The Walking Dead property has been no stranger to VR headsets over the course of 2020. Hot off the heels of the release of The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners earlier this year, the second title associated with the franchise, this time which is based directly on the hit TV show, has now landed on virtual reality devices today.
Developed by Survios in tandem with AMC, The Walking Dead Onslaught is the name of the latest game associated with the zombie-slaying franchise. Unlike Saints and Sinners, which set out to tell a story focusing on new characters in the same world, Onslaught features many iconic characters that those familiar with the television show will know of. Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Carol are all featured in the game, with the crew needing to band together to “rebuild the settlement, restore society, and prepare for an onslaught of walker-slaying mayhem.”
The story of The Walking Dead Onslaught takes place after the war with The Survivors ends. In the aftermath, you and the rest of the crew from the TV show must put the city of Alexandria back together while, of course, holding off hordes of zombies in the process. Players will be able to also take on the playable role of any of the aforementioned characters, with a special campaign mode centering around Daryl and his journey while taking a supply run being available, too.
As for what you’ll be doing in The Walking Dead Onslaught, beating down zombies seems to be what the majority of the experience focuses on. With 24 different weapons at your disposal, both of the ranged and melee variety, you’ll be able to ensure that combat encounters never play out the same way.
This idea is even furthered when taking into account the “progressive dismemberment” system that is also featured in Onslaught. This means that zombies will be taken apart in a realistic fashion while playing. If you strike them with a weapon on their arm, the arm will likely fall off. If you club a zombie across the head, they’ll be decapitated. And if you shoot them in the face, well, you get the idea.
You can get a look at this system, and the general gameplay from The Walking Dead Onslaught, in the new launch trailer right here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfzzuaQYwQ]
The Walking Dead Onslaught also has quite a few survival elements packed in, too. As mentioned, you’ll be looking to rebuild the town of Alexandria over the course of the experience. As you find new supplies, you’ll be able to see the town slowly being rebuilt over time. To rebuild it, though, you’ll have to venture out of the city and gain new materials, with which you’ll then be able to pick and choose how to spend later on.
Much like Saints and Sinners, when it comes to the game’s use as a fitness application, The Walking Dead Onslaught seems like it could keep you quite active for a prolonged period of time. With so much of the game focusing on hand-to-hand combat against hordes of the undead, Onslaught sounds like it should keep you swinging your arms and hands about quite consistently. Combine this with the fact that you’ll be making new supply runs quite often, Onslaught doesn’t seem like it will be a game that you’ll pick up a few times just to finish the story before putting it down for good.
Not to mention, considering this is partially a horror experience, you’ll likely have an increased heart rate while playing, even if the actions you’re performing aren’t anything extreme. All in all, there’s more than enough packed in here to give you a good sweat for a long while.
The Walking Dead Onslaught is out now and is available across Valve Index, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR headsets. The game is up for sale on Steam, the Oculus Store, and the PlayStation Store and retails for $29.99, with the deluxe edition (which includes additional in-game items and more) coming in at $39.99.
