It’s been a long road getting to this point, but we’ve arrived at the season finale of Telltale Games’ Game of Thrones. I should heavily emphasize that this is a ‘season finale’ because the saga of House Forrester doesn’t conclude here. Though for the post part this chapter was one of the strongest entries in this series, the fact that each of the separate stories end on cliffhangers also makes it the most anti-climactic, if not disappointing.
I’m going to forgo the usual format of these Game of Thrones reviews to give an overarching view of the season with an emphasis on this particular chapter. Minor spoilers follow, as always.
Choice, or the illusion of choice, is at the core of a Telltale Games series and I was pleased that so many of my choices, even from as far back as Chapter One, had an effect on the season finale. Mira Forrester’s actions in particular came back to haunt her the most out of any character. The ramifications of her deeds have led to the death of innocents and could prove to weaken the position of her house. Though the other characters in this series also had to deal with the consequences of their past deeds, Mira brought most of her current woes onto herself instead of it being an outside force.
Since Chapter One, the game has teased us with a location Beyond the Wall called “The North Grove.” Garrett Tuttle, squire of the late Gregor Forrester, finally arrives at this enigmatic place and it wasn’t what I was expecting. Much like the books and TV show, this series has shown magic or fantastical elements in small doses but lifts its restraints for the season finale in this section of the game.
Each subsequent chapter has delivered more and more action and the finale is easily the most action filled entry. In the past, you were tasked with fighting one or two enemies at the most. But now you have to fight off small armies with Gared and whichever Forrester heir that survived the end of Chapter Five. Though the commands are simple, they do provide satisfaction when pulled off successfully. Although I will admit that failing to press commands on the analog stick or missing button presses doesn’t impact you negatively. Things ultimately play out on a set course.
The water color-esque art style of the series is fully realized in the sections that take place Beyond the Wall. They do a great job of invoking an appropriately eerie and mysterious vibe which makes you feel as if you’ve entered an entirely different world. Despite it being a snow covered forest, the colors from the aurora borealis and the magical flames keep things from being monotone and actually give the isolated forest a sense of beauty.
Scenes taking place inside of man-made structures aren’t as impressive, however, as they mostly appear dull and colorless. While villages, castles, and banquet halls are better rendered in this chapter than they were before, they still fail to impress visually.
While this entry was strong for the first two-thirds of the way, the fact that none of the major plotlines were resolved left me feeling underwhelmed. Perhaps it was my fault for believing this was going to be a one season series, but it still would have been nice to have gotten some kind of resolution. Even the TV series, which is known for having massive cliffhangers, always leaves you feeling thoroughly satisfied when all is said and done. This is something I can’t say about the Game of Thrones video game series.
Despite my disappointment with how things were left unresolved, I was ultimately pleased with Telltales’ Game of Thrones overall. I had my doubts before playing this series and feared that the company’s usual art-style wouldn’t mesh well with the world of Game of Thrones. But I’m glad to say that I was wrong. Though a different medium than books and Television, this video game is authentically Game of Thrones. I look forward to seeing what season two of this series will bring to the franchise.
This review is based on a digital copy of Game of Thrones: Episode Six – The Ice Dragon for the PlayStation 4 which was provided by Telltale Games.
