The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier Episode 2: Ties That Bind Part Two

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 90 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 55 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 90
  3. Negative: 14 out of 90

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  1. BioTofu
    Jan 8, 2017
    6
    This is more of a review of the combined episodes 1 and 2 of the New Frontier. They launched with 2 episodes this season.

    I was hoping to see my dear Clementine again after all that time but they made me control this new Javier character, who is kinda a clone of Luke from the previous season. Even after about 4 hours, my emotional care level for this Javier guy was only on par with    This is more of a review of the combined episodes 1 and 2 of the New Frontier. They launched with 2 episodes this season.

    I was hoping to see my dear Clementine again after all that time but they made me control this new Javier character, who is kinda a clone of Luke from the previous season. Even after about 4 hours, my emotional care level for this Javier guy was only on par with maybe 1 of the 5 main characters from the 400 Days side stories (in 400 Days, you only play for about 30mins or so with each of the 5 characters).
    I think I understand the Telltale's decision in making the player to take control of a new character so that I can see how the harsh years have changed Clementine. Players are unable to control her actions directly. But occasionally, the game allows the player to take control of Clementine again in her flashbacks... During my game, the narration and controls got confusing for me. There was a Clementine flashback immediately followed by a conversation between Clementine and Javier, I was not sure who I was controlling at that time.

    In multiple moments, the actions/dialogues which I wanted to choose were not available. There was a lot less exploration and the story felt very linear. The quick time events felt a bit tagged on this time around. Hard to explain some of the characters' actions too. I also got a bunch of unexpected reactions from some of the characters with my decisions... Maybe because I was dealing with rebellious teenagers or maybe caused by multiple rewrites?

    It was cool to see some known face showing up but then I realized that it was probably a poor choice... I already knew that character, so he was immediately put on my trusty ally list, which was so not Walking Dead and it was tampering with my decision making!

    Overall disappointed by the 2-episode launch of the season. Without the big twist at the end of episode 2, I would have given this game a lower score.    … Expand
  2. nima1990
    Dec 21, 2016
    8
    I've decided that all Telltale games are just the same these days with the same gameplay mechanics only different stories. What TWD A New Frontier lacks in that part it makes up for in the story section. I love Javier and all the other new characters. I connected with him immediately and felt the need to protect him as a character with correct choices. However, as a player I feel soI've decided that all Telltale games are just the same these days with the same gameplay mechanics only different stories. What TWD A New Frontier lacks in that part it makes up for in the story section. I love Javier and all the other new characters. I connected with him immediately and felt the need to protect him as a character with correct choices. However, as a player I feel so passive. The interaction required from the player is ridiculously minimal and it feels more like watching a movie than playing a game. Overall, I really enjoyed playing the first two episodes and am looking forward to more.… Expand
  3. Daniel_Ahab
    Dec 20, 2016
    10
    I don’t have a clear sense of where the season as a whole aims to go just yet, but “Ties That Bind Part I” is one of Telltale’s strongest openers in recent memory. Scenes feel carefully constructed in their camera direction and editing, and Telltale avoids the pitfalls of its most egregious past issues — only one environmental exploration sequence temporarily slows things down — but forI don’t have a clear sense of where the season as a whole aims to go just yet, but “Ties That Bind Part I” is one of Telltale’s strongest openers in recent memory. Scenes feel carefully constructed in their camera direction and editing, and Telltale avoids the pitfalls of its most egregious past issues — only one environmental exploration sequence temporarily slows things down — but for the most part the episode moves along at an exceptional clip. But that’s not just thanks to Part I’s style. Smart characterization and writing for Javi and his family, plus the return of Clementine, add weight to a largely unfamiliar but already engaging new frontier that I can’t wait to continue to explore.… Expand
  4. Vesanis
    Dec 21, 2016
    0
    Giving it a zero to balance it for all the zombies who will rate it a 10. Maybe telltale should release a game completely for once instead of zerging every review site with episodes that are shorter than a tv show. Anyways this episode is worse than the first one at least the first episode had a shock factor in it.
  5. anterolol
    Dec 25, 2016
    0
    Clementine isn't playable and only gets 10% of the entire screen time. Javier is bland and has a boring story. Episodes are 60 minutes long, down from 90 minutes in season 2 and 120-150 minutes in season 1. The writing is atrocious.

    If you have any respect for Clementine or Lee, don't buy this game. It destroys everything from the past 2 seasons.

    This is an insult and a betrayal to all fans.
  6. morteza_alaey
    Dec 22, 2016
    0
    that is a wonderful game and u will love it
    the story is great
    a great character design
    and telltale give us a wonderful gameplay
    this is what i want,this is telltale's best game ever
  7. arasion
    Jan 20, 2017
    9
    though the second episode is a good and deserves to be played , there are some blank spaces left in some parts of the episode with plot variety and a weird back story there still is a lot left to desire and the next one might be better than this one .
  8. tortuemax
    Dec 21, 2016
    9
    It's about the experience, about the story. Yes the interactions are pretty minimal, but if this is why you're buying this game, well, that's your mistake. I really like the new characters and the Javi/Clem duo works quite well. I didn't see the time pass and when the second episode ended, I was definitely longing for more.
  9. OfficialMonkey
    Apr 6, 2017
    0
    TL;DR - Offensive to S1 and S2 players.
    Rest in bloody peace: a series which once used to be great.
    Short 60 minute episodes (and the awful story makes it even worse), Clementine is playable for 5 minutes per ep, false advertisting pre-release, this is Javier's story for whatever **** reason even though we never asked for this and just wanted a GOOD continuation of Clementine's story    TL;DR - Offensive to S1 and S2 players.
    Rest in bloody peace: a series which once used to be great.

    Short 60 minute episodes (and the awful story makes it even worse), Clementine is playable for 5 minutes per ep, false advertisting pre-release, this is Javier's story for whatever **** reason even though we never asked for this and just wanted a GOOD continuation of Clementine's story (but this is an ABYSMAL continuation - this shouldn't even be called S3), The story is awful, and Clem is just a side character shoe-horned in when she was pretty much the main character for the previous two seasons. This isn't Clem's story, this is Javier's story - so this shouldn't even have Clem in it if Telltale wants to tell Javier's story so badly because she's just shoe-horned in and a side character. All the false advertising pre-release doesn't help either. Her being in every bloody advertisement also doesn't help. We played as Clementine in Season 2 and shaped our Clementine, and now Clementine is a supporting character again plus her personality doesn't change at all depending on your choices last season. Easy choices and deaths don't affect you because there is not enough character development and the game just pushes you forwards without any chance to talk to characters like in Season 1 (and even S2). This review would be too long if I talked about every issue, but SOME of the main issues are up there. SOME of the main issues. S2 choices don't **** matter for ****    … Expand
  10. muzmuz
    Jan 13, 2017
    6
    Immediately picking off from the surprisingly short previous episode, Ties That Bind Part Two is yet another brief episode from the third season. While the story may be a bit thrilling especially in the ending, this season so far feels way too rushed, as what episode two shows, letting players stumble upon rather ridiculous choices and non-immersive flow of story.

Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best PC Game of 2016
29
#29 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. GameGrin
    Feb 27, 2017
    85
    Perhaps the greatest shortcoming is the game’s stubbornness to shove Javi’s family as the player’s raison d’etre, when it’s clear that Clementine is a much more relatable and less frustrating character. The classic Telltale trap of unavoidable events is still there, but by now you should know what you’re getting into. If judged by what it attempts to do, rather than by what some sceptic players want it to be, A New Frontier’s harrowing first episodes smoothen most rough edges found in other games in the series in terms of storytelling. It just about manages to shake off the notion of being a rehashed concept, and become a beast that can stand on its own two feet, built upon the foundations laid by Lee and Clementine. Hopefully the rest of the season manages to sustain this level of quality.
    Read full review
  2. games(TM)
    Feb 21, 2017
    50
    A plot slower than a walker. [Issue#183, p.81]
  3. DualShockers
    Jan 30, 2017
    85
    Ties That Bind does an exceptional job at building a new world for The Walking Dead fans to explore while still integrating the components that made Telltale’s series a breakout hit.
    Read full review
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