Choices have consequences in 'Walking Dead'

The group hopes to find refuge from zombies and starvation at St. John Dairy.

If you still think the undead pose the greatest threat during a zombie apocalypse, you haven't been paying attention.

In three months since the Atlanta outbreak, starvation, infighting and hopelessness have taken their toll on the survivors of "The Walking Dead," a five-part adventure series for PC, Mac, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. In "Episode 2: Starved for Help," hunger pangs and restlessness have brought discord to a boiling point.

As Lee Everett, players may try to walk a fine line to keep the group from splintering, or pander to a faction for personal gain. Whatever tactics he chooses, Lee's utmost priority is protecting 8-year-old Clementine.

This isn't the terrifying tone of Episode 1, when in the first days of the plague Lee brutally fought against waves of single-minded monsters. The new enemy is despair, and developer Telltale Games strikes a quietly frantic tone of gnawing desperation. The group has gone from fighting for their lives to fending off for one more day a fate that seems inevitable.

As the series' second installment, players finally get a sense of just how great an impact the element of choice makes on the story. Episode 1 already displayed in no uncertain terms that characters will live or die based on Lee's decisions, and not everyone can be saved.

Now, even minor actions prove to have resounding repercussions. By trying to play peacemaker during an argument months ago, for example, Lee is now viewed by both sides as

Unlike many games that offer the illusion of choice with no true consequences -- or those with simplified decisions such as greed vs. selflessness -- "The Walking Dead" constantly assails players with complex dilemmas and uncertain outcomes. Even well-intentioned actions can prove disastrous, and the full fallout often doesn't reveal itself until much later in the story.

Early in Episode 2, Lee must distribute the day's rations -- four measly scraps of food among 10 starving survivors. As he walks the camp, talking to each companion and assessing the weighty task, children cry out in hunger and mournful eyes behind gaunt adult faces convey the pleading their owners are too proud to voice.

It's a futile task. Many in need will have to go without.

Continued here:
Choices have consequences in 'Walking Dead'