From someone who is still actively dissecting and digesting the first two episodes:
Pros:
Javier is kind of a fun protagonist with a good voice and a potentially interesting backstory.
His family has potential for interesting elements. Kate seems like an interesting character, Gabe could be great depending on how writers handle his character from here.
Graphics are cool and animations are well improved (albeit still with some patchy marks but still).
More likeable cast of characters, at least in comparison to the second season so far.
Clementine's subplot in this season could add some interesting dynamics to her character and story depending on its payoff.
Not as much pandering and latching to the first season as there was in season two. At least not yet.
Lots of variable scenes depending on choices. Lying for Clem or not results in a slightly different scene and much different reactions. Choosing which person to go to the junkyard with adds a little more development to whoever you choose to go with. Choosing whether to stay with Clem has a different scene and reactions. Choosing whether to shoot Conrad or nah has different results as well.
Not as much forced drama in these episodes, at least not in your own group and also not drama that escalates to extreme extents (Conrad's being the most extreme and to some extent can be justifiable in multiple ways).
Much improved cinematography from the second season.
Less apparent use of stock sound effects which was kind of comical in previous seasons.
More engagement with elements of TWD universe, namely with actual human settlements. Feels much less empty than in the second season.
Cons:
Less than optimal screentime. Each episode should have been at least half an hour longer to match Season 2 screentime alone and should have ideally been longer.
Because of lack of screentime, there is the persistent issue of exhausting and bad pacing. There is very little break from the action and as such everything else in the game suffers because of it as we need to keep moving forward with the plot to get every minute out of what we get.
Clementine's entire presented character from these two episodes could massively backfire if her relationship with The New Frontier is handled poorly. Some people in Season 1 & 2 played Clementine to a certain standard which is much different than her character this season. This relationship needs to be a clear facilitator for this change in personality or her character in this addition to the series would make no sense. On this point, Clementine in general can act out of character at times depending on previous choices.
Usual 'Choices not mattering' stuff we all should be familiar with by now.
Lacklustre flashbacks (mostly in E1) in terms of content and time which do a complete disservice to most of the endings we chose.
Some really weird and baffling plot points. Like Javier dropping the gun after knocking Lonnie out, the entirety of Prescott being overrun with no defence, stuff in flashbacks, the lack of a long term reaction from Kate and Gabe to Mariana's death whose characters should have been transformed... I could go on.
The persistent lack of hubs or lack of content in hubs which is akin to the problem they had in Season 2, which again leads to little characterisation or relation with any of the cast.
Completely reused music assets. I don't think I can recall one original track in this season at any point other than maybe the intro with Javier. And even then, I don't exactly remember all the tracks that may have been reused from Michonne. It makes me question how much work Jared Emerson-Johnson put into this season if at all.
Lack of characterisation on anyone that isn't Clementine or part of Javier's family (i.e Tripp, Eleanor and Conrad).
Choppy sound bites and graphical glitches, which were a constant in previous TellTale additions anyway but still.
No songs on the episode credits, which in my opinion was one of the best parts of Season 2.
I'd probably add more to this once I've properly thought it all out after a couple more weeks, but I think this list is fairly comprehensive at least on my own opinion.
Pros:
+Graphics are really nice
+Javier's family is interesting
+Tripp is an awesome character
+The communities are pretty cool (Prescott and TNF)
+More comic book connections (Jesus)
Cons:
-Too much focus on Clem while you're playing as Javi (leads to very biased decision making)
-Choices aren't very hard to make
-Short episodes (not enough time to learn about the people in our group or even grow care/interest for them)
-Past 2 seasons are pretty much wiped from the get go (choices from them don't matter at all so far aside from the 5 minute flashbacks we get for each of our season 2 endings)
-Not much to explore
-Clementine acts the same way regardless of how you played her out in season 2 and what you taught her in season 1
-Flashbacks for Clem are too short and should've answered our questions about season 2 already (Ties That Bind parts should have been 1 part as Javi and the other as Clem starting from when season 2 ended)
More bad than good so far but it definitely isn't impossible for Telltale to make the season much better (at least for me, I'm well aware that people are enjoying it and that's great for them).
pros
1 new graphics...
cons
1 short episodes
2 javier's family.
3 plot twists predictable.
4 flashbacks
5 lie about 2 protagonist's
6 you choices from the previous games don't matter
7 no music on credits
im pretty disappointed right now.
Comments
*Good and bad about this season so far
Pros:
Cons:
From someone who is still actively dissecting and digesting the first two episodes:
Pros:
Cons:
I'd probably add more to this once I've properly thought it all out after a couple more weeks, but I think this list is fairly comprehensive at least on my own opinion.
Pros:
Cons:
i think that this season would be better if they make return characters like lily,molly or christa, i think they need to finish what they started.
Nice list. Short and simple.
Just like the episodes.
Exactly my list!
Pros:
+Graphics are really nice
+Javier's family is interesting
+Tripp is an awesome character
+The communities are pretty cool (Prescott and TNF)
+More comic book connections (Jesus)
Cons:
-Too much focus on Clem while you're playing as Javi (leads to very biased decision making)
-Choices aren't very hard to make
-Short episodes (not enough time to learn about the people in our group or even grow care/interest for them)
-Past 2 seasons are pretty much wiped from the get go (choices from them don't matter at all so far aside from the 5 minute flashbacks we get for each of our season 2 endings)
-Not much to explore
-Clementine acts the same way regardless of how you played her out in season 2 and what you taught her in season 1
-Flashbacks for Clem are too short and should've answered our questions about season 2 already (Ties That Bind parts should have been 1 part as Javi and the other as Clem starting from when season 2 ended)
More bad than good so far but it definitely isn't impossible for Telltale to make the season much better (at least for me, I'm well aware that people are enjoying it and that's great for them).
Pros:
-Solid new cast
-Updated graphics
-Entertaining action sequences
-Clementine. (I wish there was a little more of her, but I'm still fine with the amount of screentime she has.)
-Some very interesting plot elements
Cons:
-Short episodes
-Season Two endings were handled terribly
-Kenny and Jane look like unfinished character models from one of the early Pixar films.
pros
1 new graphics...
cons
1 short episodes
2 javier's family.
3 plot twists predictable.
4 flashbacks
5 lie about 2 protagonist's
6 you choices from the previous games don't matter
7 no music on credits
im pretty disappointed right now.
There is nothing interesting about Javier's family at all
Pros:
Cons:
That's pretty much it so far.