The Walking Dead: Destinies

Lore & Background

The game covers events from the first four seasons of the TV series, letting players take control of characters such as Rick Grimes, Michonne Hawthorne, Shane Walsh, Daryl Dixon, Carol Peletier, Glenn Rhee, and others. According to Game Director Paulo Luis Santos, the game originally included more events from later seasons but was narrowed to focus on the show's most popular period. Santos also stated that there were over 150 different endings depending on which characters lived or died based on player decisions.

Development saw several voice actors reprise their roles from the TV series, including Sarah Wayne Callies, IronE Singleton, Emily Kinney, Markice Moore, and Madison Lintz. Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes) voiced a Woodbury Goon, and Matt Lowe voiced Shane Walsh. The game was originally slated for a November 14, 2023 release, but launched digitally on November 17 for consoles and on December 1 for PC, with a physical release later in December 2023.

Reader's Guide

The Walking Dead: Destinies is notable primarily for its poor critical reception. On Metacritic, the PlayStation 5 version scored 29 out of 100, indicating 'generally unfavorable' reviews, and it holds a 0% approval rating on OpenCritic. Critics highlighted severe technical issues, broken mechanics, and low production values. Ollie Reynolds of Nintendo Life stated that 'there's absolutely nothing here that has been executed well; it's a game that is simply rife with technical blunders, terrible production values, and broken mechanics.' Wesley Yin-Poole of IGN considered it a contender for 'worst game of 2023,' alongside Skull Island: Rise of Kong, also published by GameMill Entertainment. Despite its ambitious premise of allowing players to alter iconic TV moments and offering over 150 endings, the game's execution was widely condemned, making it a cautionary example in adventure game history.

Did You Know?

• It features over 150 different endings depending on player decisions.
• Chandler Riggs, who played Carl Grimes in the TV series, voiced a Woodbury Goon in the game.
• The PlayStation 5 version received a Metacritic score of 29/100.