A "A Game of Thrones" RPG.

[Werthead]

A few hours in. It's actually surprisingly decent, although my positive impression may be down to going in with low expectations based on early criticisms. Many of the criticisms are still valid: the graphics are mediocre and the animations poor, with dull voice acting and indifferent writing/dialogue (which may be more of a translation issue than a writing one, but it's hard to tell). However, the actual story and its structure is surprisingly well-done. There's plenty of moral conundrums and you can dictate, within limits, how much of a good guy/bastard the two characters are, with far-reaching consequences.

There is an overreliance on combat. You can talk your way out of a lot of situations, but usually only through lying, which may not feel appropriate for either character depending on how you are RPing them. The dog mechanic, allowing you to trace scents and tear out people's throats, works surprisingly well. Regular combat is okay (much better than The Witcher's, for example, but not a patch on most other RPGs) but it seems to vary from punishingly difficult to ludicrously easy almost at random.

A big problem is that the game has blatantly tried to shoehorn in the visual aspect of the TV show at a very late stage, which doesn't really work. So we have James Cosmo's Jeor Mormont hanging out in a vast, cavernous Castle Black which looks nothing like the TV version, which is just distracting in its oddness.

[Cirdan]

A big problem is that the game has blatantly tried to shoehorn in the visual aspect of the TV show at a very late stage, which doesn't really work. So we have James Cosmo's Jeor Mormont hanging out in a vast, cavernous Castle Black which looks nothing like the TV version, which is just distracting in its oddness.

This. I've not mentioned that aspect in my review but I have the same impression while playing the game. Must say that the game Cersei is a lot more faithfull to the books than her HBO counterpart. Actually, it's odd since her model is clearly based on Lena Headey.

[_Oberyn_]

So I finished the game. First of all, GoT RPG is way better than the RTS. I actually enjoyed it. More or less, it was worth the 40 € it costed me on Steam. Here's my review:

- Presentation: In the presentation department (music, animation, cutscene, graphics, art, voice acting) the game is mediocre, not to say actually bad. Considering that it's a strongly cinematic RPG, that's a big issue. Cyanide should have done a lot more with the Unreal3 Engine.

- Combat Gameplay: basically, it's a turn based version of Dragon Age Origins, with a lot less customization option. It's not THAT bad and Cyanide could expand upon it. But at the end it's boring (you will find yourself repeating the same OP combo over and over again considering the composition of the "party"). Imho, there's too filler combat and too much loot for a game settled in Westeros. It should have been less of a grind and the inventory system should have been more realistic and less d&d-esque. Most importantly, considering that the game would like to present itself in a cinematic way, the combat feels too clunky at times. Honestly, a straight action combat gameplay would have fit the game better.

- Story Gameplay: GoT is the classical storydriven RPGs done in Bioware's style. In that sense, the game do not want you to live a vicarious experience in the likes of TES. You do not play your charachter. You are more the director of the story (just like many classic JRPGs). I love both style for different reasons and I must say that Cyanide has done quite well in the framework they choose to use (wich is better off course for a franchise game like GoT). Again, I would have invested more on the diplomacy/mistery/roleplaying element and less on the combat grindfeast: there should have been more way to interact with the world and it's quite sad that in a gaming adaptation of Martin's work, your charachters has not even a single non-combat skill.

- Storyline & adaptation: Imho, the adaptation could have been a lot more faithfull. There's too much magic, the main antagonist is the perfect esemplification of the black/white stereotype that Martin has refused in his books and the story so strictly related to the events of AGoT feels a little bit akward and unbelievable (I mean, a secret Targ? LOL). Moreover, sometime the game feels like it's trying too hard to feel dark & edgy at the expense of suspension of disbilief (I mean, it's even darker than the books in many ways). But adaptation aside, the story taken in itself is quite good. One of the best stories I've played in fantasy RPGs. Really well creafted and with good twists and surprises.

So, maybe my review will seem negative and honestly I see all the problems of the GoT RPG. But still, I had fun with it and I do not regret the time I've spent playing it. I would not replay it but overall I was expecting a lot worst.

You are reviewing the game like its Mass Effect 4. Sure is not woth 40€ but still you go into this this TV->game ports expecting the worst and this is not bad at all. And as far as black and white characters go is what decisions you make that determine most of their actions.

[Cirdan]

Are reviewing the game like its Mass Effect 4.

Sorry, I don't understand.

Sure is not woth 40€ but still you go into this this TV->game ports expecting the worst and this is not bad at all.

Imho, at the end it's worth 35/40 €. I payed the RTS 50 € and it was an insult.

For example DA2 costed me 50 € and it's a lot worse than GoT. I enjoyed ME3 as a whole but it costed me 60 € with the Arrival DLC.

And as far as black and white characters go is what decisions you make that determine most of their actions.

I don't know all the branching in the story. But I'm just talking about Valarr: He is quite the caricature as antagonists go... the cruel, evil and all power hungry necromancer who is allied to Cersei? C'mon, they could have make him more human and real. Btw, I liked a lot more Lord Harlton.

[_Oberyn_]

Sorry, I don't understand.

You are....*

I don't know all the branching in the story. But I'm just talking about Valarr: He is quite the caricature as antagonists go... the cruel, evil and all power hungry necromancer who is allied to Cersei? C'mon, they could have make him more human and real. Btw, I liked a lot more Lord Harlton.

Did not think of that, in 99% if games the bad guy is a caricature so it did not register for me. But yes you are right they should have done something different with Valarr.

[Cirdan]

You are....*

Oh, thanks. Now I get it. Yes I'm taking the game seriously. Because I think that it has great untapped potential and I can see the love for the books beyond the pixels :).

[Werthead]

You are reviewing the game like its Mass Effect 4. Sure is not woth 40€ but still you go into this this TV->game ports expecting the worst and this is not bad at all. And as far as black and white characters go is what decisions you make that determine most of their actions.

It's not strictly a quickie adaptation of the TV series though. It was in production for three years and in the planning for two years before that, based on the books long before the TV show started. I think given the length of time it was in production (twice the time Mass Effect 3 was, for example), expecting something better than what we got is reasonable.

[_Oberyn_]

Its sickening how an IP with so much potential gets given to the worst developers. The mmo gone to Bigpoint is just pure heresy, while some time ago even Bioware seemed intrested.

[Krypt]

Its sickening how an IP with so much potential gets given to the worst developers. The mmo gone to Bigpoint is just pure heresy, while some time ago even Bioware seemed intrested.

yeah looks like crap.

link to gameplay. looks terrible

http://www.viddler.c...secret=42351286