The Walking Dead: Season Two - A Telltale Games Series Review - Screenshot 1 of 2

The first season of Telltale Games’ story heavy zombie game, The Walking Dead, spooked the PlayStation 4 earlier this month, and we liked it very much – even if it didn't run that much smoother than its PlayStation 3 predecessor. Fortunately, The Walking Dead: Season Two is a far superior port.

On previous generation hardware, this sophomore outing had a couple of major issues that were present in every single episode – the inconsistent framerate being among them. These refresh rate fluctuations were especially problematic after the game had loaded a new area, but thankfully they’re all but eradicated here.

Indeed, we didn’t encounter any stutters at all during our playthrough, which is a significant and welcome change for a series renowned for its technical hiccups. Lip sync issues, which were a problem even in the PS4 version of Season One, aren’t present either – an important improvement in a game that wants you to empathise with its cast.

The Walking Dead: Season Two - A Telltale Games Series Review - Screenshot 2 of 2

The Walking Dead: Season Two Episode Reviews

The title’s technical aspects are vastly superior, then, but the fact remains that Season Two’s story isn’t quite as strong as the first. That’s not to say that it’s bad – far from it – but it suffers from a lack of plausibility at times. Yes, we know that this is a tale about zombies – but it doesn’t always make sense for young protagonist Clementine to be the problem solver given her age.

That being said, the writing is still fantastic, and there are some brilliant plot twists here, as well as some infuriating (in the best possible way) cliff-hangers. The gameplay follows the same blueprint as its predecessors – you’ll be spending most of your time exploring environments and engaging in conversations – but the interface has been tidied up a teensy bit, too.

Conclusion

There were very few technical upgrades in the PS4 version of The Walking Dead: Season One, but The Walking Dead: Season Two actually takes advantage of its host hardware, and improves upon the PS3 edition vastly as a consequence. Sadly, with no way to import your saves from last-gen hardware at the time of typing, this means that you’re probably going to have to pick up the first instalment anyway if you want to transfer your decisions to Sony’s new super machine. If you’re already hooked on Telltale’s post-apocalyptic plot, then this sophomore series is most definitely a must play – even if it never quite hits the highs of the inaugural escapade.