Telltale Games has a knack for creating story-driven experiences that tug at players’ heartstrings. Its most popular series, by far, is its set of games based on The Walking Dead. Since the studio’s first The Walking Dead game in 2012, fans have followed a young girl named Clementine through a storyline not found in the comic books or television show. Now on its third season, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, Telltale games has introduced a new playable character to complement Clementine. Sure, Telltale has released a few games (including last year’s spin-off miniseries based on popular character Michonne, which we also reviewed) since it wrapped up Season 2 of The Walking Dead in 2013. But A New Frontier is really the game most fans have been waiting for.
The first episode in A New Frontier, titled Ties That Bind: Part One, launched Dec. 20. It begins at the same time as the apocalypse by introducing the player to a brand new character, Javier, whose father has just died. His father is reanimated as a zombie, attacking his mother and causing pandemonium. After a quick panic, the game flashes to the present timeline, roughly four years later, as Javier, his sister-in-law, niece and nephew do their best to stay alive amid an ever-worsening apocalypse.
The player controls Javier for most of the episode, which is a surprising move that actually works. During the first season, the player followed Lee as he protected Clementine, and in the second season, the focus switched to Clementine as she grew older. Although Clementine does become a vital part of A New Frontier, the player spends most of the episode following Javier, a brand new character.
Luckily, he’s likeable and easy enough to connect with. It doesn’t feel as if Telltale is forcing a new character upon players against their will. Instead, the switch to Javier as the main character feels natural.
Players will have a lot of tough decisions to make, even in the first episode of A New Frontier, as is Telltale’s specialty. The game is played primarily through interactive cutscenes with several dialogue options. As the player interacts with other characters through Javier, their actions and feelings toward him develop accordingly. When it comes to life-or-death situations, characters will most certainly remember how the player acts, which often comes into play in later episodes.
Amid all those choices, the game impacts the player as much as the player impacts the game. Ties That Bind: Part One forces the player to make difficult decisions, the player’s responses to which offer a window into his or her psyche. A New Frontier shows us what we might be like, how we might think, and who or what we might sacrifice when it’s all on the line. Needless to say, the game wastes no time throwing the player right into action, much more so than the previous seasons.
Without giving much away, it’s safe to say that the story is solid, if a little different. A New Frontier, so far at least, has traded a little emotion and feelings of sympathy for shock value and plot twists. The formula still has me on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the screen while awaiting the next shake-up. But I’m worried that I won’t connect with the characters like I have in the past. Those connections are what made the previous seasons so special and even moved me to tears. Maybe it’s too early to tell, but I’m not sure I’ll get that from A New Frontier.
Part of that worry stems from the fact that Ties That Bind: Part One clocked in at a little under an hour-and-a-half. For reference, each episode in the previous season was nearly two hours long, and the episodes of the first season were closer to two-and-a-half. By chopping out so much time, I feel I’ve already missed out on character development and conversations that help flesh out personalities and storylines.
This is exacerbated by the fact that the only carry-over character from the first two seasons (so far) is Clementine, meaning there’s a whole new cast to get to know. Furthermore, actual gameplay has been cut down as well. Healthy chunks of point-and-click gameplay have been reduced to essentially some five-minute segments, reducing the player’s ability to interact with the world.
In short, the experience of the first episode feels rushed, unfortunately. In a premiere episode, especially one introducing a new main character, I expected more exposition and a better chance to get to know the cast before diving into the action.
On the other hand, A New Frontier showcases a new engine and graphics that blow previous seasons out of the water. The cel-shaded, comic book feel of the series has been beautifully upgraded. Characters and environments look beautiful, expressions look more convincing, and animations and framerate look smoother than they ever have. For the first time, The Walking Dead is a visual treat.
All in all, this leaves The Walking Dead: A New Frontier in an interesting spot. The season is off to an explosive start with a crazy twist of a cliffhanger ending off the premiere episode. But at the same time, the episode feels a bit rushed and doesn’t provide as much exposition or character development as I hoped for. With any luck, subsequent episodes will flesh out characters more.
Even so, A New Frontier has me hooked and excited to play the second episode. It’s not quite what I expected from The Walking Dead, but it’s still gripping, jaw-dropping and involves some nerve-wracking decisions. Long story short, despite its brevity, Ties That Bind: Part One was worth the wait.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Android and iOS.
Score: 4/5
@GS_Matt
