Game of Thrones: Episode Six - The Ice Dragon Reviews
It's been a full four months since Episode Five ended on a massive decision that left players reeling. Given Telltale's past work on the series, it was hard to imagine that Episode Six would actually do right by that decision and manage to wrap the season up in a remotely satisfying way. Sure enough, huge chunks of Episode Six are just as middling as everything else in the season, and on a technical level, it's even worse. Still, there's bright spots throughout the episode, especially with Mira's storyline, that prove enjoyable enough that players who have made it this far should finish it out.
Although Telltale's "Game of Thrones" series started out on a promising note, the constant barrage of shocking and depressing developments involving its protagonists will test even the most well-adjusted person. The fact that episode six fails to provide a resolution to House Forrester's story and kicks the can down toward a second season also leaves players hanging. Fans who enjoy Game of Thrones' gritty and brutal storytelling might enjoy the ride. For others, however, the unyielding narrative formula eventually gets a bit old.
As a big fan of Telltale's work, and a Game of Thrones aficionado, I found this to be a dismal letdown. I expected better – hell, I at least expected to feel something at the end of this chapter. Instead, I feel nothing. I'm just completely apathetic to the whole thing, and I feel no reason to be excited about a second season because, well… it'll just be more of the same, if past experience is any indicator.
An unsatisfying end to what has been Telltale's weakest game of recent years, with Game Of Thrones proving a poor fit for their usual formula.
The Ice Dragon mistakes shock and surprise for engaging material. Combined with the typical Telltale technical woes, it leaves behind an underwhelming experience.
A disappointing end to a series with promise, Game of Thrones needs likable characters to engage emotion.
In the end, what should have been the next evolution in Telltale's reputation for brilliant writing and meaningful choices has instead shown how outdated the company's engine and storytelling structure has become.
Heavy decisions and fun action, but a poor end to an overall enjoyable season
TellTale's meandering Game of Thrones ends with an episode that is very much like the rest of the series. Just "alright".
We knew this wasn't going to end in happiness for the Forresters - if it had, I'd be crying foul that it didn't feel like Game of Thrones at all. The problem is that sense of inevitability mixes with the lack of resolution for major parts of the plot in an unappealing way. Most of what this uneven season finale has to offer is found in a few strong moments and continued hope for answers to questions in a hypothetical season 2.
Misery loves company. And many companies are loving misery these days. Two of the most famous pieces of media currently, Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, originate in literature, both have adventure game series created by Telltale Games, and both exemplify this line of thinking. They each delight in making their fanbases miserable. In the books (graphic novels) and on the television shows, your favorite families are torn apart and scattered across the world, and your favorite characters are murdered, sometimes seemingly on a whim.
The Ice Dragon feels like a great setup for a sequel, but lacking as a finale. Although it manages to wrap up some storylines, there's not enough closure and certainly not enough cathartic moments. There's plenty of building for the sequel, however, and with the numerous possible endings, it will be interesting to see how Telltale can incorporate them all into a second season. Although there have been flaws throughout, it's evident that Game of Thrones and Telltale are a good fit. Hopefully, the second season won't be as far away as the sixth book...
Damn you Telltale Games and damn you George R. R. Martin because even though this series is quite an emotional ride, you've really made me invested in these characters and when one of them dies, I feel responsible and I guess that's where you succeeded in The Ice Dragon. With a Season 2 already being mentioned by Telltale, let's hope we get some more victories and that our choices have a much more bigger impact on the storyline because I did feel a little let down with the season finale but even so, I still had quite the time!
Game of Thrones: Episode 6 – The Ice Dragon offers an alright ending to a slightly disappointing spin-off overall. We struggled to care about a lot of the deaths here, but the story moves along reasonably well and it sets up what we hope will prove a superior second season. It can't light a candle to some of Telltale's finer work, but it's never been outwardly bad. If that's the best that can be said about a six episode series, though, it's not a resounding endorsement, is it?
Game of Thrones finale has the big, brutal moments you'd expect, but they are diluted by technical issues and a feeling of unfinished business.
As far as season finales go, The Ice Dragon brings no shortage of excitement to the table, but fans looking for confirmation that their choices really mattered will be left disappointed. For the rest of the crowd, there's ample amount of action and plot developments to keep things moving at a staggering pace, and Game of Thrones fans should be left satisfied – though perhaps not ecstatic – with the end result.
Game of Thrones: Episode 6 is a fitting conclusion, but the series as a whole has faltered to the point that many will find it unsatisfying. If you were seeking redemption from this finale you will find a little, but not enough to put this into the usual realm of Telltale excellence.
The Ice Dragon caps off a year of fretting and worrying. Telltale's take on Game of Thrones has been spot-on in that regard. Now that it's over it's almost a relief, even with a bleak end.
Whereas the series suffers from similar narrative choices that the show does, it presents strong and interesting characters with Gared, Rodrik, and Asher in particular. The journey to the mysterious North Grove provided an interesting plot thread similar to the White Walker intrigue, but it is frustrating to get no answers at all for our efforts. It's even more frustrating to see characters like Mira be overlooked as the choices I made and alliances I formed seemed to be irrelevant. Players would like to see some answers to old questions, before being faced with new ones. However, we're stuck waiting for a second season, or a third, or so on if it goes in the style of its inspiration.
Game of Thrones - The Ice Dragon is a good closing chapter for the first season of the video game, managing to deliver some satisfying final moments for the main protagonists and to confound the expectations of players to some extent.