AMC’s The Walking Dead has been made into plenty of videogames, the most popular of which is probably the episodic, graphic adventure by Telltale Games and Skybound Games. When it comes to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), the franchise has featured in Pinball FX2 VR and got players out and about with The Walking Dead: Our World. Now the studio behind Raw Data and Creed: Rise to Glory, Survios, has announced a collaboration with AMC on an official VR videogame, The Walking Dead Onslaught.
Because The Walking Dead Onslaught is an official VR experience, fans will be able to take the role of their favourite survivors from the series, having to deal with the seemingly endless walker threat in an exclusive original story.
Featuring a full campaign mode and player progression alongside melee and ranged combat, the title will be using Survios’ ‘Progressive Dismemberment System’ for what sounds like a visceral combat experience that is going to be quite brutal. Players will find walker limbs are vulnerable for removal at many joints, including arms, legs and neck; while a proprietary “gore mesh” creates realistic wounds anywhere on a walker’s body. And just for added realism enemies can be impaled and react where they are stabbed, as well as weapons getting stuck, or players feeling resistance when pulling out weapons.
There’s also a ‘Melee Restraint System’ allowing walkers to be grabbed and restrained for precision melee attacks and strategic defence, or simply pushed and thrown at other walkers.
“Not only is The Walking Dead Onslaught a dream opportunity for the megafans in the studio, but we’ve had the unique challenge to further evolve VR with our ‘progressive dismemberment’ technology,” said Survios head of studio Mike McTyre in a statement. “This is a standalone game experience featuring one of the most beloved TV IPs in the world. AMC is an incredible partner, encouraging us to push immersion to a new level that can only be experienced in VR with ‘The Walking Dead.’”
“The Walking Dead Onslaught is the immersive VR experience fans have been waiting for,” said Yoel Flohr, EVP of Digital and Franchise Development at AMC. “We’re thrilled to be working with Survios, an industry leader in world-class visuals and innovative gameplay, to give players the chance to experience first-hand the terror and thrill of The Walking Dead’s apocalyptic world.”
The Walking Dead Onslaught is scheduled to launch Fall 2019 in VR arcades and for home VR platforms (no specific headsets have been mentioned just yet). As further details are released, VRFocus will keep you updated.