The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival [REVIEW] – Uniquely Undead Beat ‘Em Up Action

The Walking Dead has had some really, REALLY good video game adaptations… and some bad ones. So, when a pixel-art brawler bearing the franchise name came along, I’ll admit, I went in with a bit of trepidation. But you know what? The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is actually a lot of fun and even introduces some unique ideas that help it stand out in the crowd.

Check out some screenshots down below:

The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival zeroes in on the ‘All Out War’ storyline from the television programme, throwing you right into the messy conflict against Negan and his Saviors (which, in my opinion, brought along some of the best moments in the show). You take control of Rick, Michonne, and Daryl as they travel through familiar locations from the show to sabotage the enemy’s operation. If you watched the show, you’ll have an idea as to how things play out. The core trio does a solid job of carrying the short three-hour campaign to its conclusion, and once you finish the story, you even get to play as Negan himself, complete with Lucille – his trusty baseball bat.

Where things get genuinely interesting is the gameplay. On paper, it looks like a standard retro beat ’em up, but it actually plays much more like a survival horror game. You can’t just mash buttons and expect to survive, because one wrong move will see you swiftly killed. It’s tough, but never unfair… you’ve just got to keep calm and plan your actions out appropriately. Oh, and don’t expect to rely on finding chicken or something to heal up when things go wrong – health packs are incredibly rare, and if a walker slaps you while you are patching up, the healing stops and the item is lost forever. The stakes are high, and whilst the genre is one you’d associate with a quick but forgiving pace, you’ve really got to pick your moment to do just about everything in-game.

“The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is an enjoyable beat ‘em up that brings with it some genuinely unique ideas.”

Combat itself requires a lot of patience too. Each character feels entirely distinct: Michonne relies purely on her unbreakable katana, while Rick and Daryl can grab breakable melee weapons and firearms scattered around the levels. Shooting isn’t just a quick point-and-click affair either, with players having to hold their aim while a reticule shrinks, waiting for the perfect moment to deal maximum damage. It is a massive risk-reward system because you are completely vulnerable while lining up the shot, but it adds to the tension and proves to be a lot of fun in-game.

It does some really cool things then, but The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival does have some imperfections. The controls can feel pretty sluggish at times – especially when compared to similar titles in the genre – and direction control can be iffy. This can be challenging when facing multiple walkers at once, especially since everything you do in the game demands a patient approach. Boss fights are a mixed bag too, and whilst the game does introduce some interesting mechanics to help them stand out, some showdowns give bullet-sponge enemies that just drag. It’s a strange change of pace, especially when the core gameplay loop feels so tense and satisfying.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Thankfully, there is a progression system to help empower you as you go through levels, and by exploring, you gather points to upgrade things like your attack speed, health, and dodge cooldowns. It gives you a reason to poke around, and whilst exploration isn’t particularly deep in-game, it gives you more to do outside of simply scrolling left and right.

It is worth noting that there is one glaring omission in The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival – multiplayer. Co-op gameplay is typically a big part of a side-scrolling beat ‘em up, so the fact that it’s completely absent here is a shame, especially since it has a multi-character roster that would prove perfect for multiplayer. It’s not a complete deal breaker, but as someone who has played through both classics of the genre (such as Streets of Rage or Golden Axe) and modern releases (such as Absolum and Marvel Cosmic Invasion) with friends, it’s a shame I couldn’t do that here.

Developer: Odaclick Game Studio
Publisher: Trailmark Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3777850/The_Walking_Dead_Streets_of_Survival/