Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice review- GamersFTW

[CosaNostra]

I feel like I should admit I’m the opposite of what you would call a Game of Thrones fan: I have never watched a single episode of the show or read any of the books. Nevertheless, Telltale Games ‘foray into the field of George R.R Martin´s fantasy epic left me very pleased. That is not to say this episode doesn´t pack fan service, but newcomers, although slightly puzzled at first, should come to piece everything together by the time the credits roll.

Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice

The first episode places you in the shoes of three characters belonging to the Forrester family, as they try to prepare for an imminent threat by forming alliances, discussing war terms and simply trying to survive. The action shifts back and forth between these protagonists, while also showcasing some familiar faces here and there, and you’re never left bored by staying with one for too long, as the story cleverly keeps you engaged with them. Then, when you least expect it, a fantastic cliffhanger comes out of nowhere and raises the value a couple notches. Seriously, it’s one you won’t want to miss.

The decisions made this time around don´t feel like they have an immediate repercussion, but will rather affect the story in the chapters to come, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In any case, there are plenty of them with each character which should be enough to keep you going.

Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice

Dialogue, as we’ve come to expect from this studio, plays a vital role in determining what happens around you, but this time it takes a special significance since there aren´t many other tasks to perform. Quick time events and action sequences have been reduced to a minimum to allow character exposition and wordplay to take center stage, which makes this first episode, at least, quite different from other Telltale experiences like The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us. At any rate, it provides a unique experience which will keep you engrossed for the 2 hours it takes to finish.

The game takes a somewhat serious stumble in the graphics department. These games are known for suffering from minor audio and visual glitches which never seriously bring down the experience, but this time around Telltale decided to implement a different art style to suit the visuals of the show and to make it look like it was oil-painted. The result is a muddled experience, with textures lacking definition and the anti-aliasing being all over the floor. Doors look way off and the characters have a weird glow to them, but nothing was ever too seriously ugly so as to detach me from the game, although these issues are indeed noticeable.

As it has always been the case with these types of games, the replay value lies in picking different decisions as it progresses, and in this first episode the potential for different branches of events is promising, as some choices can be radically different from the others.

Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice

In short, Telltale Games’ Game of Thrones (what a tongue-twister!) manages to hit almost all of the right marks to start off a promising series. It has wit, its characters are deeply interesting and the events depicted will surely have serious repercussions. Although it does suffer from visual glitches and the lack of action may throw some people off, what lies underneath is another one of this studio’s great interactive adventures, and I can´t wait to see where they can take it from here.