Either you win, or you start a new save file…
Just this past week, I had the distinguished pleasure of taking time away from Destiny and Dragon Age in order to delve into the world of Westeros where as most people with a pulse are aware, is the home of HBO’s award winning drama, Game of Thrones.
Telltale Games, the studio that brought us the episodic masterpiece that is Walking Dead, the equally good if not as buzz worthy A Wolf Among Us, and the accepted eclectic open world of Borderlands, joined forces with GoT mastermind George RR Martin to finally deliver a satisfying gaming experience for those of us that are both gamers, and fans of the franchise.
Episode 1 (of 6), serves as an introduction to the characters living in this canonical world that will run in conjunction with events from the show. The story centers around House Forrester, a smaller, honorable house in the North with strong ties to the Stark Family. The game actually starts the player off in the boots of a Forrester Squire at The Red Wedding– anyone who has watched the show or even those that haven’t pretty much know by now that when “Rains of Castamere” begins to play, it’s not such a good day for anyone loyal to the noble House Stark of Winterfell.
At this point I feel I’ve given away too much as it is, so I will cease any and all spoilers, and simply say that the rest of this episode deals with the fallout from the Red Wedding‘s treachery. There are other playable characters involved, three to be exact, and each one will have a different approach to the type of story being told, being action, diplomacy, or other subtle machinations of King’s Landing.
The game, just as with The Walking Dead, adjusts itself based on player choice, encouraging several different playthroughs in order to see how different choices impact the story. Expect to see many familiar faces and hear recognizable voices (it’s arguable that Peter Dinklage performs far better here than with Destiny), and prepare for up to this point, the quintessential choice for the fans of Game of Thrones wanting to expand the universe in the video game medium.
