Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series – Episode 6: The Ice Dragon Review

Telltale close out their first season of Game of Thrones with a ballsy finale that asks more questions than it ultimately answers.

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Not an end, but a beginning:

Make no mistake, Telltale’s Game of Thrones finale is by no means an ending. Considering the large amount of work this episode had to do to wrap up all the story threads the season had set up I was reluctant to believe it was going to attempt it – and I was relieved to find my hunch was right. The sixth and final episode of what we now know is only the first season of Game of Thrones sets up one hell of a follow up, and it’s gleefully ruthless in doing so.

Story:

[Spoilers for episodes 1 – 5 follow]

As enemies close in all around the Forresters, things quickly become appropriately serious during The Ice Dragon. Depending on your final choice in episode 5 you’ll be leading one of two brothers against the altogether-too-evil Whitehill family, and this stark difference is a great beginning to an ending that pleasantly surprised me. Watching a lot of the disparate parties that have been traveling throughout the series finally reach one another lead to some great moments and fun interactions between unlikely alliances, delivering that underlying unease Game of Thrones’ always implements so well.

In fact, the Ice Dragon plays with a lot of Game of Thrones’ fanservice throughout, often feeling like a Greatest Hits tour of the TV show. Several moments don’t just nod at their television counterparts with a wry wink and a nudge, but stick you with the pointy end until you’re fully aware what Telltale is imitating. Luckily both the show and the game are good enough in their own right, but the Ice Dragon doesn’t feel as unique after you see so many poignant moments aped.

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Mira, a character who has enjoyed relative detachment from the bloody proceedings back home, continues to be the reigning badass in King’s Landing. Strangely, her storyline hadn’t felt like it had been building towards a natural conclusion, so when the Ice Dragon forces things to a head prematurely her sections suffer. This rush hurts the season by giving Mira serious issues to contend with before she or the player is ready to deal with them. Indeed, her narrative quickly becomes the most dicey, but it doesn’t feel like it’s earned it. I loved navigating Mira through the episode, however, thanks to some excellent dialogue options and a phenomenal end, but its presence still feels forced.

Gameplay:

During the episode there are a couple of battles that make the most out of Telltale’s limited QTE system. These interactions are terse and dangerous, and are particularly unforgiving when it comes to a missed cue. At this stage in the season the game knows it can be reckless with its cast and their general health which lends an intensity to every battle that the series hasn’t enjoyed before. These encounters were some of my favourite from any Telltale game, and I’m eager to go back through the episode and, hopefully, avoid a couple of wounds and losses.

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At times the Ice Dragon still feels confined, lacking the final-episode freedom so many other Telltale series make liberal use of. With a second season already announced I can see why this might be the case, with Telltale potentially covering their own future workload of reigning a myriad of wildly different endings in, and at times the Ice Dragon feels like a sacrifice towards this goal. Some players are going to be disappointed with the ultimate lack of conclusion, with a lot of interesting story threads left up in the air, but big-picture players will love what Telltale have set up here. We now have a series, rather than a season, and should it be played right it could rival HBO’s own in importance and longevity.

Whilst a lot of Game of Thrones ends on juicy cliffhangers, particular choices and outcomes finally give you the freedom you may have been craving all season – with some character arcs ending shockingly bleak (at least in my playthrough). This kind of writing is true to Martin’s own, and I was thrilled to see Telltale be so ballsy with a lot of the cast. Watching important players fall so effortlessly makes sure we never rest easy about our favourite characters fates, and emulates Game of Thrones’ similarly brave source material. I’ve always admired this frank and brutal storytelling, and was pleased (and devastated) to see it play out here.

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Presentation:

There’s no getting around it: The Ice Dragon is Game of Thrones’ junkiest episode yet. It locked up momentarily throughout the two hours I spent with it, freezing, pausing and awkwardly loading during its duration. Not only is this a real mood killer, effectively neutering some of the episodes best moments, it’s a painful reminder just how out of date this engine is. It’s unforgiveable now, especially with other adventure games like Life is Strange on the scene and proving there is really no excuse for this poor craftsmanship.

The voice acting and music, however, is a big plus. The cast step up to their most demanding roles yet, with Mira Forrester – my absolute standout favourite character of the series – kicking ass all over King’s Landing with sassy dialogue and even sassier silences. Game of Thrones’ familiar score builds in all the right places, too, and delivers an epic feeling of finality to the series that the writing sometimes fails to do.

 

Conclusion:

Telltale’s Game of Thrones has always played dangerously with fanservice, especially when it comes to recreating themes, visuals, events or even family dynamics from the TV show. With the Ice Dragon, Telltale have created a collage of best-of moments from a load of the show’s different finales, and whilst this can feel like pandering at times, the resulting narrative luckily wins out. Telltale’s Game of Thrones proves to be a fun, important and heartbreaking addition to the Game of Thrones universe, and one that ultimately stands on its own as a phenomenal piece of entertainment. Bring on season 2.

Good

  • Feels very true to Game of Thrones
  • Beginning, rather than an end

Bad

  • Lack of conclusion will irk players expecting closure
  • Horribly janky
8.2

Great

Story - 8.5
Graphics - 7.5
Sound - 8.5
Gameplay - 8
Value - 8.5

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