The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 5: From the Gallows | Xbox One

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A New Frontier’s previous episode, Thicker Than Water, saw us part with the gang on uncertain terms. Before rejoining Javier and co. in hopes of tying off the loose ends left hanging this past month, From the Gallows continues the customary trend of opening with a flashback to a turbulent time in the Garcia family’s history.

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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)

While this formula had already become altogether too predictable, as we’ve touched upon in previous episode reviews (links to which are below), the scene serves its purpose in providing a valuable new perspective on the present through the nostalgic lens of the past. It’s admittedly still somewhat of an interesting idea, genuinely influencing the choices you make throughout the remainder of a given episode, but we wish the device wasn’t leaned upon so heavily in each and every outing - variety is the spice of life, after all.

It isn’t long before you’re back in the here and now, where a particularly strong fear is almost immediately allayed. Telltale utilised some cheeky, seemingly spoilerific marketing to pull the wool over our eyes on this one, and, though it was initially deflating to see that material, the relief gleaned in the payoff made it worthwhile.

Trapped in Richmond, as zombies line the streets and its survivors seek your head, you’re allowed some time to reflect on your actions throughout the season so far. Having undeniably brought the community strife, however seemingly justified you were in doing so, being forced to take in the aftermath of your choices displays you in a rather unflattering light. In typical Walking Dead fashion, however, you can’t linger on defining shades of grey for too long, so the group press on and hatch a familiar plan to acquire heavy-duty vehicles with which to plough through the horde.

Throughout this portion of the episode we found ourselves opting to remain silent, in place of offering a vocal response, far more than we typically would, which, depending on the instance, could be either a good or a bad thing. While caring for and about the character interactions lead us to allow others to interact without interjecting, or to finish getting something off their chest without interrupting, it was just as often the case that nothing resembling the desired response was accounted for.

This was almost exclusively centred around conversation with Javi’s brother, David, as the game desperately tried to manufacture conflict between the pair. Having made a promise to support David, we were keen on keeping our word, so adhered to the old adage about not having anything nice to say. That said, a particularly poignant scene (helped along by the affecting soundtrack) in which you can opt to fight violence with love and care made it clear what this had ultimately been building towards.

A seemingly critical choice follows thereafter, with seemingly being the operative word, as ever when it comes to Telltale adventures. While switching out the proceeding scene and deciding certain characters’ fates, things quickly reconverge and sprint towards the same conclusion. Whilst this perhaps isn’t surprising, it’s disappointing by comparison to the legitimately different end points offered in the previous season, feeling like a marked step backwards.

From the Gallows puts in a decent technical performance on Telltale’s dated engine, keeping regular foibles like texture pop-in and stuttering to a minimum, while also forgoing out-of-place point-and-click segments on the gameplay front. Despite playing well, a lack of truly burdensome choices (we fell into the large majority on all counts when checking the community stats) and meekly safe progression (there aren’t any real surprises beyond the initial hoodwink) make A New Frontier’s finale the weakest of TWD’s bunch.

With the Garcia family’s story neatly wrapped-up for now, and Clementine’s return not just teased but confirmed, in spite of the fact A New Frontier is a season we can still recommend, we seriously hope to see more imagination and innovation on display come next time around.

Pros

• Well-written and voiced characters
• A thorough (if conventional) conclusion to the season
• One particularly poignant encounter
• Used promotional images to pull an effective bait-and-switch
• Avoids including weaker gameplay segments

Cons

• Plays it safe and is predictable for it
• Largely unimpactful choices
• Lacking response options can make it feel like you’re being lead
• Minor technical issues

7/10

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New to the season? Check out our reviews of episodes one through four:

Episodes 1 & 2: Ties That Bind

Episode 3: Above the Law

Episode 4: Thicker Than Water

If you’d like a closer look at From the Gallows, have a watch of Gabriella’s full let’s play below.