If you weren't sure Telltale could deliver a true Game of Thrones experience, the gut-punch that served as the cliffhanger for the game's first episode surely got your attention.
But just as in George R.R. Martin's fantasy saga on which the hit HBO show is based, it can't always be shocking revelations and horrible, horrible surprises. Dealing with the fallout of such monumental events, and doing it well, is just as important.
That, in a nutshell, sums up the second episode of Telltale's Game of Thrones, "The Lost Lords." House Forrester, bannermen to House Stark and the exclusive owner of the rare resource called ironwood, is reeling from the events of episode one. They are scattered, battered and broken. It is in episode two where players begin to pick up the pieces.
One of those pieces is exiled firstborn son Asher Forrester. Exiled for falling in love with the daughter of longtime House Forrester rival, House Whitehill, Asher is now a sellsword across the sea in Yunkai. Watchers and readers of Game of Thrones will already be familiar with the setting, and players will find Asher shortly after Daenarys Targaryen liberates the cities slave masters.
His inclusion adds a much needed morally "grey" character to the point of view roster outside of the family proper. No longer in control of a loyal squire or a proper Lord or Lady, players finally have the chance to let loose as a sword-for-hire whose ideas of justice and conflict resolution often come at the edge of his hatchet.
Ahser's segments are quicktime-event heavy, as he and his partner battle with a rival group of sellswords over a bounty, only to be found by his uncle, who has traveled from Westeros to bring Asher home in House Forrester's time of need. The battle that kicks off the episode, brutal and bloody, does a great job of establishing just why House Forrester could use a dangerous sellsword, or an army of them, at their side.
And House Forrester is definitely going to need them. The Whitehills continue to exert their influence with the Boltons in order to increase their standing, leaving those loyal to House Forrester desperate and looking for options. We see numerous plans set into motion during episode two, though what will become of some of those plans will be dealt with in later episodes.
Gared Tuttle, the House Forrester squire sent to the Wall for his crimes, is also an important part of that plan. His part in episode two is mostly to serve as an introduction to the Night's Watch. Tuttle is a fresh recruit and must prove himself if he is to have any chance of becoming a ranger and fulfilling his duty to House Forrester.
His chapters in this episode are definitely the weakest link in the bunch. While necessary, the training sessions Gared must go through, and the interpersonal drama between brothers, all feels like it's been done before, namely by Jon Snow. Speaking of Jon Snow, he's here too. Snow and Tuttle share a well-executed, if ultimately pointless, conversation where the two northerners lament the North's defeat at the hands of the Freys and how they were both ultimately powerless to protect the ones they loved. Gared is in about the same place at the end of episode two as he was at the start, so it will be interesting to see how he develops over the course of the game. Let's hope episode three begins to push his story along further.
Mira Forrester, handmaiden to Queen Margaery Tyrell in Kings Landing, returns as a point of view character in this episode as well. Her purpose is much the same here as in last episode, with her family pressuring her to win Margaery's favor and help ensure the survival of House Forrester. That is easier said than done, however, and Mira is quickly swept up in the intrigues of the capitol as she continues to deal with fan favorite Tyrion Lannister.
"The Lost Lords" major surprise comes early on in the episode with the introduction of an additional point of view character. I won't spoil it here, but their inclusion is a rare "happy" surprise that ensures Game of Thrones fans never quite lose the hope that justice will prevail in the end. Even if that hope is probably a total lie.
Longtime Telltale fans will likely notice that aside from making conversation choices, there isn't a whole lot to do so far in Game of Thrones. In titles like Walking Dead, players would often explore environments, have optional conversations with others characters and pick up an assortment of items that would later be used to solve different problems. Game of Thrones is, for the most part, required conversations with a few quicktime events thrown in during action segments. It isn't a negative per say, but players looking for a little more interaction with the game world will find Game of Thrones, as of episode two, lacking.
At least every conversation is engaging and confidently voice acted. You can feel the tension in the room between characters as conversations take a turn for the worse, making it near impossible not to feel like you've made every wrong choice possible. There is of course no "real" wrong choice. Players can't venture too far from the game's predetermined path, but how players get there will be different according to the decisions they've made along the way.
Telltale continues to prove its Game of Thrones tale is worthy of the name. Episode two puts the pieces of House Forrester's grand game into motion and gives each character, and the player, a chance to catch their breath. No doubt we will all need it when the storm of swords arrives later on.
STORY:
★★★★☆
DESIGN:
★★★★☆
GAMEPLAY:
★★★☆☆
PRESENTATION:
★★★★☆
OVERALL:
★★★★☆
