The Walking Dead franchise has ventured into a lot of different video game genres. But it has yet to infect the match 3 genre, until today.
Unlike The Walking Dead: Destinies, The Walking Dead Match 3 Tales is a puzzle RPG set within the universe of Robert Kirkman’s original comic. Through match 3 puzzles, players will combat Walkers and various other enemies while playing as various characters from the series, with each having their own set of unique skills and weapons to aid you.
Both heroes and villains are selectable in the mobile title. Characters of note include Rick, Michonne, Carl, Glenn, The Governor, Maggie, Abraham, and more. There’s weapon crafting outside of match 3 rounds that can give you an edge. As well as a mode to build your own settlement which leads to unlocking additional survivors and upgrades.
As per most The Walking Dead projects, the game’s narrative is a focus of the Skybound Entertainment team. Dan Murray, managing partner at the studio, says in a press release that “fans can now take an active part in the decision-making that lends such drama and emotion to The Walking Dead’s story, whether defending their home or expanding it.”
The Walking Dead Match 3 features brand new comic book-style art. You’ll revisit iconic moments from the original comics as well as never-before-seen ones. And the mobile title even features full voice acting as well.
What about The Walking Dead Match 3 multiplayer?
Match 3 Tales has both competitive and cooperative multiplayer included. Players can team up to take down difficult raid bosses that emerge as threats. You can go up against fellow survivors in PvP Raids, or participate in the game’s All-Out War mode, which revolves around large-scale player alliance battles. And like many live service mobile games, daily and weekly challenges will occur.
The Walking Dead: All-Stars, released last year for mobile, had a similar comic book style as Match 3 Tales. However, the survival RPG didn’t embrace the iconicly intense story of the franchise. Really, since the conclusion of Telltale’s The Walking Dead series, the gaming aspect of the series has had little focus on its comic-verse.
The aforementioned The Walking Dead: Destinies is based within AMC’s ever-popular live-action world. And when Negan joined the roster of Tekken 7 in 2018, it was an adaptation of Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s take on the television character. So it’s refreshing to feel as though we are finally adventuring back into the original world of Kirkman’s The Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead Match 3 is available for both iOS and Android devices right now.