The Walking Dead: The Final Season, Episode 3 Review

Spoilers for Episodes 1 and 2 follow

Ever since Telltale Games closed its doors, the final season of The Walking Dead was put on hold. The series that skyrocketed the company to widespread popularity had now been placed on hiatus. Many gamers speculated what was next and if it would ever be completed, since The Wolf Among Us: Season Two and Stranger Things were canceled immediately. Not only this, but every game had been taken off of digital marketplaces. Luckily, Skybound Games stepped in and offered to finish the series with the same developers. Now, with the team back in action, Clementine’s story is able to wrap up with the final two episodes. The first of these is Episode 3 “Broken Toys.”

Tough Choices

Right from the get-go players are faced with incredibly tough choices. These pull at the foundations of what each user is trying to craft. As Clementine learns to raise AJ into an adult, it’s made harder by the options presented. AJ is a fantastic listener but it can be a bit of a side-effect, at times. Kids are similar to sponges and he isn’t an exception. Everything that Clem does or witnesses directly rubs off on her little partner, for better or worse. This makes every choice feel more drastic and difficult because not only do you affect your own character’s path but that of AJ’s. How he learns from and copes with his killing of Marlon in Episode 1 is entirely up to the user.

There is plenty of “one or the other” type of choices that are presented, more so than previous episodes in the season. All of them ultimately influence the characters that are still around and even new ones introduced. So you’ll surely want to keep in mind what role these people can play in the final episode. The decisions made and the actions carried out help contribute to the best episode of the season, so far. Every instance that is encountered is definitely going to come back into play in the final episode.

Deeper Character Development

Since the final moments of Episode 2, players have been wondering what happened to either Violet or Louis. Whoever you decided to rescue is able to stick around and give a more personal touch to the world around them. Having these personal relationships may be able to prove good for Clementine and AJ, depending on the dialogue and actions selected. Almost every character that carries over into this episode showcases their human side. It’s a much-needed change of pace from dramatic encounters and decisions. Learning more about the other inhabitants in the school make for a few nice moments. The developers focus a lot more on these moments and they definitely pay off.

Clementine has come a very long way and this is reflected in the game. There are a few great callbacks in this season with more in Episode 3. It’s amazing to see how far the series has come since Season 1, but that doesn’t mean this episode relies solely on nostalgia. The subtle shoutout from previous games, besides Lilly’s appearance, is a great nod to those that have stuck along for the ride. Lilly being present shows that are a sequel yet it won’t detract from anything else going on, similar to Kenny in Season 2. The returning characters just add to the intensity of this post-apocalyptic world while making it harder for the player to trust their instincts.

Tedious Action Sequences

Where the episode’s choices and character relationships shine, the rest of the gameplay does not. In Episodes 1 and 2, gunplay was introduced but they came off as tedious and unreliable. I, personally, had to restart a few times because of the gun’s aiming being a bit shaky. Fortunately, shooting sections don’t return in this episode, but stealth sections remain. These are pretty straightforward, just stun zombies or kill them. It’s fairly simple but they aren’t that enjoyable. It’s a neat change in gameplay but it was never able to truly stand out. They were simply just there. It made sense why they were present but when it was over it felt relieving.

A few instances occurred where a QuickTime Event popped up, much like other episodes and they felt right. None of these screamed amazing, but they did add to the tension in the scenes they were presented in. Overall, the action scenes in this episode were much like others, just there. Going through a Telltale game looking for action-packed gameplay is probably the wrong route to go in, but it is nice to see that things are being shaken up.

It’s a great thing that Skybound Games was able to step in and allow for Episode 3 to take place. This is a true highlight for the season and sets up for a final episode with no telling of how it all ends. There are a few flaws in this two-hour chapter but that doesn’t stop it from contributing to a rich story that has spanned nearly seven years. We won’t have to wait too long for the conclusion to Clementine’s story, thankfully since it premieres on March 26 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Thank you to Skybound Games for providing us with a review code for the game.