The Walking Dead: Season Three

The Walking Dead: Season 3 or as it is really known, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier moves the story on a few years. Fans of the series were waiting for what felt like forever for this game. I would say that it is fair to say that of all The Walking Dead games that Telltale released, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier has the most mixed reception of all the games.

Many Years Later

I think that the story of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is fantastic, but I also think that some people were not willing to give the game a chance before it even came out. This game is actually set a few years after the events of The Walking Dead: Season 2. As a result, Clementine is now a teenager, but Clementine is not the main focus of this story!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier actually has two playable characters. The series introduced a new protagonist called, Javi is a former pro baseball player. He is a family man who is trying to do all that he can to help his brother, his brothers’ wife and kids to survive. Before the game was released many people were not sure about bringing another character into the mix and I think those people had a problem with the game before they even played it. Actually, Javi is a pretty interesting character and I really liked what they did with his story arc and think that it all worked out well.

Bring Back My Clementine!

Clementine is still playable in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, but she is a very different Clementine to the one we last saw at the end of The Walking Dead: Season 2. First of all, I love the way the game carries on from Season 2 and you can tell that some stuff went down with Clem and the person you survived with back in Season 2. Clem is now looking after baby AJ from the second game and one thing that I think they do very well is have parallels to Clem and AJ which make it a similar relationship to the one that Lee and Clem had back in the first season of The Walking Dead.

Forget The New Frontier! This Is A New Engine!

Ok so maybe saying that this is a whole new engine is going a bit far (although I think it actually is) however, Telltale Games by this point had things nailed and as a result, this is a very smooth experience. There are very little technical hiccups like the first two games were known for, not that those spoiled the experience for me. The core gameplay is the same as it has always been. It plays just like a point and click adventure. You will talk to many different characters and the things you say and do will alter your relationship with them. Like the past games, there are some major decisions that you will have to make which can really make some big changes, even lead to characters deaths!

Pros:

• The game runs very well
• Javi is an interesting character to play as
• Playing as a slightly older Clementine is great
• Lots of hard choices for you to make
• Another solid entry in the series

Cons:

• Not quite as epic as the two that came before it
• If you do not like Javi, the game will be hard to get into

One thing that you have to give Telltale Games credit for with The Walking Dead Season 3 is that they tried to change things up. The first two Walking Dead games were masterpieces from a story point of view. This game tries to move the story into a new direction and not everyone was quite ready for that.

The Story

The Walking Dead Season 3 takes place a few years after the events of the second game. One of the things that is most noteworthy about this game is the new playable character. Some people were not willing to give, Javi a chance, but I actually really like him. Javi is an ex-pro baseball player and he wants to make sure that his family survives.

I really do like the story arc that unfolds with Javi and think that Telltale dealt with it very well. Of course, Clementine is also back, but this is a different Clementine from the previous games. She has been through a lot and she is doing all she can to keep AJ alive who she was left with in the last game. She is kind of like a mom/big sister to him and it is great to see this relationship unfold. I really do like the story in The Walking Dead Season 3. I have to be honest and say that it is not quite up to the first two games. Still, it is exciting, heartbreaking and makes you think so I consider the story another win for Telltale Games.

The Presentation

The Walking Dead Season 3 saw Telltale Games change up the engine and to be honest most players will not really notice at all. The overall presentation is the same as it has always been. The good news about this is that as they use this detailed comic book style, The Walking Dead is a series that will probably never age.

Once again, the sound design is awesome. The way they use music is very clever. It is tense when it needs to be, dramatic and even sad in places too. Then we have the voice acting. I really liked the guy they got for Javi and as you would expect the rest of the cast does a fantastic job too.

The Gameplay

By this point, you should know what to expect from a Telltale Games Walking Dead game. The Walking Dead Season 3 is not really trying to change things too much. You still walk around the different environments talking to different characters. This is what makes up most of your game. Talking to different characters moves along the story and will change how the game progresses. Some of the conversations really do not give you any way to “win” which is part of what makes this series so memorable. There are also some puzzles to figure out and a few more of those action scenes as well.

Final Thoughts On The Walking Dead Season 3

I really do like The Walking Dead Season 3. I feel this is a game that some people were not willing to give the chance as they felt they were trying to ditch Clementine and that was not the case at all. Javi is actually a really interesting and well-written character and I enjoyed playing as him. Playing the Walking Dead Season 3 is essential if you are a fan of the previous two games.

8.5/10

Pros:

• Javi is a really cool new character
• Older Clementine is very interesting
• More of that classic Walking Dead gameplay
• Some very memorable moments
• It leaves you wanting more

Cons:

• The game has not changed much if at all
• Some may have a hard time dealing with Clem not being the sole focus