This chapter, and the last chapter for that matter, have felt pretty polished overall on PC, which certainly helps. I won't argue that the engine being used here is getting a little dated, and the overall mechanics of the series are starting to wear a little thin, but the story and characters introduced within A New Frontier still make it worth checking out. "Thicker than Water" is another solid chapter in the series, and helps propel the game towards what I'm sure will be a bummer of a conclusion in the near future.
We should be enjoying multiple hour episodes capable of sustaining our attention, marrying a few possible paths. After earning our trust and business, I was hopeful Telltale would move on to legendary kinds of storytelling catered to player choices and capable of handling several outcomes. Unfortunately, Episode 4 feels like we're being coasted along.
The conclusion of Thicker Than Water is exactly what you'd expect from the series, and that's not a bad thing. For action fans, the setup means that the final episode is sure to be full of gore. For everyone else, though, having to spend so much time with some unlikeable and underdeveloped characters makes the episode feel like a drag, so the end is met with relief rather than longing to see the conclusion. It shouldn't be long before the final episode hits, but here's hoping things end on an upswing.
This fourth episode succeeds by taking its time to tell us more about characters we didn't know much about and by literally exploding at its end, leaving us in great need for what's next.
Episode four’s finale has me eager to jump into the finale and face what comes Javi and the group’s way, but I really hope Telltale nails down the pacing for episode five. A slow chapter can be forgiven, but three consecutive bad chapters really weakened an episode that had far more potential. Sure, it’s an investment for the payoff, but its closing moments aren’t enough for the 90 minutes of buildup prior.