New $20 Walking Dead Game Delivers Arcade-Style Action Without Co-Op

The Walking Dead has returned to Gaming with a very different kind of adaptation. Rather than another narrative adventure, its newest outing turns the zombie series into a retro-inspired side-scrolling brawler. The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival is now among the latest game releases, bringing several familiar survivors along for the fight. Early game reviews, however, keep returning to one surprising omission.

Zombies meet arcade action

Developed by Odaclick Game Studio and published by Trailmark Games, Streets of Survival launched on September 18 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. The standard edition costs $19.99, making it a relatively inexpensive entry in The Walking Dead franchise.

Instead of covering the entire television series, the campaign loosely retells the All Out War storyline involving Rick Grimes and Negan. Players fight through recognizable locations such as Alexandria, Hilltop and the Sanctuary while dealing with Walkers and human enemies.

Rick, Daryl Dixon and Michonne are playable during the campaign, with Negan becoming available after completing the game. Each character brings signature equipment, including Rick’s gun, Daryl’s crossbow and Michonne’s katana.

More than punching

Combat combines light and heavy attacks with ranged weapons, finishers and character-specific combos. Players can dodge, take cover, search environments for supplies and heal themselves during quieter moments.

Progression adds some RPG influence to one of the more unusual latest game releases. Knowledge earned while playing can be spent on character skill trees, improving areas such as health, attack speed and cooldowns.

Lore collectibles provide additional references to the TV series, while the $30 Deluxe Edition adds cosmetics, extra difficulty options and the Walker Pit survival mode. These additions give the straightforward brawler formula a few ideas associated with broader gaming industry innovations, without turning it into a full RPG.

Reviewers find problems

Reception has been mixed to positive, with reviewers finding plenty to like but repeatedly identifying similar weaknesses. Reviews across PS5, Xbox Series X and Switch 2 point to one notable missing feature: local or online co-op.

That omission stands out because multiplayer has long been closely associated with arcade brawlers. Soundsphere called its absence a major drawback, while Expansive similarly questioned why a Walking Dead game built around fighting hordes could not be played cooperatively.

Playing alone can make some of the game’s combat frustrations more noticeable. Combat itself has divided reviewers, with some praising its fast arcade action while others criticized repetitive moves, awkward directional control and enemies attacking from outside the visible area.

Built for fans

Despite those shortcomings, reviewers found positives in the recognizable environments, characters and connection to the television storyline. The pixel-inspired presentation has received praise for translating the show’s survivors and zombie-filled locations into an arcade format.

Streets of Survival offers another way for fans to revisit Rick and Negan’s conflict while adding something different to 2026’s Gaming lineup. It may not represent a major shift in Entertainment, but its combination of The Walking Dead and old-school brawling gives the franchise a different format to explore.