The Daryl Dixon-Targeted The Strolling Useless Prequel Followers Forgot Existed

The “Strolling Useless” franchise has change into one of many largest in American popular culture for the reason that AMC collection premiered again in 2010. These 15 years have introduced quite a few spin-off collection, tie-ins, and video video games, along with Robert Kirkman’s authentic comics. Of the bunch, the “Strolling Useless” video games have achieved a few of the highest important acclaim — particularly, the narrative-driven journey video games from Telltale, which broke floor within the style with a excessive diploma of participant alternative in how the tales performed out.

These video games are well-known at this level, however in addition they do not tie straight again to the TV present. Relatively, they’re connected to the separate comedian continuity. Nonetheless, there are another, lesser-known “Strolling Useless” video video games which might be set on the planet of the AMC collection. A kind of, 2013’s “The Strolling Useless: Survival Intuition,” acts as a prequel for Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and his brother Merle (Michael Rooker).

On the time, Daryl was already a fan favourite, and his standing within the fandom has solely grown since, with a standalone “Daryl Dixon” spin-off collection arriving in 2023 that is run for 2 seasons and counting. All of which may compel you to return and provides “Survival Intuition” a attempt in the event you’re a devoted fan of the franchise, or of Daryl particularly. However sadly, that is not one thing I can advocate. Whereas Reedus and Rooker did voice their present characters within the recreation, it was a catastrophe again in 2013, and it solely appears worse now looking back. So as a substitute, let me prevent the time.

The pitch for “The Strolling Useless: Survival Intuition” appears like a good suggestion on paper. It takes place very early on within the zombie outbreak, displaying how Daryl and Merle Dixon arrived in Atlanta, the place we meet them originally of the AMC collection. Narratively, the sport supplies some further context for the Dixon clan, explaining how the brothers’ father and uncle each died. It additionally units up the stress between the brutal Merle and the extra sympathetic Daryl, enjoying out over the course of a collection of encounters with different survivors. Oh, and we additionally get a little bit of an origin story (or, a minimum of, return story) for Daryl’s weapon of alternative, the crossbow.

Gameplay-wise, “Survival Intuition” is a first-person shooter the place the participant should stability stealth and gunplay, whereas always trying to find provides and gasoline for the varied automobiles Daryl makes use of on his journey. Once more, it appears like a pure match. Sadly, the execution was severely missing.

The sport’s highest common rating on Metacritic is a 38/100 for the PC launch, with the Xbox 360 model score the bottom at 32/100. Critics and gamers alike known as the sport boring, tedious, and half-baked, with little enjoyable available inside the varied gameplay methods. You’d hope that the connections to the bigger franchise would redeem it considerably, however even that side of the sport was panned.

“As terrible as Survival Intuition is mechanically, the actually miserable factor about it’s that it presents no significant data or commentary on the characters it revolves round,” recreation critic Alex Navarro wrote in his ⅕ overview at Big Bomb again in 2013. “The storytelling is spartan to the purpose of very almost not present.”

The one fascinating kernel of “Survival Intuition” wanting again is that it was the primary online game function of any type for Norman Reedus, who has gone on to change into one of many largest appearing stars within the medium because of his starring function as Sam Porter Bridges in Hideo Kojima’s “Dying Stranding” collection. Reedus’ work on “Dying Stranding” is arguably his second-biggest function so far when it comes to cultural affect, inserting simply behind Daryl Dixon. However whilst you might attempt to attract a direct connection between the video games, Reedus being solid by Kojima apparently had extra to do along with his extra conventional appearing work.

The 2 had been truly launched by Guillermo del Toro. “Guillermo gave me my SAG card and my first appearing job, and I belief him with all the things,” Reedus advised The Hollywood Reporter in 2019. “I knew this man can be good if Guillermo was saying this.” On the time, the plan was to work collectively on a brand new recreation within the “Silent Hill” horror franchise — one which’s additionally acquainted to moviegoers courtesy of its movie variations — however that undertaking wound up getting canceled. They lastly acquired the possibility for a full collaboration on “Dying Stranding.”

The work with Kojima was leagues completely different from what Reedus had skilled beforehand on “Survival Intuition,” and it ended up being a serious success. “I have been in a number of video video games with ‘Strolling Useless,’ they usually simply type of got here with the territory,” Reedus advised THR. “However nothing like this. I by no means dreamed that I’d be carrying a movement seize go well with with Velcro throughout me. It was a blast, I’ve to confess.”

A live-action “Dying Stranding” film is at present within the works, however as of this writing, no solid members have been introduced.