The Walking Dead is a series that needs little introduction. Originally released in 2003 as a comic book, the series would later go on to be adapted into a full live-action TV series by AMC seven years later in 2010. It is this version that most think of when they see the title, and it too has seen its fair share of spin-offs and side series. Fear the Walking Dead, World Beyond, Dead City, and Daryl Dixon are just some examples of the extended TV universe, but there are also multiple video game adaptations as well. And The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is yet another title to join that lineup.
Developed by Odaclick Game Studio and published by Trailmark Games, The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is a classic arcade beat 'em up-style game set within AMC's universe. Because of this, it adapts events of the show itself, which diverged from the source material early on, and includes AMC-exclusive characters such as Daryl Dixon, and of course uses the show's version of Rick Grimes as well. Putting the story aside, from a gameplay standpoint, the title is also a bit different from what most will expect. Despite touting itself as a classic beat 'em up, stages incorporate cover mechanics to avoid gunfire, as well as limited exploration with light puzzle elements. With its slower pace, it isn't exactly the non-stop action typically seen in these types of games, and because of that, it might not be for everyone.
Either way, Streets of Survival is a title designed specifically for fans of the TV series, so if this is your first go-around with the franchise, you might want to think twice before beginning here.
Stepping into Season 8:
The game begins during a pivotal moment in The Walking Dead—more specifically, during a major death scene from Season 8. For those a little rusty on where this falls within the series, it is during the Negan Arc, with the following events resulting in a full-on war with his group the Saviors. This is the moment in the story Streets of Survival has chosen to adapt, with each stage being a small snapshot of key events that followed. From the beginning, it is clear where the final stage will take us, but for newcomers to the series, all of this will mean very little.
Although there are "lore items" to discover and short pieces of dialogue before and during stages, the story content itself is very light. There is next to no explanation as to what is actually going on, outside of the basic "Negan is the bad guy, and we must stop him." Honestly, the story doesn't need any more than this, especially considering the type of game it is, but again, this is a title fully aimed at fans, and fans alone. Even comic readers might be left confused or even angered by the opening scene, but it is what it is.
The General Gameplay:
Streets of Survival is a side-scrolling beat 'em up set within a 3D world, while also using 2D sprites for the main characters and enemies. It mimics arcade classics but features slower gameplay while introducing its own systems and mechanics.
The core gameplay comes down to moving to the right, beating up any enemy that gets in your way, and eventually making your way to the goal. Although there are four characters to select from, the first three are limited to specific levels initially, while the fourth and final character is unlocked after beating the game once. Each technically has their own playstyle, but there are no major differences between them.
When it comes to controlling these characters, players can mash their main attack button for a melee hit, hit their power attack button to kick enemies and knock them down, use a special attack once it has been charged, and pull off combos by using a power attack at the end of a normal melee string. This is the one and only combo in the game, though it differs per character, so players simply need to get into the habit of hitting kick at the end each time.
As for the attacks themselves, each character is slightly different, with their own attack range. Rick punches and uses his axe, Daryl uses knives, and Michonne has her trusty katana with a longer range. Rick and Daryl can also pick up limited-use melee weapons found throughout the stages, while Michonne refuses to let go of her trusty sword. On the other hand, she can grab two ranged weapons at a time, while Rick has his magnum and Daryl makes use of his crossbow.
Ranged weapons in the game are easily one of the most frustrating features, and they can feel a bit too broken at times—in a bad way. Rick and Daryl can find ammo for their respective weapons, but it is very limited, and the additional guns are not any better. Once found, they can be aimed at enemies to deal devastating damage, but there are plenty of times where the lock-on will fight against your wishes, resulting in wasted ammo. On the flip side, enemies always hit their target and can shoot as much as they wish. With the ability to crouch behind boxes, it is possible to avoid this gunfire, but once out in the open, your only defensive option is to either run or roll with perfect timing. Rolling has a cooldown time, however, so it cannot be spammed, and dodging one enemy's attack could mean leaving yourself open for the next one instead.
Putting aside the ranged weapons, enemies can feel very cheap when facing them in hand-to-hand combat. Michonne's attack range is longer, so it helps, but Rick and Daryl have to get up close and personal. The issue here is that most enemies have a hitbox range twice the length of what you'd expect, so sometimes your character will go flying when a zombie simply swats the air. Thankfully, you can strike first to attempt to stun them from time to time, but even then, they often just move through your attacks and pretend you're not even there. This, mixed with the constant gunfire once an enemy steps on screen with a gun, is what makes the title a lot harder than it should be, and it can lead to plenty of frustrating deaths. Considering there is no life system and checkpoints can be far apart, players can expect to lose plenty of progress along the way.
For actual survival, players do need to explore the area and search for items. A circle will show what objects can be interacted with, so it isn't too much of a challenge, but sometimes locations have secret doors to find as well. Here you'll often find special upgrade items for characters, or powerful weapons and healing items, which are key to making it through each stage. Healing requires you to stand still as you bandage yourself, however, so it must be done in a safe location, and not having items to fall back on will surely spell your end. Finding these items is also where some of the game's light puzzle elements come in, as doors might be locked until you discover a code or activate them by other means. Having these elements is nice, and it would be great to see them expanded upon in a future title, but sadly there are only a handful of stages that fully make use of this style of play. Otherwise, "make it to the end of this linear path" is mostly your goal.
Sadly, this isn't the only area that could be improved upon.
The Unbalanced Difficulty:
The biggest issue with The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is its unbalanced difficulty, some of which is a direct result of the ridiculous enemy attack range and sometimes clunky controls.
As strange as this might sound, the later stages in the game are the easiest part of the entire experience, with the earlier levels doing everything they can to push you away. The second stage of the game puts either Rick or Michonne up against the spiked zombie Winslow, and it isn't a fun time. Right from the get-go, players must run away, attempt to break down trash blocking their path, and avoid other enemies along the way. Winslow catching up to you is an instant death, and getting attacked by normal zombies will most likely throw you into him. Things take a turn, however, once you reach the "hideout," which has two exits. From here, the goal is to simply kill all of the normal zombies on the map—thirty of them—but Winslow never stops chasing. While you can run ahead of him, getting swarmed by too many enemies at once will once again lead to an early grave, making it almost required that you hang back and take them on one by one instead. If you do run away, it doesn't matter, as Winslow has a rubber-banding mechanic that constantly spawns him at the edge of your screen. Even if he was at the edge of the previous screen when you transition into the next, he'll be loaded in right next to you, and the same thing happens when exiting through either door of the hideout.
Obviously, there is nothing wrong with a challenge, but this mission is at the very beginning of the game and does not reflect what is to come. Yes, there are a few other random difficulty spikes here and there, sometimes with annoying mechanics attached, but other levels actually feel like something out of an arcade beat 'em up and can be fun to play. Each character's limited moveset is disappointing, and zombies still somehow attack you with the sonic booms created from slashing the air, but at least these other stages are a lot more balanced. Meanwhile, the final level is actually the easiest of all, though it throws in unexpected quick-time button presses. Even these are not what you'd expect, however, as the idea is to let the button prompt sit before pressing it, since hitting it too soon will fail the event instead. So, in a sense, they are actually slow-time events?
Along with all of this, characters can actually be upgraded by finding knowledge points in stages, but these upgrades do not have as large of an impact as you might think. Rick's upgrades are mostly focused on getting more ammo, for example, while Michonne can gain the chance of healing if she lands a critical hit. Starting a new game with these upgrades unlocked didn't make that meaningful of an impact, however, and I still dreaded dealing with Winslow once again. New Game Plus relocks all of the previously cleared levels, so I couldn't simply play the stages I liked; it was back to the junkyard once again.
Should you play it?
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival has quite a few nice ideas, but it also doesn't reach its full potential. Its sometimes awkward controls, annoying enemies, and randomly challenging gimmicks make sections of the game a pain to complete, but there are other moments I did truly enjoy. The pixel art and general aesthetics are great as well, and something about just beating up zombies and Negan's Saviors was satisfying. I also liked the idea of searching for items and exploring additional rooms, but I wished they did a little more with it.
What I wasn't a fan of, however, was the gun mechanics and the times when multiple ranged-weapon-toting enemies entered the screen at once. Taking cover and rolling wasn't always enough to counter this, so it became a sprint toward the closest one as you simply hoped for the best. This could be fixed by toning down their rate of fire, or even by limiting their ammo just as we have limits ourselves, but at launch, there wasn't much you could do. Having a gun yourself helps, sure, but the limited ammo is only enough to take out a few of them while more enemies simply replace them. There was also a small detail the developers overlooked, but I was told it would be fixed before release—an honest mistake that also made me laugh a little as soon as I saw it.
Despite frustrations, I did ultimately have fun with the title, but its roughly two-hour runtime was much shorter than I expected. While that can be extended to possibly eight hours by playing through as each character, the game doesn't quite have the same hook as other beat 'em ups to make players want to come back and do so. Without a multiplayer option, and with only a wave-based survival mode as an extra, there isn't a lot to entice players into coming back, so for many, one playthrough will be more than enough.
Overall, The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is an okay beat 'em up based on AMC's version of the series. While the game employs some nice and unique ideas, its unbalanced difficulty and sometimes awkward gameplay hold it back. Fans of the show might enjoy a single playthrough or two, but others have little reason to look its way.
VERDICT: Maybe
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Review Copy was Provided
Available On: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
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