The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier Episode 1: Ties That Bind Part One

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 58
  3. Negative: 11 out of 58

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  1. getrwuegyweh
    Dec 29, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not too sure what to say about this or how to feel.

    Pros :
    - Its the walking dead!
    - good story line

    cons:
    - Clem is hardly even shown
    - Pretty much every decision from season 1 and 2 is pointless since everyone dies anyway. Why actually give us the option to save Kenny if he's just going to be killed off right away anyway?    … Expand
  2. NavyForever
    Dec 20, 2016
    10
    A great beginning, enjoyed this first episode of this new season, Clementine grew up and became a real survivor, I felt proud when I saw her ! Not only Clementine, but the story of Javier is important too
  3. BVGNOfficial
    Dec 25, 2016
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall very disappointing. Not sure why we can't play as Clementine. Also having none of the choices from Season 2 actually matter and having everyone die anyway is ridiculous. Try harder next time, Telltale.… Expand
  4. 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
  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. 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
  7. raccoondaddy
    Sep 2, 2017
    5
    This season felt like it was written by a group of guys playing hot potato with the story-line. The star and major focus of the Telltale series, Clementine, is only just an honorable mention. Everything we cared about from the previous seasons has been washed away flashbacks and meaningless dialogue.

    Considering how long it took for the season to come out, you'd figure there would be    This season felt like it was written by a group of guys playing hot potato with the story-line. The star and major focus of the Telltale series, Clementine, is only just an honorable mention. Everything we cared about from the previous seasons has been washed away flashbacks and meaningless dialogue.

    Considering how long it took for the season to come out, you'd figure there would be a concrete direction on where to take her story. Not once is there any mention to ANY of the previous characters from season 1 or 2, save for a few names or Easter eggs thrown out there.

    Not only that, this season felt shortest of all. The primary character, Javier is an empty shell that just tries too hard to make himself into a Rick-like character. Which TWD doesn't need, most of us like Rick and that story has already been done. Sure there are some good shocker moments and situations get tense, but none of it felt like it could have made dramatic changes.

    Telltale played way too safe with this season, they put Clem on the sidelines and focused on a new character that would've been better being the SUPPORT for Clem, NOT the focus.

    TT has to realize, they have to stop worrying about canon and just avoid including guest characters and focus on its own thing. We don't need pointless cameos and nods to the comics/TV series save for a past reference or two.

    What made the 1 and 2 good was that they were harsh and unforgiving, yet took their time to highlight the human element of The Walking Dead.

    None of that is present in this season. It's not like I could write any better, but it truly lacked a lot. Save for couple good moments in the story.    … Expand
  8. ragegames
    Mar 14, 2017
    10
    A great beginning, enjoyed this first episode of this new season, Clementine grew up and became a real survivor, I felt proud when I saw her ! Not only Clementine, but the story of Javier is important too
  9. Dinerofresco
    May 5, 2021
    6
    This game was ok but that is really it , the whole switching from javi and Clementine was annoying to me and I think it should have been more Clementine or just all clem but the story was ok but again thats it , very average and the worst of the 4 games in the series

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. CGMagazine
    Mar 22, 2017
    60
    Telltale has definitely gotten so comfortable that their latest zombie game lacks any teeth.
    Read full review
  2. XGN
    Mar 16, 2017
    85
    Ties That Bind Part 1 leaves you behind with a lot of questions. What happened with baby AJ? But those questions let you crave for more. After playing this episode you definitely want to play Ties That Bind Part 2 as soon as possible.
    Read full review
  3. PlaySense
    Jan 13, 2017
    90
    Telltale returns to the universe that brought them their fame and they deliver in almost every way.
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