VideoGame 3/5, Worth a try, but not TG's best
(review only contains game spoilers, not novel/show spoilers)
For the uninitiated, Telltale's Game of Thrones is an episodic game that can best be described as a mix between a classic point & click adventure and a visual novel. It's a unique concept that has worked out very well for them in the past.
The game hits the nail on the head with regards to style and theme. Aside from getting the voice actors for some of the show regulars, the game earns major points by intertwining its narrative with that of the show and books, while still staying true to canon. The easy way out would've been to simply let it take place somewhere far removed from any of the original canon and characters.
Telltale games are almost entirely about choice and consequence. In fact, this one might offer some of their best choices yet - ones that will leave you pondering and calculating on how best to balance your honor, image, morals, wants and needs.
But - and here comes the elephant in the room - Telltale also has a reputation for invalidating these choices, usually by letting branching plotlines simply converge at the end of the episode. For example, failing to secure the aid of House Glenmore leads to them helping you out anyway later on. Not stabbing Damien in the back while he's drowning coal boy Tom results in ... Tom somehow overpowering the adult Damien and killing him himself. Consequences like these feel fake and stick out like a sore thumb, especially in a setting this grim.
Another mark against it is its Left Hanging Downer Ending, that makes it clear there's more to come. It also means you've only seen half of its story, hoping that the next season will bring some sort of bittersweet closure. This is strange, because The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us proved that TG can tell a story arc just fine while still setting the stage for a larger narrative.
That said, the story itself is still very interesting and there are a couple of genuinely great moments such as Ethan meeting Ramsay and both of the Whitehill and Forrester peace talks. If you've played a Telltale game before and liked what you saw, or are just way into Game of Thrones, this one is definitely worth a try.
VideoGame Season 1 - Okay
The game has its fair share of flaws:
-Too much black and white morality. One of the main appeals of the franchise is the lack of conventional heroes and villains and the fact that every character has complex goals and morals, but the main conflict of the game is between the good and noble Forresters, and the envious Whitehills, who are (with the exception of Gwyn) an entire household of petty, cruel, gloating cowards who use unsustainable logging methods. And for some reason, the game consistently tries to make you feel sympathy for them despite their complete lack of redeeming features.
-As always with with Telltale games, it feels like your choices don't matter and you get the same result no matter what you do, not a very good feature in a choice-based game.
-Too many of the characters are obvious expies of characters from the main series.
-There's too much interaction with characters from the show. With all the time spent with Ramsay, Cersei, Jon, and Daenerys, it feels like they spend every waking off-screen hour talking to Forresters.
The main appeal of the game is that it keeps you wondering what will happen next, especially after episode six, which dropped several major plot twists and interesting revelations. While I can't get emotionally invested in the plot or characters, I'm damned to find out what'll happen and I'm looking forward to season two.
VideoGame The Ending DOES Change Everything
(review contains SPOILERS)
Imagine if you went to restaurant and everything you ordered was perfect. The appetizers, entrée, the desert—the waiters even refilled your drinks for free. Then as soon as you get to your car, and you're about to drive home, someone bashes you in the head with a pipe, squats over your face, and takes a shit in your mouth while you're on the ground barely conscious.
That's essentially how I felt after playing this. This game was doing so well. They put effort into making it feel like you're really in a GoT world. Ironrath, The Wall, and especially King's Landing, which was my favorite subplot of the game. All the characters were wonderful and fully fleshed out—even Ethan, who I wished wasn't killed so early on in the game. Even Ramsay, whom I cannot stand in the show, was somewhat more likable in the game (in a Love to Hate kinda way). I will admit that some of the character models are...off. And the game has glaringly obvious glitches in it, especially in Episode 5 and 6. But I put up with it, because I loved the story, characters, and setting so much.
Then the ending happened.
And now I don't care about Season 2.
Everything that happened in this game before the ending, I was fine with. I was okay with Ethan dying. I was fine with Dany getting pissed at me for letting Beshka kill that slaver. I applauded Telltale for allowing me to pick between Asher or Rodrik, a crushing choice that at the time, felt like it could drastically alter the plot. Even Episode 6 had quite a few moments that had me in tears. And that's a good thing, because it showed that I care.
But then the last fifteen minutes happened. And the moment I saw Lady Forrester get impaled by Harys, followed by the gate falling, I didn't cry, or scream, or get angry. I just stared at the game with a dull expression and stopped caring. Because at that precise moment, my brain finally turned on, and I told myself:
"Let me guess: this is inevitable. None of my choices mattered. At all."
And I looked up several different endings on YouTube: the ending's the same, with a couple things changed here and there. This wouldn't be such an issue if the game didn't give you several decisions that, in hindsight, could have and should have changed the plot. This isn't a game where it's merely you picking who lives and who dies. What you say or do can and will change the outcome of certain situations and have long-lasting effects.
Or so I thought.
This isn't a horrible game. It's a great game, with a horrible ending. Usually I try to look back at all the good things that occurred in the game and overlook the ending; I did it with Mass Effect 3 and the anime Akame ga Kiru!. But I just couldn't do it with this game. I want to recommend this game. I want to look back at that delicious dinner I ate. But I can't. All I remember is that guy who took a shit in my mouth.