The Walking Dead: 400 Days hits Xbox Live, now on most systems

After launching on the PlayStation 3 this past Tuesday and making the jump to PCs and Macs on Wednesday, the latest episode of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Season One is now available for the Xbox 360. The episode, called 400 Days, costs the same 400 MS points as previous episodes in the series.

When compared to the previous five episodes of Season One, 400 Days is different in a couple of ways. The first major change is who the story focuses on. While the lens of Season One was fixed primarily on Lee and Clementine, neither of those two characters make an appearance in the 400 Days expansion. Instead, you’re introduced to a brand new cast of characters in five separate storylines who are trying to survive in that same Season One world.

The 400 Days episode is, according to Telltale, meant to serve as a “connective tissue” between Season One and Season Two. The download will check to see if you have a Season One save and, if you do, will deliver a different experience to you than someone who does not. Also, no pressure, but the decisions you make in 400 Days will also matter in Season Two.

I was pretty high on The Walking Dead game and thought that the first five episodes were extremely well done. It’s essentially a “choose your own adventure” type game with a little bit of twitch thrown in where you must quickly press the correct button, or else. These types of games may not be all that pleasing to those who enjoy shooters and adventure titles, but those who place a premium on a well-told story will find themselves drawn in to the fictional Walking Dead world, loving and hating the characters inside it.

If you haven’t played The Walking Dead game at all — a game that received countless Game of the Year awards — the release of 400 Days is a great opportunity to start from the beginning. In fact, that’s actually the recommended course of action according to the Telltale Games FAQ for the episode, which states, “We highly recommend that you play through Season One first.”

I’ve already played through the first season myself and have 400 Days downloaded and ready to go. If you have some time to kill this weekend, why not experience one of the best games of the past year?