This review contains spoilers for Episode 1 of TellTale’s The Walking Dead: Season 3, and all previous seasons of the series.
The second episode of The Walking Dead: The New Frontier is just as fantastic as the first episode. The plot takes a surprising turn with previously established characters and the appearance of a great comic character result in a thoroughly enjoyable and sometimes shocking episode.
TellTale’s The Walking Dead: Season Three, Episode 2- Ties That Bind Part 2
Developer: TellTale Games
Price: $24.99 for a Season Pass
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One, PC, Mac, Android, iOS
When the first part of Ties That Bind set up a lot of possibilities for the rest of the season, I assumed it would take a couple episodes to really pay off. I was pleasantly surprised by Ties That Bind Part 2, as a large number of the questions Episode 1 raised were addressed, with some questions being given even more depth to be explored in future parts.
After Mariana’s shocking death at the end of Ties That Bind, Javier and his group is understandably shaken. After returning to Prescott with Clementine, Javier’s group is thrust into battle with the attackers from Ties That Bind Part 1. This attack forces the group to abandon Prescott and confront the attackers at their own base.
The hostile group, known as The New Frontier, receives just enough exposition to pique my interest for future episodes. The discovery of a major character’s connection to the group proves to be a major revelation that had me audibly note how shocked I was. This twist adds a new dimension to the character in question, which has me chomping at the bit for Episode 3. The ending of the episode contains another twist that’s just as shocking, which is genuinely surprising three seasons into this narrative-based game series.
The flashbacks and dialogue that address where Clementine was in between Season 2 and 3 were particularly interesting in this episode, as Kenny’s absence in Season 3 is finally hinted at, with a suspiciously ominous tone. Both the present and past stories presented in Ties That Bind Part 2 are intriguing and full of suspense, and will no doubt lead to an enormous Episode 3.
Aside from the general plot. I want to address how well-done Jesus’s introduction is. For the uninitiated, Paul Monroe, known as Jesus because of his resemblance to the religious figure, is a character from the comic series. Jesus is known for his physical agility and fighting prowess, his tactical abilities, and his loyalty to Rick and his group. Jesus shows off all of these traits in this single episode, with none of it feeling forced or rushed. Jesus’s voice actor is perfect as well, giving off a sarcastic but gentle tone that I will now definitely hear when I read the comics.
There were no real issues with the visuals or audio in this episode, which continues to be a sadly pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, the Episode crashed my console mid-way through at a particularly tense moment. As mentioned in previous reviews, this is the worst way to completely kill the game’s immersion, which really takes away from the otherwise solid narrative.
The Final Word
Ties That Bind Part 2 is another exciting and tense chapter in TellTale’s Walking Dead. The fantastically implementation of Jesus and legitimately shocking plot-twists have me anxiously waiting for Episode 3. It’s just a shame that TellTale is still grappling with different forms of technical issues.
-MonsterVine Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
