Somehow in 2020 we got two VR games based on The Walking Dead. While Saints & Sinners was a solid entry based on the world of the comic books; Onslaught takes its atmosphere from the world of the AMC televsion show.
THE WALKING DEAD: ONSLAUGHT
Developed By: Survios
Published By: AMC Games
Available For: Oculus, Steam VR, and PlayStation VR (Review Copy)
The Walking Dead: Onslaught has a surprising number of features to unpack for a VR game. Developer Survios has a track record of great VR games such as the boxing simulator Creed and the movement mayhem of Sprint Vector but this is the first title from the studio that feels like a full game experience.
It all starts with a campaign where you’ll play as fan-favorite show character Daryl Dixon. Picking up right after the shows war with the group known as the Saviors; Daryl is the focal point of a story written by Survios in conjunction with AMC. We’re introduced to mysterious characters not seen on the show as you take Daryl through the retelling of a supply run gone wrong.
In some ways the campaign serves as training or weapon finding for the game’s greater challenge, building Alexandria. The famous safe zone from the show and comics is its own strategy build game here. Between story chapters you’ll be able to gather materials to build structres like a town hall and food storage in Alexandria. Buildings serve to help with in-game stats such as extended health, ammunition finding, and more. You’ll need these because the best way to gather materials for expansion and food necessary to bring in more survivors is by going on supply runs. You can choose between charactes such as Richard “Entertainment” Grimes, Michonne, and Carol. During supply runs you’ll have a limited amount of time to search houses, military tents, streets and other fun tetanus filled areas. You’re limited in that during every supply run a horde of walkers approaches as your count down timer. If you get caught, you’re zombie food.
The variety of weapons available to use in the game is a punisher’s arsenal of toys. There’s pistols, submachine guns, and assault rifles; but the game’s most fun in using the signature weapons the characters of the show have become known for. Michonne’s katana handles like every neckbeard’s dream where a well-timed slice motion cuts off the heads of walkers erupting like a fountain. Carol’s brass knuckle knife is another great design as players can stab a walker’s head then swing more attackers away in one move.
Combat is the VR must mojo of the game. Without the immersion of VR the game would be an average first-person-shooter in some ways. Survios take motion to another level in Onslaught. The game’s visceral “progressive dismemberment system” creates enemies with points of separable articulation. You really get to experience it in close up combat. Players can hack off zombie limbs with a machete with near pinpoint accuracy. While the physics in combat is well-behaved there were some flaws. When you take out a zombie’s legs with bullets, they get back up rather than crawl towards you. Overall the combat amounts to a meaty experience that wouldn’t work without the immersion provided by VR.
There were two issues I had with the game. First, the game requires a certain amount of survivors in your camp to unlock the next story mission. While the aim is to balance the replay value game with the story, the number required often means players will need to go through multiple supply raids before getting to the next Daryl chapter. It can cut out the legs of the story for those who simply like to get into the next big of the campaign. The other issue isn’t so much a developer issue as it is a hardware and resource issue. While the environments are very well detailed like a Halloween haunted house but they do have a lack of interactable objects. Between seeing soccer balls, playground equipment, car windshields there’s so much in the levels I want to mess with but it’s not an option.
While we’re nearing the end of first generation consumer VR technology, most studios still haven’t been able to write a formula for full game experiences in VR. While Valve’s Half-Life Alyx remains the measuring stick for what a VR game should be, an argument could be made Survios is the best all-around VR developer currently in gaming. No other studio has developed such quality experiences for multiple VR platforms and The Walking Dead Onslaught serves as the culmination of the tech developed in their previous titles. Onslaught is the right balance of interactive, story, and pop corn horror entertainment. If you are looking for your next VR good time, it’s here.
