A New Day is the first episode of the first season of a five-part series based on the AMC TV show and the original comic book series The Walking Dead. The game takes place in the United States during the beginning of a zombie pandemic. It is set in the original universe but does not feature characters or locations from the comic book or TV show. Instead, it presents a parallel story through a new character named Lee Everett, but certain original comic characters make cameo appearances throughout the series, including Glenn and Hershel. Everett was a University of Georgia professor convicted of murder after returning home one day to find his wife cheating. He murdered the man in a fit of rage and was convicted. At the start of the game, Everett is carried to prison, but the car crashes, allowing him to escape. His primary aim is to flee the zombies, and he intends to travel to Macon, where his parents and brother reside. He soon meets Clementine, a tiny girl whose house has been invaded by zombies, and takes her with him. Following that, he meets many more personalities and goes to other areas. The episode concludes with the crew remaining at a Motor Inn and fortifying their defenses.
It is played as an adventure game with elements of action and role-playing. The character can explore the surroundings and interact with objects during numerous sequences. There is slightly greater freedom in exploring and more classic adventure game components such as studying things, storing them in an inventory, and applying them in the environment compared to Telltale’s previous offering Jurassic Park: The Game. Many action situations are portrayed as cinematic or quick-time events, allowing the player to react swiftly. When they are not completed on time, the character dies, and Everett frequently has the option of saving characters or letting them die at the hands of the zombies. While exploring, various icons depict behaviors such as inspecting, interacting with, or using an item. Inventory items are displayed here, and the player must interact with or combine them before they may be used.
During talks, numerous possibilities can change the course of events. A timer counts down during a discussion choice, and if none is selected, one is chosen by default. Two display formats are available at the start of the game. Standard displays more UI and assists with crucial decisions, whereas Minimal turns off UI hints, guidance, and choice notifications. The settings can still be changed in the middle of the game. Essential choices made during events and discussions are remembered and carried over to subsequent scenes and episodes.
For the PC versions, this episode is not available separately. The base episode is necessary to play the remaining four that may be purchased individually on the Android, iOS, Xbox 360, and PS3 versions. A season pass is also available for the PS3 and Android versions as an additional option to obtain the whole game, similar to the PC versions.
