On paper, a cocktail of one part The Walking Dead, one part The Escapist seems like an odd mix. In the comic, Rick Grimes and his team of apocalypse survivalists spend most of their time barricading themselves into a prison, rather than trying to get out. But in reality it works, with The Escapists’ blend of makeshift survival and anything-goes strategy the ideal foundation on which to build a Walking Dead game.

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The Escapists The Walking Dead Announced 5 IMAGES

You are Rick Grimes, the bad-ass cop who wakes in a hospital bed only to find the world he once knew has been overrun by the undead. Much like the comic, The Harrison Memorial Hospital provides the backdrop for the opening of The Escapists The Walking Dead , as well as a tutorial for the game.Anyone familiar with the prison break game released earlier this year will be at home with how the game looks and controls. The 8-bit graphics are simplistic yet stylish, and offer a lighthearted tone that offsets the horror of the subject matter perfectly. Zombies have never looked so adorable.First things first, Rick is tasked with getting out of the abandoned medical centre. Much like The Escapists, the final game will be an open sandbox, with multiple ways to solve problems. This being the tutorial, however, the exit is clear – an air-conditioning vent overhead, which leads into the next part of the hospital, providing you can find the right tool to prize off the grate.Searching and finding a use for items plays a huge part of The Walking Dead, not only to open up new areas of a level but also to aid survival. Walkers lurk around every corner, and sometimes fleeing isn’t an option. Early on Rick finds a pillowcase and a bar of soap, which can be crafted to make a cosh. While it’s no match for his trademark Colt Python, it deals enough damage to put a walker on the floor.There are ranged weapons though, from pistols and shotguns to rifles. Naturally they make light work of the undead, but think before you pull the trigger. Ammo is inevitably scarce and the sound of gunfire is a sure-fire way to attract a ton of zombies.Melee weapons are therefore the more discreet option, but getting up close and personal with a walker has its drawbacks too. The new real-time combat system puts more control in the hands of the player – Rick will take a swing every time you tap the attack button – but there’s still a risk if you don’t time a strike correctly. Developer Team 17 isn’t ready to reveal what happens if Rick gets bitten – will he eventually become infected if he takes a single hit, or is it more forgiving? – but one thing’s for certain, if you don’t treat wounds after an attack you’ll end up back on a gurney.But you don’t always have to fight. There’s no shame in running away, plus there are a number of ways to distract nearby walkers. Hunks of meat pulled from the hospital freezers will draw in zombies like moths to a flame, providing you thaw or cook them first. Similarly, you can throw radios buzzing with static to pull them away from any areas you need to get through.Ultimately, it’s a battle for survival, which is much more than simply gunning down walkers. You need to keep morale high, and although later levels weren’t on show we’re told you can do this by ensuring the place you’re holed up in is properly fortified to keep out walkers. You also need to ensure there’s plenty of food and it’s kept clean, to prevent the infection spreading.There will be other survivors you meet along the way too, and if you want them to work with you you’ll need to muck in and help out with daily chores where needed. It may be the zombie apocalypse, but someone’s still got to clean the dirty laundry.Described by the developers as 80% The Escapist, The Walking Dead is still very much the prison break game at heart, with exploration, puzzle-solving and crafting providing its backbone. Importantly, improvements have been made following fan feedback – the real-time combat is one such overhaul, plus the original’s steep learning curve has been flattened somewhat. While it still doesn’t hand-hold beyond the opening tutorial, it at least points you in the right direction, giving you the tools to tackle an obstacle but leaving you to figure out the solution.One thing you won’t find hidden in a cupboard is your wits. You’re going to want them about you at all times, moving fast and thinking even faster to out-run and out-smart the undead horde. So if you think the only use for a pillowcase and a bar of soap is to clean yourself up before sinking your head back into plumped goose feathers wrapped in crisp cotton, you should look for your thrills elsewhere.

Alex is IGN's UK Editor-in-Chief and kinda likes zombies, providing they're made up of great big pixels. Follow him on IGN and Twitter