Game of Thrones: Episode Three - The Sword in the Darkness Reviews
Early excitement and newfound purpose puts Telltale's Game of Thrones back on track in Episode 3.
House Forrester is bloodied further in this episode, and Gared's story makes a fun turn into unexplored Game of Thrones territory
This episode did a great job of quickening the pace of the story while offering the player the sort of hard choices that make Telltale games such terrible fun to play.
Telltale's journey through Westeros has hit a high point.
The Sword in the Darkness stays the course for Telltale's Game of Thrones series, though it still feels like the story is waiting around for something to finally happen
But as a whole, the group finally has direction. Where the first two episodes took their time setting up the narrative machine, The Sword in the Darkness finally puts that machine into motion. Telltale's initial promise that each character's actions will ripple out and affect the others is coming to fruition. I only expect to see that even more with the next episode.
Telltale's take on Game of Thrones feels quite low-key compared to some of the goings on in the main series, but this episode begins to move away from that being a problem and starts using it to its advantage, as it shows you different sides of familiar situations. There's still a lot of filler to get through, though, and it's very dialogue heavy with little to offer in terms of unique gameplay. Hopefully, now that we're getting past the halfway point, the next episode will be much more enjoyable.
Game of Thrones Episode 3 is certainly the most consistent entry in the series, with great action and storytelling throughout. The issues from Episode 2 still crop up though, and more concrete progress is needed to truly satisfy.
At the middle point, Game of Thrones is losing its momentum and, except for Gared and elements of Rodrik's story, hasn't shown enough progression to get people excited for what's to come.
This is probably the weakest episode yet, but only because of those very minor problems in the first section of the game. Don't take that as some kind of damning criticism because this is still a very good experience.
Gared's story culminates in a wonderful sequence that, again, I cannot detail without ruining things, but rest assured this is one of the finer climaxes Telltale's done. A stylishly paced scene of conflict that should definitely satisfy some need for justice – and lord knows this story could use some justice now and then.
The put-upon Forrester family keeps getting pushed, and in Episode Three you can decide whether a couple of them finally stand firm
Game of Thrones delivers intrigue like no other game can, and the third episode will leave players yearning to find out if their choices were the right ones to make – and that's how you know Telltale Games has done a phenomenal job.
If "Episode 2" felt like "a letdown" that was setting up the next episode, "Episode 3" feels like a rush of despair and anger (in a good way) that makes the desire for retribution and justice all the more burning. Fans of the franchise know that such satisfaction is rare (and possibly non-existent), but it doesn't make the yearning for it any less fun.
Now that we've made it to the halfway point of Telltale's Game of Thrones series, it's really looking like it's going to continue improving as the season wears on. Through three episodes, the developer has shown that it's more than up to the task of delivering a story worth residing in George R.R. Martin's world, and this latest episode is a shining example of where things could be heading moving forwards.
The series is back on track with The Sword in the Darkness, which will make the wait for episode four all the more agonising/frustrating.
An episode where plenty goes on, but neither story nor characters are actually advanced a great deal. The Ironrath Forresters are still miserable hostages, Asher still needs an army, and Gared is still doing Nights Watch duties. A few revelations, plus Mira's dynamism, keep things from going stale.
We're now officially halfway through Telltale's trip through Westeros, and the twists and turns show no signs of stopping.
In short, I need a chill pill right about now. On the plus side, it looks like I finally made it to the fourth state of grief — anger — after wallowing in sadness through the first couple of chapters. As I mentioned in my reviews of "Episode 1: Iron From Ice" and "Episode 2: The Lost Lords," Telltale's interpretation of Game of Thrones continues to elicit a strong emotional response with its writing. Even the quick-time combat, which I normally don't like, felt good this time because I was able to relieve some stress by implementing my martial plan on some dudes. Will it bite me in the behind at some point? Who knows? One issue I have with the series so far is that choice feels more like an illusion sometimes. The drama continues to deliver, though, making Episode 3 a solid point-and-click adventure.
Despite the lack of choices, Game of Thrones: Episode 3 is probably the best episode of the bunch. It gives its main characters more purpose, tightens the overarching plot, and moves at a much faster pace than the last two episodes. Thanks to many truly impassioned moments, Episode 3 will leave you full of anxiety and wanting to jump right into the next episode. If you have enjoyed the first two episodes, you should definitely pick up Game of Thrones: Episode 3 – The Sword in the Darkness.