Review by Jon Donnis
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival takes the franchise into classic 2D side-scrolling beat-'em-up territory, with a style that will be instantly recognisable to anyone who grew up playing Streets of Rage. The formula is simple, but putting Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Michonne and Negan into it gives the game a distinct identity.
Rick, Daryl and Michonne are playable from the outset, while Negan can be unlocked. Each character has their own fighting style, statistics and signature abilities, with their familiar weapons adding further differences. Rick has his magnum, Michonne her katana and Daryl his crossbow, while Negan gets to bring Lucille into the fight.
The combat is straightforward, responsive and satisfying. You move through each area, dealing with groups of walkers and members of the Saviors, using melee attacks, ranged weapons and special abilities to clear a path. It does not take long to understand the basics, but there is enough variation between the characters to make trying them all worthwhile.
The Walking Dead setting is put to good use throughout the campaign. Based around the All Out War storyline, the game takes you through familiar locations including the Sanctuary, Hilltop and Alexandria. The story is supported by some decent cut scenes, while the combination of walkers, Saviors and recognisable locations gives the campaign more personality than a standard arcade brawler.
There is also some welcome variety in the encounters. Environmental hazards, larger groups of walkers and boss battles involving characters such as Negan and Simon provide breaks from the regular fighting. Fans will also recognise walkers including Winslow and the Well Walker.
The main limitation is the simplicity of the gameplay. Once the basic combat has been mastered, you can make fairly quick progress through the campaign. The survival elements add another consideration to the fighting, while multiple difficulty levels provide some additional challenge, but there is not a huge amount of depth underneath the arcade-style action.
That also makes the game's audience fairly easy to define. If you enjoy The Walking Dead and classic 2D beat-'em-ups, the combination works. If you have little interest in either, there is not enough here to make the game particularly compelling.
Price is another issue. At £17.99 for the standard version and £29.99 for the Deluxe Edition, Streets of Survival is expensive for such a focused experience. The story, cut scenes, character differences and use of the television series' locations show that more effort has gone into the game than a basic licensed brawler, but the relatively short and straightforward nature of the gameplay makes the pricing difficult to overlook.
What works best is the combination of the familiar characters and the uncomplicated arcade action. Playing as Rick, Daryl or Michonne, using their recognisable weapons and fighting through locations associated with The Walking Dead gives the game enough personality to stand apart from the many other beat-'em-ups available.
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival will not be for everyone, but it does not need to be. It delivers a straightforward arcade experience built around two very specific appeals: The Walking Dead and classic 2D beat-'em-ups. The combat is fun, the characters are well suited to the format and the campaign makes good use of the licence, although the limited depth and pricing hold it back.
Ignoring the cost, The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival scores a solid 7 out of 10.
