by David RodriguezThe Walking Dead has a hell of a past with video game adaptations. Outside of the outstanding emotional roller coaster of the Telltale adventure game, it’s a smorgasbord of mid, and unless there’s something big in store for the final release of Streets of Survival, it’s looking to stay that way. This is a newly revealed beat-’em-up that sounds like a pretty good idea on paper, more removed than the VR, first-person shooter, and mobile strategy fare that the franchise is steeped in.
I mean, it was enough to get me to try it as a long-orphaned fan of The Walking Dead. I’ve read the first couple of volumes of the original graphic novel, and I’ve seen the first… let’s say, six or seven seasons of the original show. I like zombies and beat-’em-ups! It wouldn’t take much to engage me on any of these levels, and this game just barely does so.
This demo is quick and dirty. It has one level lasting 10-15 minutes. The enemies aren’t very challenging, and the meager puzzles you get (find the key for the door, locate the combination number for the lock) are damn easy. You also only start with one available character, Daryl Dixon, a fan favorite for sure. If you beat the level with him, you can go through it again as Michonne, another memorable character, no matter how you slice it. Rick Grimes will be in the full game as well, but none of that outside of basic combat alterations may matter, as Daryl and Michonne had the same lines beat-for-beat during gameplay. Disappointing, seeing as they are, you know, totally separate people.
Raw gameplay is fine. You have a basic combo attack to thwart human Savior enemies and zombies walkers alike with. A heavy kick attack gets you some breathing room, and you can use ranged weapons like Daryl’s crossbow, a pistol, or a Uzi-like gun to riddle enemies with bullets. It’s honestly best, and most economical, to just close distance with your run and dodge, and pepper foes with stabs and slashes from your primary attack or a bigger melee weapon if you can find one (enemies don’t drop them like most beat-’em-ups). If you build up some meter with frequent hits, you can do an adrenaline attack, which can help clear out substantial space if aimed and timed well.
Enemies are incredibly dumb, too. Human or walker, it doesn’t matter; they tend to act the same. Once you alert them, they’ll walk or shamble to you and try to attack with whatever they’ve got. Walkers can grab you, forcing you to break free, or attack through your combo, which typically stunlocks enemies and gets a swipe or two in. Just dodge when you see enemies flash yellow or red, and you’re fine. The game has a freeform “lane” system so you can move up, down, and side to side. I didn’t really encounter much challenge until I was swarmed by over ten walkers, but you’re supposed to run from them anyway in that instance.
To be absolutely real with you, that’s about it. There’s not a whole lot that’s intriguing about The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival. It controls well, the sound is fine, the graphics are simple but competent, but it just feels like it needs a lot more juice to be something worth talking about. This feels like an arcade beat-’em-up you play once or twice, perhaps not even beat, and feel totally okay with the experience, no need to return. It is… a game. Turbo TWD fans or beat-’em-up enthusiasts, keep an eye on developments before the game launches, but if things I’ve said in this article hold true to the end, tread carefully.
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is coming to Steam for PC and consoles in fall of 2026. The demo is out now on Steam!
The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival
