Five Reasons The Walking Dead Game is Better than the Show

Chances are you loved the premiere of The Walking Dead last night. It was full of all the mayhem and bloody zombie killing you could ever ask for, and answers the question no, it will not be as slow as last season.

But if you’ve been playing Telltale’s Walking Dead video game recently? You might find that your experience in the universe is even richer than when you watch the show. I certainly believe that, and here’s why.

1. The Zombies are Secondary to the Humans

The Walking Dead isn’t supposed to be about zombie killing, at least not as its main focus. Rather, the most powerful parts of the story are the relationships between the characters. I don’t think this comes through nearly enough on the show, even when long stretches of time are spent in relative quiet like on Herschel’s farm. Rather, in the game, the character development is much richer, even if there’s only been eight total hours of the game so far. You spend a lot of time getting to know your companions, who then feel like YOUR companions, not just characters you’re watching.

2. The Main Character is YOU

Well, not exactly. You take control of an ex-convict and the game is not in first person, but you feel more of a connection to him than you do to Rick on the show. Rick is a fine character, but there’s always a bit of distance between him and the audience. That’s not true at all for the game’s protagonists.

3. No Badasses, Only Men

The Walking Dead show has many characters that are complete badasses. Daryl and Shane filled that role, now it’s Rick and Michonne, though this week showed EVERYone is becoming hardened to zombie killing. That’s cool and all, but the show now feels more like a video game than the video game. In the game, you rarely fight zombies, and when you do, you’re not some all powerful assault rifle wielding menace, you’re just a man trying to fend off impossible odds.

4. You Want to Save the Kid, Not Feed Them to the Zombies

Carl may not suck as much as he once did, as in season three he seems to know how to handle himself better, but for so long he was such a painfully annoying character and nothing more than a plot device. But in the game, Clementine is a girl you genuinely want to protect with your life, and you would do ANYTHING to ensure her safety. It’s an escort mission you actually relish, which is highly unusual in any game.

5. You Have to Make the Tough Choices Yourself

The has been filled with many shocking moments to be sure, but they all pale in comparison to the ones found in the game. The most chilling part is, whenever something big happens, it’s up to YOU to make the decision. Do you save the guy or the girl? Do you mercy kill a bitten person or not? These are tough choices that you’re forced to make on the fly, and you have to live with your decisions afterward. Sometimes, it can always seem like you did something wrong.