How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 80 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | – | – | 0 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 73 | 53 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | – | – | 0 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 0 reviews sampled · 0 total reviews in window · weighted 0 up / 0 down · computed 5h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (33)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 84
“The Ties That Bind shines with polish and quality but ultimately feels like a retread of familiar territory. Perhaps seven years of television and four years of interactive fiction have been enough for the Walking Dead. A quality work through and through but long-time fans will feel like they are in too familiar territory.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“New characters are introduced in a way that will make players struggle as they try to balance their allegiance to those with more familiar faces. Whereas, Clementine’s flashbacks will leave players hungry for more information about her movements between Season Two and Three. The Ties That Bind encapsulates everything that I could possibly ask for in The Walking Dead, improving on all the issues that I had with the previous season and adding things that I didn’t even know I wanted.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Thus far, the first two episodes of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier set up the intrigue. Javi is a decent character for the player to control, and Clementine is much more complicated than before due to her experiences. The story beats seem to replay some of the events of the TV series and comic, although with different characters and locations, but the ending of the second episode is enough to capture the attention of those who may already be tired of the franchise general. With only three more episodes to go, it'll be interesting to see if Telltale can keep the momentum going.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It moves quickly--and in some pretty familiar directions, given how we’ve seen events like the attack on Prescott and the desperate search for a new refuge many times before. But not everything is as expected here, and the dramatic weight tied to unpredictable moments--as well as the amount of action--provides more of the franchise alluring edge-of-your-seat storytelling.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Perhaps the greatest shortcoming is the game’s stubbornness to shove Javi’s family as the player’s raison d’etre, when it’s clear that Clementine is a much more relatable and less frustrating character. The classic Telltale trap of unavoidable events is still there, but by now you should know what you’re getting into. If judged by what it attempts to do, rather than by what some sceptic players want it to be, A New Frontier’s harrowing first episodes smoothen most rough edges found in other games in the series in terms of storytelling. It just about manages to shake off the notion of being a rehashed concept, and become a beast that can stand on its own two feet, built upon the foundations laid by Lee and Clementine. Hopefully the rest of the season manages to sustain this level of quality.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While it’s not perfect, that extra time has given Telltale room to breathe life into a new and interesting cast of admittedly flawed characters, build new relationships and present them with new and immediate dangers, always with the threat of zombies in the background.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Ties That Bind makes a surprisingly convincing argument for it to keep shuffling onward. ”
read full review ↗ - 70
“These two short episodes (about three hours for both) did keep me invested and reminded me that Telltale can spin a good story. There were a few effective moments and a few tricky choices. However, the technical and narrative flaws are too glaring to ignore. And, perhaps saddest of all, I am just not as excited to play the next episode as I usually am with Telltale games.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“From start to finish, the pacing in Ties That Bind Part II is excellent. You are always given the right amount of time to dwell on the events surrounding you before being snatched away into the next dramatic scene.”
read full review ↗ - 82
“Especially with a little more context for the New Frontier revealed, Telltale is starting to better lay out all the logs it has to build a cabin. I just hope the rest of the structure is as strong as the foundation.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The storytelling pacing in these premiere episodes has been perfect. If Telltale manage to maintain this level of quality, this could end up becoming the best season of The Walking Dead yet.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“My favorite story beats in Ties That Bind are unquestionably classified as spoilers, but they all spring from the same place: drama motivated by logical character action. Javi and the gang are proactive and well-defined, which makes their struggle to survive all the more compelling. If the first two episodes are any indication, A New Frontier will be a worthy follow-up to The Walking Dead, even if there's no chance it will be quite as revolutionary.”
read full review ↗
GameWatcher
Worth Playing
GameSpot
GameGrin
TheSixthAxis
PC Gamer
DarkZero
GameSpew
IGN
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Destructoid…and 21 more tracked reviews.