-your-own-adventure title is an intriguing one. This also meant re-visiting familiar locations — such as the Greene farm and Woodbury — allowing you to explore the story in greater depth and make life-altering choices that determine who lives or dies.
Unfortunately, the gap between the lofty expectations surrounding “TWD: Destinies” and the reality of its shoddy, horribly rushed gameplay couldn’t be wider. This lethal combo of “overpromise and under-deliver” did the game absolutely no favors, rendering it an insultingly shallow action-adventure experience that is the palest shadow of the parent AMC series. If you think I’m exaggerating, let’s take a closer look at the game’s promised mechanics and how they actually hold up in the baffling finished product that everyone would rather forget.
