Released in episodic format in 2012, Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead video game series has gone on to rival its television counterpart in popularity and acclaim. While Telltale has delivered The Walking Dead‘s most successful transition to video game format (a 2012 adaptation by Terminal Reality, The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, was a massive bomb), gamers have been patiently waiting for the Walking Dead game promised by Swedish developers Overkill Studios. Slated for release in 2016, the game has been hampered by numerous setbacks.
In an interview this week with Overkill, Walking Dead series creator Robert Kirkman voiced confidence in Overkill Studios, saying he appreciates the developers’ commitment to delivering the highest standard of quality in their final product, rather than rushing the game out the door.
“We’re not making a date here,” Kirkman said, according to Game Rant. “We’re making a great game.”
Right now, further info on the game’s plot and gameplay are being kept under wraps, with only one trailer having been released thus far. In addition to Aidan, the baseball-bat-wielding protagonist featured in the trailer, three playable characters have been confirmed. A press release cited by Game Rant this week suggested that the game might feature base building, while PC Gamer notes that the game will be a four player co-op pitting players against zombies and other humans.
The game’s release date has also not yet been revealed, though the second half of the show’s eighth season is scheduled for February 25, 2018. Like its television counterpart, Telltale set the bar high with the complex, mature narrative presented in their take on the Walking Dead, with the fourth “season” also set to release this coming year. The confidence of Robert Kirkman, however, suggests that Overkill are up to the challenge presented by its competitors.