“The Walking Dead: A New Frontier” Review
Telltale has done it again. Season three of their hit game series based on the graphic novel “The Walking Dead” is now complete and, just as expected, the game is wonderful. Just like many others out there, I feel that the zombie theme has run its course, but this series is one exception. If you are not familiar with Telltale’s point-and-click titles as well as the previous seasons of The Walking Dead, the game is full of amazing story lines, top of the line voice acting, and decisions that can affect the plot is fun and exciting ways.
The new season is called “A New Frontier,” and the actions chosen from the first two seasons will carry over to this season; although not resulting in a huge difference in the outcome of the overall story. Most of the changes revolved around Clementine’s (the protagonist from the first two seasons) dialogue. It’s recommended that you play the first two seasons before diving into “A New Frontier;” not only will you find yourself confused story-wise, but the previous plot lines will be spoiled for you as well, which isn’t good considering those experiences are not to be missed. We’re introduced to a new set of characters outside of Clementine (who is available mostly in flashbacks) including a man named Javier. He lives with his family in Baltimore with his brother David, his wife Kate, and their children Gabe and Mariana. When the epidemic starts, things go south quickly for the family, and they decide to set out to find safety; thus begins this chapter of “The Walking Dead”.
The first episode, titled “The Ties That Bind”, starts off with a bang. You see the tragedy placed on Javier and his family. These opening moments are heart-racing, and just like the other seasons, it makes you feel awful for the characters while putting you in a difficult position to decide what’s best for everyone. Playing as Javier was a nice change of pace. Javier being a family man made me think about my decisions and dialogue choices much harder than I have in previous installments. As you get to know the characters, you’re left with many questions that will be answered later into the game. Chapter one was intense and ends in a way that makes you immediately want more.
Chapter two is called “Ties That Bind Part 2”. Even though this chapter doesn’t hit the emotional highs of part one, it’s still filled with plenty of emotional moments and action. As expected, Javier and his family come across another group of survivors. This is nothing new to the series and was undoubtedly going to happen. As we progress, we learn more about Javier and his relationships, which are dictated by your responses to those characters. Your decisions ultimately begin to take shape here, as they will affect the rest of the story drastically.
The third chapter, “Above the Law”, was the low point of the season for me. In this chapter, you will have flashbacks to Clementine’s backstory, which isn’t very exciting and seems to take away from the story arc that has been created in the present. Clementine’s dialogue is somewhat dull and mediocre compared to the conversations from previous chapters. More characters are introduced, but as the player you won’t get to know them very well, which makes this chapter seem like filler with a low-impact ending.
Thankfully, the fourth chapter brings us back to Javier. In this chapter, which is called “Thicker Than Water,” you find Javier trying to decide the bonds of blood and friendship. Although it was better than the third episode, it still had its issues. The antagonist is portrayed in a very dull fashion and doesn’t really seem like much of a villain. By the end of the chapter, the villain feels more like a regular character instead of a ruthless opponent. Thankfully the closing moments were very interesting and left me eager see this chapter finished up in the final episode.
Chapter five is called “From the Gallows.” Since it released so recently (May 30th), I will not be giving any details about it for fear of spoiling the experience. All I can say is WOW, the ending to this season is fantastic and memorable. All three seasons are a must play for anyone who’s a fan of The Walking Dead or simply enjoys a solid narrative, but in order to fully enjoy this season I recommend finishing the previous two before I would ever consider starting this one up. “The Walking Dead: A New Frontier” is available on PC, PS4, XboxOne, Apple iOS, and Android. Hopefully Season 4 is on the horizon.
