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'Game of Thrones': 'Dragon Age' in Westeros

Second Chances #24

By Adam WallacePublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Hello, and welcome back to Second Chances where the Iron Throne is reserved for the maligned and forgotten.

Unlike just about every geek on the planet, I had not gotten around to watching Game of Thrones yet. What can I say? I don't have HBO, and there are a bunch of other shows I'm getting up to speed on via DVD and Netflix before I sit down and see all the trouble House Lannister can get into. However, I am a devout gamer, and when I saw that a full-fledged RPG was made in the official universe, I was immediately interested.

Unlike the show, which was showered with accolades (until the final season, anyway), the 2012 RPG put out by Atlus for the PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3 got hammered by the critics, and bombed on the sales charts. However, I got a copy dirt-cheap just to see for myself, and I actually enjoyed it. Does it have problems? Yes. Does it deserve to be beheaded right next to Sean Bean? Not at all.

Even the harshest reviews of the game praised the story, and I definitely see why. The story is broken into sixteen chapters that jump back and forth between two lead characters whose tales cross paths several times. Mors Westford is one of the best Rangers in the Night's Watch who starts out hunting deserters, but gets tasked with protecting a young girl. Alester Sarwyck is a R'hllor priest, and heir to a noble house under the threat of being usurped by a power-hungry bastard (a literal bastard). As I understand it, the events take place during season one of the show, and the game is very good at providing lore for those new to the universe. Even without previous knowledge of George R. R. Martin's mythos, I was still able to follow the story just fine. It's a far more complex plot than most RPGs I've played, which tend to be rather simplistic on a base level. There are even multiple endings, all of which fit the bleak tone of the universe. This game's story reminded me of The Witcher 2, and that's a VERY good thing.

The biggest complaints fell into two categories. The first was that the aesthetics were rather poor. If I look really close, I can see the issues. The visuals are pretty basic with simple textures, and more than a few cheats like the 2D greenery in King's Landing. It looks like a game made at the beginning of the seventh generation, rather than close to the end. However, it still works for me. The world still feels real. The characters aren't models, but I'm not expecting a grizzled old warrior to look like Zac Effron. The music also works to build the atmosphere, and the voice acting is mostly okay with only a few over-the-top performances. It may not look triple-A, but the developers at Cyanide built its world just fine.

The other complaint is with the gameplay, and here's where I really have to contradict most of the reviews out there. People complained about the game not being open-world like any of the Elder Scrolls games. Its focus is on its story. Its locations are built to serve the story. While there is a little wiggle room to explore King's Landing and Castle Black to look for lore and sidequests, an open-world design would've ruined the game. None of the Dragon Age games are open-world, and they didn't get heat for it. I rest my case.

There were also complaints about the combat, and I don't see why. The combat follows the style of previous Bioware RPGs like Dragon Age and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Yes, it depends on turns and invisible die rolls as opposed to just swinging a sword or siccing a guard dog. Once again, people weren't complaining when those things were in those games I mentioned, or even in MMOs like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XI. I say the battle mechanics work fine aside from some issues with the targeting. I can see some issues with the fact that time only slows down when you enter the combat menu as opposed to stopping, but it didn't bother me any. I also like the character development. Both protagonists have unique skill trees filled with abilities that are actually USEFUL. I always hated how too many RPGs pad the character sheets with things that are worthless that nonetheless must be grabbed to get the skills and power-ups I actually want. This one isn't like that.

The Game of Thrones RPG was much better than reviews led me to believe, and I'm glad I played it. It has one of the strongest stories in recent years, it plays well for those into classic Bioware-style RPGs, and it was a great introduction to the universe for me. You can probably find it dirt-cheap at any game store, or on eBay. Give it a chance if you're not ready to leave Westeros just yet.

What do you think? Repulsed that I played this without watching the show first? Let me know, and game on!

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About the Creator

Adam Wallace

I put up pieces here when I can, mainly about games and movies. I'm also writing movies, writing a children's book & hosting the gaming channel "Cool Media" on YouTube! Enjoy & find me on Twitter!

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