Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • Spotlight
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Strategy
    • RPGs
  • Most Hardcore
    • Devices
    • Gifts
    • Gadgets
  • About Us
  • Android-OS-Customization
    Beginner Basics of Android OS Customization
  • smartphone-gaming
    Mobile Revolution: The Impact of Smartphone Gaming on Online Casinos
  • NFL-24-on-Android
    Unlocking Madden NFL 24 on Android: A Game-Changing Experience
  • Android MiniAir Cover Image
    Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air Gaming Keyboard Review
  • Royal Cooking by Matryoshka
    Royal Cooking Review
  • Canadian-Mobile-Casinos
    The Security Behind Canadian Mobile Casinos
  • Tears of Themis Four Main Men
    Oath to Joy Event Coming to Tears of Themis
  • addictive-puzzle-games
    The Nine Most Addictive Puzzle Games on Mobile
  • android-13
    Everything You Need to Know about Android 13 and Why It Matters for Gamers
  • Dragonheir: Silent God title
    Dragonheir: Silent Gods Out Now
  • Knightcore Sword of Kingdom Official Promotional Artwork
    Strategy RPG Knightcore: Sword of Kingdom Opens for Global Pre-Registration
  • mobile-live-casinos
    How To Find Mobile Live Casino Sites With The Best Bonuses
  • mobile-esports
    Mobile Esports Ascend: Unpacking What It Means, Its Impact and Challenges
  • gaming-the-future
    Is Gaming the Future of Education?
  • smartphone-hacks
    Best Hidden Smartphone Hacks That Every Android Phone User Should Know
Hardcore Droid
Hardcore Droid
  • Home
  • News
    • News
    • Spotlight
    • Interviews
    • Consoles
  • Reviews
    • Action
    • Adventure
    • Strategy
    • RPG
    • MMOs
    • Racing
    • Indie
    • Hardware
  • Best Of
    • Top 10 Games
    • Best RPGs
    • Best Action
    • Best Puzzlers
    • Best Strategy
    • Best Indie Strat
    • Best Indie RPGs
    • Most Hardcore
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Game Jobs
    • Archives
    • Attributions
    • Opportunities
  • Adventure

Walking Dead: Road to Survival Review

  • September 23, 2015
  • Jessica Critcher
Road to Survival | Best Android RPG Games
Spread the love

rpg-android-road-to-survival-01While I am a fan of the whole “zombie survival” subgenre of post-apocalyptic fiction, and a casual admirer of The Walking Dead in particular, I am hopelessly behind on the show. Being so far behind, I had hoped that Road to Survival, the latest addition to the Walking Dead canon, would stand on its own rather than a piece of show-specific merchandise. Sadly, anyone but diehard fans of TWD will be disappointed.

The sound and visuals are slick, I’ll give them that. The style is very much in the theme of a graphic novel. But I didn’t come to this game just to read a comic book. I came ready to bash in zombie skulls, and the combat is underwhelming. Some fuss is made in the tutorial about selecting enemies based on character abilities, but the much-hyped fight for “survival” involves simply tapping a character’s icon. And after all of my characters have had a chance to attack, each of the zombies gets a turn, which is a little more civilized than one might expect from a horde of undead abominations or ruthless murderers. Eventually characters get to charge up special moves, complete with unique animations, but the fighting is so repetitive that even those soon feel tedious.rpg-android-road-to-survival-05

The “RPG” aspect of this title is also unimpressive. The player character can choose a name, and is occasionally referred to by other characters, but never takes part in combat. Confusingly, though, everyone suddenly turns to you to be the sole decider when it’s time to make some sort of important, morally questionable decision, (like whether or not to shoot a complete stranger). Other than those calls, your character contributes little to the story missions.

It seems odd, then, that the maintenance of the town is left to the player. You decide how resources are distributed, which structures are built and upgraded, how many people are trained for battle, and even when to raid other towns. This is an interesting feature, but it’s inconsistent with the main plot. A great deal of dialogue is devoted to talking about who’s in charge of your community (with options to support different leaders). If the player character is the one really running the town, then the character choices, our one contribution to the “role playing” aspect of this RPG, feel a little hollow. The most difficult choice, in fact, is whether or not to add this title to the Android RPG cannon.

rpg-android-road-to-survival-04

To make matters worse, maintaining the town is even less interesting than the combat. It’s handled in a top-down, omniscient view, skewing more toward Farmville than any zombie game I’ve ever played. I’m not suggesting a zombie game needs to be all combat, or that games shouldn’t mix up different features or modes of play. But the introduction promised me I was going to “Obliterate Walkers and other survivors with a deadly arsenal of weapons,” and “kill or be killed” in a fight for survival. This, combined with TWD’s gritty aesthetic, gave me the impression that there would be less city planning and more fighting for my life with a blunt object.

rpg-android-road-to-survival-06

Even if building up the town was more fun, at its core, this game is a money making device. Advancing your town or upgrading characters costs resources, and if you don’t have those, it costs coins. Of course, once you burn through your initial free coins, the only way to move your town (or even the plot) forward is to pay actual money. When a game reminds me that my own real life, hard-earned currency still exists, and has the gall to repeatedly ask me for it, I find it harder to immerse myself in their stylized vision of the end of the world.

Fans of TWD will probably get far more out of this game than the average person, presumably being able to identify with the characters and feel more connected to the show’s universe. The rest of us can wait for the next zombie game to come along, since the craze doesn’t appear to be going anywhere any time soon.

Is it Hardcore?
2

Nah.

If you’re not a fan of the graphic novels or TV show, the repetitive combat and freemium leveling won’t hold your attention.

Related Topics
  • Android Adventure Games
Jessica Critcher

is a writer, newly transplanted to Alameda, California. She contributes regularly to Gender Focus and is busy querying her debut novel, a post-apocalyptic story set in 1953. Follow her on Twitter @JessCritcher or find her on Instagram at JessicaCritcher for adorable pictures of her chihuahua, Ada Lovelace.

Previous Article
  • Strategy

Door Kickers Review

  • September 20, 2015
  • Matthew Byrd
View Post
Next Article
  • RPG

Angel Sword Review

  • September 24, 2015
  • Alex Madell
View Post
You May Also Like
Tears of Themis Four Main Men
View Post
  • Adventure
  • News
  • Simulation

Oath to Joy Event Coming to Tears of Themis

  • Allison Van Oirschot
  • September 23, 2023
Super Snail Featured Characters
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Miscellaneous
  • Reviews

Super Snail Review

  • Charlesice Grable-Hawkins
  • September 3, 2023
Dice & Spells menu art
View Post
  • Board Game
  • RPG

Dice & Spells Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • August 26, 2023
Lost in Play promotional banner
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Indie
  • Puzzle

Lost in Play Review

  • Mayra Reynoso
  • August 18, 2023
Monopoly Go title
View Post
  • Board Game

Monopoly Go Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • July 5, 2023
Lost Words Beyond the Page
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Platformer
  • Puzzle

Lost Words: Beyond the Page Android Review

  • Daniel DeAngelo
  • June 21, 2023
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance feature image
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Reviews
  • RPG

Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance Review

  • Dave Weber
  • May 31, 2023
Best Retro Android Games
View Post
  • Adventure
  • Best Of
  • RPG

Best Retro Android Games

  • Jack Brassell
  • May 21, 2023
The Latest
  • Beginner Basics of Android OS Customization
  • Mobile Revolution: The Impact of Smartphone Gaming on Online Casinos
  • Unlocking Madden NFL 24 on Android: A Game-Changing Experience
  • Roccat Vulcan II Mini Air Gaming Keyboard Review
  • Royal Cooking Review
  • The Security Behind Canadian Mobile Casinos
  • Oath to Joy Event Coming to Tears of Themis
  • The Nine Most Addictive Puzzle Games on Mobile
  • Everything You Need to Know about Android 13 and Why It Matters for Gamers
  • Dragonheir: Silent Gods Out Now
Meta
  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
Hardcore Droid
  • Reviews
  • Spotlight
  • Hardcore
Core Gaming on the Android OS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.