One of AMC TV’s two best zombie television shows is coming back to video games. This time it does not suck one little bit. During E3, Survios, let us get hands-on with The Walking Dead: Onslaught. The game is being developed by the studio that just about perfected gun action combat and meaty fighting while even making running somehow fun in virtual reality.
All of Survios previous VR games come into play. Swinging my arms using the motion controls to make Richard “Entertainment” Grimes move throughout the world, I noticed how intuitive it was to my movement. The slower I moved, the more it resembled a crawl. A mechanic that will be helpful sneaking around walkers.
Where TWD Onslaught sold me was in all the details revolving around combat. Survios have taken the overzealous approach to everything you’ll interact with. Every enemy you encounter will be a fully volumetric object meaning body undead or fully alive will be empty. As a machete wielding Grimey, I hacked off body parts from zombies even after they posed no threat to me. There were moments I’d swung my weapon with such force that the feedback in the motion controls resembled what it’s like when characters on the show have their weapons stuck in zombies.
Survios is also taking into account that you have two hands. Utilizing my free hand, I was able to grab a zombie by the throat and then guide my weapon whatever body part was unfortunate enough to feel the steel first.
Of course, there’s a limited supply of guns in the game backed by solid reload mechanics but the pleasant surprise I encountered happened in a heat of the moment. As I ran out of ammo while being ambushed by a spurt of undead, I managed to grab one by the throat and beat it with the butt of my handgun. This was something that even made the developers in the room do a double take.
We know you’ll be able to play as nearly every Walking Dead character from AMC’s main show which puts the game story before current events in the series. While AMC is working as a close partner to Survios, they definitely aren’t saying “no” to a lot of the studio’s ideas.
Players will even get their hands on some of the show’s most iconic artifacts such as the Dixon crossbow, Negan’s ex-wife Lucille, Michonne’s sword, and Rick’s python… I’m referencing the .44 magnum but really who knows just how far Survios will go in detailing the world of The Walking Dead.
As I left my demo session I found myself feeling something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Genuine excitement to once again dive into Robert Kirkman’s never ending zombie film has felt foreign to many people now but Onslaught will definitely be a pullback for the lapsed fans.
The Walking Dead: Onslaught is a virtual reality must and launches on PlayStation VR, Oculus, and HTC Vive this fall.
