Review: Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice

A Good Series is Coming

TellTale Games has garnered a reputation as some of the best storytellers in the industry. Both The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead series feature a compelling cast of characters and stories that make you care about them. Now, TellTale is taking a stab at Game of Thrones and, for the most part, they succeed.

One of the major changes this time around is that you control 3 different characters throughout the experience, Gared, Mira and Ethan Forrester. Gared is a squire to the Forresters, Mira is Lady Margery’s handmaiden in King’s Landing and Ethan is a young lord. While this does cause the game to feel stretched thin at points because all the characters need ample screen time, it also enhances the narrative. The ability to see the story from different perspectives allows the story to really shine.

While the writing is still high quality, the story runs into many issues this time around. Namely, this first episode feels like it’s made up entirely of build up rather than a full story that just happens to have sequels. That being said, the political backstabbing that the series is known for looks like it’ll come in full force during the next episode. There’s also a large focus on name dropping big names rather than letting the new characters develop themselves. For example, Mira’s development revolves around her interactions with Tyrion, Margery and Cercei rather than her own character. Ethan and Gared suffer less from this and are great characters by themselves.

The graphic engine is starting to show its age as well. While it worked in the past, the animations and clipping really stand out here with the intricate clothing and weapons. Some scenes look outright goofy with people looking like they’ve been stabbed but carry on normal conversations. While this is just a minor nitpick, the iconic intro for the series looks laughable in this engine. The recreation is commendable but it could have been done way better. That being said, the series staples like Tyrion and Cercei look fantastic and TellTale has done a great job capturing the likeness the likeness of Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey, who have also offered their voice to the characters.

Iron From Ice may not be the strongest first outing in TellTale’s arsenal but it sets up what’s looking to be a great story of political intrigue. It gives us a viewpoint that the books and show rarely went into detail about and gives us an unique glimpse into George R.R. Martin’s world.

Review Note: A Steam copy of the game was provided by the publisher for the sake of this review

The post Review: Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice appeared first on Video Game Writers.