The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 4 - Thicker Than Water Reviews
Perhaps if the entire season had taken place in Richmond, engrossing me entirely in how things work in the city, I might feel differently. But for now, I'm preparing myself for tons of QTE's, blood, and dramatic character deaths that I'll probably just shrug off as Telltale making sure they do their Telltale things.
This series has been disappointing so far. This episode is probably the best yet but the glitches and just general lack of improvement in the writing mean that it is still substandard. The last episode would have to be incredible to draw everything together into a meaningful arc which lives up to its predecessors.
The saving grace for the game is the characters and their relationships with each other (especially between Javier and Kate). I feel connected to them and I want to follow them onto the next episode to see how they resolve the major cliffhanger at the end of episode 4. Fingers crossed episode 5 steps up it's game!
It took four episodes, but things finally happened and are at least mildly interesting.
With each new episode, we can see more and more clearly, that the developer doesn't know anymore, how to do original and engaging story. New season of The Walking Dead is huge disappointment.
Review in Polish | Read full review
A worthy flagbearer?
This fourth episode succeeds by taking its time to tell us more about characters we didn't know much about and by litterally exploding at its end, letting us in great need for what's next.
Review in French | Read full review
A lot of this outing of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier feels like treading water, as Telltale takes their time building to episode 5. Ending on a cliffhanger, the instalment does its job of upping the stakes for next time. Whether or not the developer can deliver a satisfying finale, however, is still up in the air.
I find myself waiting for the finale with mixed feelings. Episode four's finale has me eager to jump into the finale and face what comes Javi and the group's way, but I really hope Telltale nails down the pacing for episode five.
As strong as this season has been, the latest episode, "Thicker Than Water," did little to change the stakes or present new angles to its cast. Were it not for the final minutes, this episode may as well have been called "Treading Water."
Telltale has noticeably struggled in the past with the episodes leading into their season finales in previous titles, though by-and-large Episode 4 of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier manages to deliver some deep character moments and development while anchored by a tense conclusion that sets up its last episode for a big finish. Though some aspects of the episode may leave fans wanting a bit more, "Thicker Than Water" shows that family is just as much the root of some problems as much as it is the answer for them. Of course, the bigger question is how many of the Garcia clan makes it to the end remains to be seen, but the answers will be devastating either way.
The weakest episode in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier thus far, Thicker Than Water is paced awkwardly and doesn't spend enough time exploring the relationships that really matter. A good conclusion sets up the finale well, and there are some standout scenes over the course of the instalment. But an underdeveloped villain and some hard to believe exchanges make this a forgettable episode overall.
To say Thicker Than Water is the season's worst episode is both true and deeply misleading. It does take a step back from the extreme highs of the first three episodes, but this is still a story well worth seeing through to the end. Hopefully enough of the Garcia clan survive this season because they're worth another of their own. Some gripes with dialogue aside, the thematic elements remain strong, the characters are some of the best the studio has born, and this episode contributes to the still very high expectations for the season finale.
Much like the preceding episode of Season Three, ‘Thicker Than Water' is roughly an hour and a half. Although I would always prefer if each episode was slightly longer, it felt as though there was too much filler in this one. The opening episodes of Season Three felt like Telltale had set a great pace to the story, however now it feels as though the developers are slipping back into their old ways. With only one episode left, there's still plenty to cover in this story. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story concludes, but I can't help but feel somewhat disappointed by the predictability of the season so far. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long for the final episode.
Short, contrived, and occasionally frustrating; Episode 4 of New Frontier is so far the weakest of the bunch, and it's up to the game's finale to bring this entry back to the top of its game.
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier Episode 4: Thicker Than Water leaves a number of unanswered questions, flashing plot gaps and too prolonged foreplay, but a quick and emotional ending gives us hope for a really bright and memorable finale.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The Walking Dead and Telltale are both suffering from increasing fatigue, but this season's penultimate episode helps this particular story soldier on towards a potentially satisfying, if predictable, conclusion.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier Episode 4, Thicker than Water, sees a return to the twists and turns, conflicts, and high drama the series is known for.
Many of the season's problems remain in episode four – Thicker Than Water, but this installment does improve on many of its storytelling segments. There are still problems regarding relationships that you might not want, but the choices that you do get to make feel more important than they have in a while. While devoid of puzzles, the incredible ending has me eagerly waiting for the final episode.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 4 is a bit of a mistep for this promising series. It's not a bad episode, but it does feel like just a small stepping stone to the finale. It also has some story and technical problems that make the whole thing feel a bit rushed compared to the previous episodes. The finale could be great, but this episode does little to enhance the excitement.