Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series
PlayStation 3
For my initial review of Game of Thrones, click
Recently I wrapped up playing Doom and I found myself in need of a new video game to play. With the holiday season coming up, I didn’t want to start a new game that I would get distracted from, and as a result would take me forever to beat. I figured this would be a perfect time to replay a game I had already reviewed. Something quick and easy. The game I settled on was Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series for the PS3.
I played this game a few years ago and I had a pretty good time with it. I love Game of Thrones. I have always enjoyed Telltale’s games. A Telltale game set in the universe of Game of Thrones? Sign me up! My previous game ended with Rodrik dying and Mira getting executed in King’s Landing. Grim stuff. I figured I’d make new decisions this time around in order to get a different ending, so that is what I did.
What I like about this game is how authentic it is the Game of Thrones universe. Everything from the graphics, the presentation, the music, the opening credits, and the voice acting feels true to the spirit of the show. I think the more hardcore of a fan you are (not only of the show but the books as well), the more you will appreciate just how authentic this game is. House sigils, character references, tie-ins to the main GoT plot… it is very clear that the makers of this game did their research. Another thing to admire is that this game does not take any liberties with the main GoT plot. You’re not going see events of the series changed in anyway. Like, you aren’t going to see Tyrion Lannister getting naked and smearing peanut butter all over Margaery Tyrell. The events of the game run concurrent to the events of the show, mainly focusing on new or minor characters. You will indeed bump into established GoT characters like Jon Snow, Tyrion, Margaery, and Cersei, but none of your interactions with these characters will bump them off their pre-established canon path.
This game feels very high-stakes, which I think added to my enjoyment of it. House Forrester is literally fighting for its life. You always feel like every decision you make in this game carries a certain amount of weight with it. I would say that I was on the edge of my seat as I played, but that would be a bit of an overstatement. One thing this game has going against it is its very slow and deliberate pace. I guess you could argue that the makers of the game are only following in the showrunners footsteps, but god dang do things move slowly sometimes. I understand that House Forrester is never referenced in the show or the books (albeit one tiny sentence in A Dance with Dragons). The house and the major characters that make up the house have to be introduced. I get it. But there are times when this game moves painfully slowly, and this is an issue I haven’t noticed in other Telltale Games.
While I am bitching, let me also mention that the game is still just as glitchy as it was the first time I played it several years ago. You’d think some kind of patch or update would have been offered by now, but no. Several times throughout the game I would hear the characters talking while nothing happened on the screen. There were a few instances where I thought I was going to have to turn the game off and turn it back on again because the action was freezing on-screen and nothing was happening for long chunks of time. Luckily the game never actually froze completely. If I just let it sit, it would eventually work the bugs out and start working again.
Complaints aside, I had a pretty good time with this game. It tells an original, high stakes story set in the world of Game of Thrones. There is a small amount of fan service with some of the recurring character cameos, but it is nothing too over the top or eye roll inducing. Any fans of the TV series or the books should check this out. If you consider yourself a hardcore fan, then I would say you NEED to check this out. Just don’t expect a solid resolution to the events of the game. Apparently a sequel was in the works, but was cancelled when Telltale went under. Maybe someday we’ll get the solid, canon ending we were hoping for. Just be prepared when you start playing this that you may not get the ending you feel you want or deserve.
Final Score:
B
It got an A- the first time and a B the second time. I guess that means this game averages out to a B+. I feel I overrated the game the first time and I don't think it is worthy of the plus, but I guess it will just have to do.
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