The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 4: Thicker than Water | Xbox One

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Thicker than Water is a thrilling penultimate episode that spins its own gripping yarn, while escalating the stakes to lead us into the season’s fifth, and final, outing with baited breath.

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by Sam
​Sant

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​@SlamShotSam

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Developer: Telltale 
Games
Publisher: Telltale
Games
Platforms: Xbox One,
PS4, PC, iOS, Android
Players: 1 (up to 12 via
​Crowd Play)

After catching you up on events thus far, the episode predictably leads with a flashback that offers a look into Javier’s tumultuous family history. The scene definitely helps flesh out its characters, and their relationship, impacting decisions you’ll make in the present day. Whilst you won’t hear us argue these segments don’t serve their purpose well, the information within them could have been delivered in a myriad of different ways to spice things up a bit. We might be in the minority here, considering some of the longest-running television shows in history follow a similarly formulaic structure, but it seems damaging that we can correctly chart an episode before experiencing it.

Transitioning back to the present, Javi finds himself being imprisoned by the primary antagonist established in the previous episode, Above the Law. Following a verbal exchange, it’s possible to see both sides of the argument, as each party simply does whatever it takes to ensure the best for them and their own. Despite that, they're still very detestable, which is important in driving the narrative onwards.

The following point-and-click section works within the given context, as you’re confined to a room with nothing to do but explore it in hope of discovering a way out. It’s palatable as a result, not slaughtering the pace of an episode moving at an otherwise fair clip, as can often be the case. More are peppered throughout, but they’re short and sweet enough to not outstay their welcome.

A successful escape leads Javi to rejoin the group, where he discovers he hasn’t quite fled the confines of Richmond just yet, surrounded by a herd of walkers and the resident New Frontier on all sides. With no way out, a portion of the group set about equipping themselves for the mandatory stay by making for the armoury.

A New Frontier confidently tackles taboos along the way, namely: periods, drug abuse and euthanasia. It speaks volumes about the morose world of The Walking Dead that Clementine’s first time of the month is what stuck with us the most, but it's easy to forget how young she is when she’s old hat at surviving the apocalypse. A stilted conversation on the topic triggers the episode’s nostalgic Clem flashback, which further compounds the structural issues we mentioned earlier. It's still hard not to be enthralled by these, as a long-term fan of the series, especially as they cater to your choices from previous seasons, which is a promise that often goes unfulfilled.

Thicker than Water  escalates the stakes to lead us into the season’s fifth and final outing with baited breath.

Returning with firearms aplenty in hand, Javi and the group hatch a desperate plan to go on the offensive. Not happy with his assigned role, however, Gabe - Javi’s nephew - blurts out a revelation that divides the unit. We aren’t quite ready to offer the bugger up as zombie bait, à la Ben, but he’s edging ever closer every time he ignores us and does something stupid. Why can’t all kids be like Clem?

Now executing the plan with a dwindling group and Gabe sulking over our refusal to revise his role (deal with it), those guns come in handy. Telltale chose to forego the forgiving aiming mechanics they’ve used in the past, keeping shootouts frenetic with QTE button prompts instead; while less personal than engaging in fisticuffs, encounters are well-choreographed and still somewhat engaging.

With their world falling down around them, and things becoming truly desperate, the key cast members - along with the player - gain some much-needed respite in a fleeting moment of normality. It’s touchingly human and reminds you that this fight is one worth seeing through.

That tactical break from the action makes the closing chapter all the more impactful, as it quickfires the season’s first two properly difficult choices at you back to back. The community stats seem to reveal that most players were similarly torn, with (at the time) the decisions weighted a close 53.6/46.4% and an exact 50/50% split respectively.

With the ending leaving us in limbo and teasing elements, both exciting and unnerving, to come, we’re eagerly anticipating not only the finale, but also where Telltale’s take on The Walking Dead might go beyond A New Frontier. With just a month between the release of this episode and the last, we can only hope Telltale don’t keep us waiting much longer than that for our next fix.

Pros

• Story has developed to a compelling place
• Well-written and voiced
• Continues to fill in gaps we’ve been pondering
• Point-and-click segments are handled quite well
• Very few technical issues

Cons

• Repetitive structure
• Still a little familiar, with plenty of close parallels to past events

8/10

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Check out our reviews for the season’s two-part opener and third episode, if you haven’t already.

​To see Thicker than Water in action, check out Gabriella's full playthrough below.