Hello Enthusiasts,
A while back I reviewed seasons 1 and 2 of the Telltale Games series The Walking Dead, which you can find here. Telltale Games has closed down since then, but the series was finished with two final seasons. Today I will be reviewing the final two seasons of the series, and know that you are in for Some Spoilers, though I will keep them at a minimum.
The third game, titled A New Frontier, switches away from being a completely Clementine focused story. The main character in this game is Javi, a former baseball player that is traveling around with a few select members of his family. He meets up with Clementine pretty early on, they find a large settlement of survivors to join, and drama ensues. It's not too long before everything goes south, and Javi must work with Clementine to survive and save those that they care about. The plot does feel pretty similar to other Walking Dead stories that can be found in the TV shows, comics, and other games, but the it's the characters that make this game enjoyable. Clementine is aggressive and understandably damaged by the world that she has grown up in. She's protecting an infant, AJ, and she could not care less about anyone else at the start of the game. She's not necessarily mean, but she is very wary of others. Javi has a deep history with his family as well, though he didn't live a perfect life before the rise of the walkers. Together they work through a difficult situation and really make the player want the best for the both of them.
The forth season, simply titled The Final Season, ran into some issues while in production. The first two episodes were released like normal, and then Telltale Games shut down with little-to-no warning for those working on the game. It looked as though it would end there, but several members of the team that had worked at Telltale Games decided to push forward with the last two episodes. These folks, who had moved on to Skybound Games, worked with their new employer to finish the final season and get it out to the fans. With all of this drama, it would make sense that the last season would be sub-par to the rest, but the final season of this series is potentially the best one in the series. It's deep, emotional, and compelling all the way through. The season follows Clementine as she raises a young AJ with the intention to help him grow into the best possible version of himself. This is wildly difficult in this kind of world that has seen so much death and destruction. It puts Clementine into a role similar to that which Lee had in the first season. They do find another compound, which is run entirely by children, and it seems like a better place for them than anything else they've found so far. Again, drama ensues, but I won't spoil anything else for the story as this is the end of the entire run.
It is difficult to convey how well these stories are told. It's gotten to the point where it feels like I have a direct connection with Clementine through these games, and that cannot happen without the wonderfully gripping storytelling that happens in this series, these two games especially. I know that I've already gone over it a bit, but these games are nothing without an interesting story, so much of their success is built on getting the player invested in the situations and having them care about the characters, and this game gets it so right. I also don't want to discount how good of a character Javi is, because it can get easy to just focus on Clementine, but Javi was great. His story was deep, a past riddled with a bit of betrayal and blame for the deaths of loved ones. I only had one game with this character, but I would have pushed for him to live above others even if I was playing as someone else. Outside of the stories and characters though, the game still has a lot of positive stuff to stand on. I didn't run into any technical issues with these two entries, though I would still die from time to time as some of the quick time events require...well...very quick timing. The final game also introduced an additional combat element where you can stun a walker by kicking out its leg. This is faster than going for the kill right away, which is needed when facing down an entire horde. I also enjoyed the added element in the final season of collectables, which made exploring the areas seem worthwhile, even if the objective in the area was obvious.
My only complaint with these two entries into the series is the same as I had previously; some of the events and outcomes are completely locked in regardless of your choices. This isn't apparent unless you play through the game more than once or watch videos online, but it can take away some of the tension in a situation when you know that. Now some choices do greatly impact the game, so still treat all of them in such a way, but I would have appreciated some radically different outcomes based on choices.
At the end of the day, these games aren't for everyone. I know there are a lot of people who prefer the high-octane thrill of a first-person shooter like Call of Duty or the frustrating grind of a game like Dark Souls, and that's completely fine. For anyone looking to play a great story that doesn't offer as much in regards to fast-paced action, this is an absolute recommend. This whole series has been fantastic, and these final two games bring it to the next level. They're emotional, engaging, and entertaining for anyone that enjoys these types of games.
I give seasons 3 and 4 of The Walking Dead a 9.5 out of 10.
Overall, I give the entire series a 9 out of 10.
Sincerely,
The Bored Enthusiast
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