By Joe DeAndrea 05.04.2017
With The Walking Dead: A New Frontier more than halfway in the books, there's certainly the structure of something great here, but it hasn't yet hit a total wow-factor like one would expect. Intense moments and meaningful character development is there often, sure, but is it really worth it at the end of the day if the story doesn't reach a satisfying conclusion? Episode three, Above the Law, isn't a bad continuation of the season - it has its bright moments - but it ultimately lacks the polish of a Telltale game in mid-season form.
Episode two left off with one of the wildest cliff-hangers that The Walking Dead has seen yet, so naturally anticipation runs high with its follow-up. Kicking off with more flashbacks into the life of main character Javi, Above the Law goes to explore the battle between what his heart falls in line with the most - the people of his past, or the people of his present.
There's a love-hate relationship with the flashbacks overall in this title. They provide the much needed backstory and history into the characters - it's part of the reason why it's become so easy to be a fan of newcomer Javi, and flashbacks with Clementine allow a better connection to someone who the viewer now has no playable control over. However, the present-day events can sometime run stagnant - and that's always been the case all season long. Between typical The Walking Dead politics and usual drama, the events that surround the supporting cast - like the people living at the settlement - just don't pack much of a punch; it's hard to really care about them when the main stars are the ones who hold our attention the most.
Playability for episode three is also fairly low. Throughout the length of the episode, there won't be much to really "do" - it takes a far more cinematic approach for a series that tends to be able to evenly separate its content between interaction and cinematics. Still, the activity that does take place is enjoyable, but the controller is mostly going to be put off to the side on this one.
Unlike episode two, Above the Law fails to measure up with how its predecessor ends, providing quite a cliché and predictable ending. That's not to say that every episode needs a cliff-hanger, and the series doesn't need to throw curveball after curveball to keep things interesting, but relying on trite plot devices only leaves a sour taste in the mouths of the audience - especially considering how long of a wait it is between episodes in the first place.
The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 3: Above The Law continues its remarkable success with advancing the progression of main characters, their pasts, and their relationships, but what struggles as a result is a clearer picture of the season as a whole. Of course, like is seen in the first two episodes, things can change mighty quickly, and it's definitely possible that it ends up finishing with a bang. For now, though, Above the Law does its job ramping up excitement for the next instalment, but unfortunately not for the same reasons that the first two did.
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