The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Episode 1: Ties That Bind Part One

Ties That Bind Part One is the first episode of The Walking Dead: The Telltale Series - A New Frontier, the third season of Telltale's adaptation of The Walking Dead comic book series. It continues the previous games' concept as a narrative-driven title where most of the game is presented as a series of cinematic story scenes. Player interaction is limited to dialogue options during conversations, Quick Time Events in action scenes, and free movement and minor puzzle-solving elements in some environments that can be explored freely. The first episode was released simultaneously with the second one Ties That Bind Part Two.

This season has two playable protagonists, Javier Garcia and also Clementine, returning from the first two seasons. It starts with a flashback where Javier and his family are introduced prior to the zombie apocalypse. Then four years later in the present day Javi is on the road with Kate, his brother's wife, his nephew Gabe and his niece Mariana. They are constantly on the move to stay ahead of a large Walker herd, stopping for food, gas and resources wherever they can. The game's events kick off when they decide to stop at a junkyard. Soon, Clementine is introduced and she meets Javi, along with a large cast of new characters. What happened to Clem between the second and the third season is revealed through a series of interactive flashbacks, interspersing the present day events. Clem's character is shaped through the player's choices in all the previous games: what she experienced, who she shot or saved, where she went etc.

In the first episode some important choices have to be made, for instance whether Javi's allegiance lies with his family, with Clem or with a new group of survivors he meets, including a potential love interest. There are also new antagonists.