Game of Thrones: Chapter 1

Wow. Just wow. There really isn't a more perfect pairing than Game of Thrones and Telltale. Lots and lots of talking! I haven't really enjoyed other Telltale games (The Walking Dead). In previous games I made the mistake of expecting action. Thankfully, going into this game, I knew to expect 95% dialogue and decision making. For instance, I might have to decide whether to kill a deserter or whether to fight or run. In two hours, I probably made 50 of those decisions. The greatest thing this game does is make each of those decisions seem important. Though I'm sure only a handful have any significant impact, I'm not entirely sure which ones those are so it really does feel like a story entirely shaped by my decisions. Moreover, I felt tons of anxiety over those decisions. I knew if I made the wrong decision I could screw myself over. There was a scenario in which my character had to have a one-on-one conversation with Cersei. I was sweating bullets. Lena Headey fucking nails it.

Anyway, you play as three separate characters, all of whom are part of House Forrester.  Though I've only played through one chapter (they're released about every month or so), there are a total of six. The game flows much like the show in the fact that we jump between characters multiple times. Thankfully, each of these brief periods with the characters has some weight to it. It never feels like time wasted. The game starts at the Red Wedding and it's my understanding that the sixth chapter will end at the end of season five. Though characters from the show appear, this story happens in parallel with the show. All of this stuff will be new to veterans to both the show and the books.

All in all this was a great first chapter. It feels so much like Game of Thrones. But if you decide to play, realize that there isn't much gameplay here. It's all about the story and how your decisions impact it. I'm happy to say that the story is worth your time.