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The Walking Dead: A New Frontier starts off differently than the previous two games. You can still import your save from your previous games, but this time, you mainly step into the shoes of a new protagonist: Javier, a former baseball star trying to keep what's left of his family alive. A New Frontier feels like both a departure and a continuation of the heartbreak from the previous two seasons — at first, it might be strange to not be Clem — but that discomfort is exactly what makes the shift work.
Just like 400 Days showed you a glimpse of other survivors, so does A New Frontier. The apocalypse fractured families and forced ordinary people into extraordinary decisions. Just like Kenny and Lee before him, Javi is thrust into leadership and has to deal with the consequences that surround his new role. While his actions still have consequences for Clem, Javi has his own child to take care of, in this case his son — or rather his brother's son — Gabriel. We also see a much older Clementine, who has clearly been through a lot since we last played as her.
Watching Clementine from another's eyes — especially someone who comes to trust her, depend on her, even clash with her — is fascinating. It reminds you that while you mainly may not play as her here, her journey is far from over. She's hardened, haunted, and still deeply human. The writing continues to be sharp and character-driven, even if some episodes feel a bit shorter than previous seasons. Still, it delivers the emotional beats with sincerity — and moments with Clementine hit especially hard if you've played the previous seasons.
Do you put your family first or focus on Clementine's continued story? When does justice become vengeance, and when should you opt for mercy? The choices feel as gut-wrenching as ever. It's especially intriguing to me to see that Telltale went back on their desire to have the protagonist have familial ties, considering how instead of Lee, there was originally supposed to be Clementine's brother leading her through the apocalypse. Now, there's Javi, taking care of his nephew, niece, and sister-in-law for his older brother. And I, for one, love Javier as a character and yearn for another season with him.
Having said that, I definitely would have loved if Javi were to be this season's Luke instead of a new Lee with new ties. Spoilers here! You have been warned.
One aspect that might frustrate returning players is how the endings from Season Two are... handled a bit strangely. To be fair, the developers had the monumental task of tying together wildly different outcomes — but the way it's executed here can feel strange or even disheartening.
For instance, in my most recent playthrough in the Definite Series version, I originally chose to shoot Kenny and leave Jane. Later, I decided to go back and change that — letting Kenny live, allowing him to kill Jane, and then going with him to Wellington. Yet, somehow, my game still registered that I shot Kenny, even though I went to Wellington with him... unfortunately, that impacted my experience in A New Frontier.
More than technical hiccups, though, the narrative handling of those branching paths can feel like a letdown to some. If you chose to stay with Kenny, his ending is abrupt — he dies in a car crash you have little to no choice in. It makes that emotionally charged choice feel, in hindsight, almost meaningless. That said, it's more respectful than Telltale's original plan, which reportedly involved him drowning himself — a fate that would've undermined his character far more.
Jane's fate isn't handled much better. Whether by her own hand or by simply vanishing from Clem's life, she's gone, no matter what. As someone who was never really a Jane fan but tried to like her until the end of season two, I can't say for certain how the non-Howe ending played out — but given her self-preserving tendencies, it feels in character. She either breaks her promise to Clementine or gives up entirely.
What's consistent across all starting points is this: sooner or later, Clementine is alone again. If she walks away from both Kenny and Jane, she ends up injured — missing a finger. If she goes to Wellington, it's overrun, and she escapes into chaos. No matter what you chose before, Clem ends up scarred, alone, and eventually finds herself tied to the New Frontier.
Some criticize these early outcomes for making prior choices feel hollow or for making beloved characters act "out of character." But personally, I disagree — only on the latter part, however. Kenny ultimately always puts family — Clementine — first. It's why he lost his eye in the first place. And Jane, even in her best moments, always prioritized self-preservation. Their exits reflect who they were, for better or worse. As for Clem, she had already begun to harden by the end of Season Two. It's not that this game turns her cold — it's that she's already carrying the weight of survival. It's up to the player to make her softer again after all the pain and loss she experienced.