Week of July 27: “The Walking Dead: Episode 2 — Starving for Help” and “The Amazing Spider-Man”

"The Walking Dead: Episode 2 — Starving for Help"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Action
Publisher: Telltale Games
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 4 stars (out of 5)

If "The Walking Dead" video-game series teaches us anything, it's that when the undead come a-lookin' for flesh to feast upon, no decision you are forced to make is ever a good one.

Telltale is doing wonders with the franchise, even with only two episodes released. Instead of pumping out one 30-hour game on a disc, gamers are being treated to slowly released chapters that feel distinct while remaining part of a larger narrative. The pace forces you to appreciate the characters and interactions because you'll see them again (or maybe not, depending on your choices) in a few months when the next episode comes out.

If you haven't played the first episode, stop now and do that first. Ignoring the initial episode would starve you of some character setup and the ability to immerse yourself in the encampment and surrounding areas. The focus is still on Lee, our freed convict. He's not quite sure of his role in this new zombie apocalypse, but he's not exactly thrilled with the cast of characters he's stuck with.

The gameplay is similar to that of the first episode, with plenty of shooting and general survival-themed elements, but the focus is clearly on making decisions. Choosing who gets food when the rations dwindle and whether to kill an enemy while a child watches are not trivial matters, and the game makes you feel the weight of them long after you've made your choice.

Most downloadable games are one-off experiences where you play, walk away and never think about them again. Brilliantly staggering the game out into smaller portions allows you to ruminate on what a failing society would be like in a zombie apocalypse, and leaves you eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next chapter.

"The Amazing Spider-Man"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PC, 3DS
Genre: Action
Publisher: Activision
ESRB Rating: T, for Teen
Grade: 3 stars (out of 5)

My opening salvo: I haven't seen the movie yet. Yes, I reside in the fuddy-duddy camp that says it's too soon since the last trilogy for me to shell out $12 to see an all-new origin story. Despite loving to watch comic-book movies and agreeing that Emma Stone could soon assume the mantle of "America's Sweetheart," I'm just not interested.

But wait! You say they rebooted the video-game franchise as well? Now that I can get on board with. The previous games featuring our favorite web-slinger never completely captured what I imagine could be a never-ending endorphin high from swinging through the big city.

Things are much different now, as "The Amazing Spider-Man" delivers this thrilling sensation by leaps and bounds over earlier games. Even if you question whether at times your web is actually attaching to anything to swing from, it's possible you'll play this game for hours longer than planned just to whip around Manhattan and look for goodies to collect.

Sadly, the exhilaration takes a sharp decline once you hit terra firma. Combat borrows heavily from "Batman Arkham Asylum," which sounds awesome except lots of games do this now and no one is building upon that model. The enemy artificial intelligence is also so dumb that working to unlock new moves and attacks isn't necessary against such middling foes.

The bones of a winning franchise exist if developers continue to expand beyond just releasing a game that ties into a movie. In the meantime, throw on the Spidey suit for at least a weekend or two. It will be worth it.

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Week of July 20: “Spec Ops: The Line” and “NCAA Football 13”

"Spec Ops: The Line"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Shooter
Publisher: 2K Games
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 3 stars (out of 5)

"Heart of Darkness" is my favorite book of all time. My friend Luke and I talk about it often and jokingly reminisce about a college professor who may or may not have said its themes were best discussed while taking peyote.

Discovering that "Spec Ops" follows a very similar narrative path. You play as Walker, one of three Delta Force soldiers trapped in Dubai when a massive sandstorm blankets the city and re-adjusts modern life. The city becomes a chaotic free-for-all. Channeling Joseph Conrad's novel, you venture out into the desolate city in search of a missing general named Konrad (get it?), who disobeyed orders and may have sacrificed a battalion of troops.

Diving into the nitty-gritty of the game, "choppy as the sandy desert air" best describes the action. You battle a mix of vandals, rogue soldiers and other obstacles, often meeting little resistance. A few choices are presented to you. But the impact of them is never felt, and the campaign lasts less than 10 hours, so you'll finish just as the weak-feeling guns start to leave you wanting something with more oomph.

Most of the game's efforts seem focused on the online multiplayer, and well-designed maps make for fun shootouts.

Luke and I often say that "Darkness" channels Nietzsche's quote about man looking into the abyss, and "The Line" teases the gamer to have a similar experience. It unfortunately ends before you get to linger long enough on that moral question -- instead, shuttling you off into the void of online shooters where deep meaning is lost in a hail of continuous gunfire.

"NCAA Football 13"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Genre: Sports
Publisher: EA Sports
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
Grade: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

More than a decade of publishing both the "Madden" and "NCAA" football franchises has left EA Sports in a death spin of repetition. Some kind of "new" addition is made to the NFL series, which then gets hyped as "new" for the following year's college game. It leaves the franchises treading water.

Yes, EA has inserted the obligatory "enhancements" for this year, the most noticeable called the Heisman Challenge. Pick a past Heisman winner (Doug Flutie, Barry Sanders, etc.) and re-create their experiences, but in today's college game, and, in a huge twist, at any school you desire. Don't think for a second I didn't bring Sanders' lightning-quick moves to Kentucky for a run at SEC glory. Entertaining? Yes. Completely illogical and leaving you often asking, "What's the point?" Double-yes.

Sadly, outside of comically enrolling Flutie at Miami or Eddie George at Michigan, nothing really special happens here. The rest of the gameplay and modes remain almost unchanged, the chief offender being the Dynasty Mode. This remains a Sisyphean chore of slow menus and tedious actions that can only bore you beyond belief. I'm not sure if I can venture into this mode next year unless drastic moves make it ... oh, I dunno ... fun.

Outside of some spiffier player animations and a couple of visual tweaks, how many of us could differentiate between this and 2010's edition? Football fans will still love it, but that doesn't mean it's not getting crusty and stale.