The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
Publisher:
Telltale Games
Developer:
Telltale Games
Platforms:
Android, iOS, PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Genre:Graphic adventure
Release Date:Episode 1: December 20, 2016
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is an upcoming point and click graphic adventure that is the latest installment in a series both developed and published by Telltale Games. There are three major The Walking Dead games produced by Telltale as well as an offshoot game called The Walking Dead: Michonne. The New Frontier will continue the story that has unfolded in the first two seasons of this game. The game will center on Clementine once again, only this time she will have aged a bit.
Like the other games in the series, The Walking Dead: A New Frontier is going to be released in episodic form. The first two episodes are due to launch on mobile platforms, the PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC and Mac on December 20, 2016.
Development
Telltale Games licensed the ability to make The Walking Dead games when they were making the first “season.” The contract with the comic book company was for “multiple” seasons and so the firm knew it was going to be making more than one season for this series. After the great success the first game had, the second season was not as critically acclaimed but sales were good enough to drive Telltale into making both a version of the game that centered on the comic book and television series character Michonne. Telltale also committed to a third season in the winter of 2015 and officially announced A New Frontier in the spring of 2016.
After the game was officially announced, the development team said the title was going to have a new “bag of tricks” but the firm did not explain exactly what else would be included in the game that would set it apart from the other titles in The Walking Dead series. At the end of April of 2016 it was divulged that the third season would feature an appearance by Clementine but not in what way she would appear.
At PAX East, the development team announced the new game would be released in November of 2016 but the game first episode of the game was later pushed back. While we now know that the first two episodes in the title are going to be released on December 20, 2016, the team had not divulged the release date of any of the other episdes though they are not usually announced until the first episode or episodes are released. As of November of 2016 there was no mention of further release dates. This is the first time in this series the company has released multiple episodes at the same time and Telltale is calling this a “two-part episode”
Along with the announcement the game would have its first two, of five episodes released at the same time, the development team released a brand new trailer showing more bits and pieces of the story.
Story
The writer of The Walking Dead comic book series, Robert Kirkman said “We’ll be checking in on Clementine again, so we’ll be seeing her, seeing where she’s at and what’s going on with her, which is going to be great.” At the same time, he didn’t say if that would be the singular focus of the story. Kirkman also said there would be more tie-ins to the comic book series than we have seen in previous versions of the game though the writer did not explain what those tie-ins would be.
The development team has said players will be able to play as both Javier and Clementine. Javier is a character from The Walking Dead Season 2 but the team has not said how the story will be divided up or how much time the players will spend with each character. While there isn’t much known about the specific story for The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, we do know it has the same basic aspects as the first two stories. That means players will be guiding characters along as they try and stay alive and away from “Walkers” which are zombies that infest this game world.
There will be some continuation that occurs from choices made by the players in the first two games of this series. Clementine and Javier will be trying to find a way to get through the world as they protect the baby that became a part of the larger story arc in The Walking Dead Season 2. It also appears that Clementine has lost a finger from one of her hands, though the development team has said that particular detail might not be in every game, as it depends somewhat on player decisions in previous versions.
Gameplay
The gamplay in The Walking Dead Season 3 is similar to what players will find in any point and click adventure series. While the consoles versions do allow for players to walk characters around, the mobile versions are almost entirely pointing at a destination and watching the players move to that point in the screen.
The game will also have some items that can be equipped and picked up using the point and click mechanic though the game does not have an inventory that can be explicitly accessed repeatedly and at any time. There are specific areas where items found earlier in the game will be used, instead of being able to use them at any time.
The game also has a player choice mechanic that is said to change how the story of the The Walking Dead: A New Frontier will unfold. Some of these choices are merely decisions on what to say and how to respond to other characters while others have broader reach in that they will determine which characters live or die beyond a certain scene. The developers have said there have been some tweaks to the overall game play but have not said exactly what those tweaks will be.
Characters
The known characters in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier are Clementine, who has made an appearance in all three of the main The Walking Dead games. Alvin Jr. who was a baby in the previous game and a very young child in this one, Javier, Hector, Kate and Eleanor. The trailers have shown an additional girl, man and woman who have not been named previous to the game’s launch.
Note: This wiki will be updated once we have more information about the game