Game of Thrones: Episode One - Iron From Ice Reviews
For an introductory chapter, it sets up Telltale's take on the Game of Thrones universe very well.
This first episode is a bit dense, particularly for newcomers, but the attention to detail is meticulous and appreciated. Telltale's Game of Thrones manages to capture all the heart-racing moments and sweaty-palmed intensity fans have come to love. This episode sets up a sprawling adventure on the outskirts of the Westeros we know, and need more of immediately.
The first episode of the game series is a finely crafted adventure game adaptation — it's a good blade with a few imperfections, but with some polish and sharpening, it will be keen as a blade in the night.
Telltale's video game version of Game of Thrones gets off to a good start, though it's more dialogue-focused than ever and the reliance on quick-time-events is beginning to wear thin. If you're a fan of the books and TV series then you'll be happy with Telltale's faithful approach to the fiction, and this first episode sets up some interesting situations for future chapters to exploit. It's far too early for a definitive verdict, but we like what we see and we're keen to see more.
Iron From Ice, the first chapter in Telltale Games's Game of Thrones series, lays down a great foundation. The presentation suffers from weak visuals, but the story scenarios, intense rhetorical dueling, and dynamic protagonist perspectives recreate a world rich with intrigue and drama.
By the end of Iron from Ice, Telltale proves they are worthy of telling a tale in Westeros. It makes sense to me now that Telltale wanted six episodes for Game of Thrones – the amount of time they need to explain why they are here demands it, and it will give the rest of the season room to breathe.
What this first episode sets up though, holds tremendous potential for the season ahead. And while banking on potential can be dangerous for an episodic game, if Telltale can maintain the precedent it's setting here for narrative risks and twists then the payoff will be all the better for it in the end.
The first episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones series isn't exactly groundbreaking but it successfully draws you in to learn what happens next to the Forresters. The art style and the vocal talents are superb and the new characters feel ripped from Martin's pages, for better or worse.
Iron From Ice could have been The Walking Dead in a Westeros winter coat, yet it is a fresh and faithful addition to the Game of Thrones universe. The story, is of course, as well written and compelling as we've come to expect of Telltale, but it's the frantic decision-making that makes this latest series another hit in the making.
A well-paced, well-observed and suitably vicious opening episode, showing that Telltale's latest series is up to the task of matching the theme and tone of the Game of Thrones source material.
Game of Thrones: Episode 1 - Iron from Ice is certainly not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but it hits nowhere near as hard as it maybe should have. Bits and pieces show promise for future episodes – particularly the conclusion – but all of the pieces are not yet in place. With more playable characters and an extra episode in this season, there's definitely potential here – it's just not been realised so far.
Experienced Telltale fans and achievement hunters probably know exactly what to expect here; an easy completion. All of the achievements are automatically unlocked through natural progression, so players can sit back, "relax", and "enjoy" the story. And what a story it is. While my ending left my jaw on the floor and a burning desire to "set things right", it held me captivated for just over two hours.
Despite graphical hiccups and some decisions that don't affect the end result, the series premiere of Telltale's 'Game of Thrones' is worth the journey.
Iron From Ice is a strong start to the series, which some promising narrative setups, a believable atmosphere, and one particularly shocking moment that made my jaw drop.
The game channels the TV show – complete with a surrogate Stark family – but does it hew too close to carve out its own identity?
All told though, no previous Telltale game has made me feel this tense and this wary. It's dangerous. Its pacing is nothing at all like the show's, but its ever-looming dread very much is. I only hope the rest of the series similarly refuses to pull punches.
Give me more. Let me undo what I have done. Telltale, I need to see what happens next, and I need to make sure that I can fix it.
Despite the high standard of the property and developer, Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series Episode 1 - Iron From Ice manages to hold up to nearly every expectation and delivers a gaming experience on par with the HBO show.
Fans of the TV show can breath a sigh of relief as, even with graphical hiccups, the foundation for an engrossing story is there.