Decline Telltale: Game of Thrones

[Telengard]

I think this is the start of an entirely new genre that doesnt quite have its legs yet.

I disagree. It's refreshing to have some games that aren't mass murder simulators.

Well, happy birthday. Here's a playable one from the old days - yes, playable - and there's a bunch more like it. Then, of course, there's Space Ace and the Dragon's Lair that Jaeson mentioned, from the ancient days.

If they can keep the costs down, Telltale might do better than the two earlier eras of semi-interactive cartoons, which both perished after only a few years in the limelight.

 

[Correct_Carlo]

Played through these all the past few days. I'm a huge SOIAF fan, so I'll stick around just for that, but I generally don't like them much. Cyanide's GOT RPG was great, primarily because it had two of the best characters from any RPG ever at their center. So it felt like the designers wanted to, primarily, tell their stories, while the SOIAF universe stuff was background.

Tell Tale seems to have taken all the wrong lessons from the TV show, though, mainly that the SOIAF universe is all about plot twists, major character deaths, cruelty, and torture. The game doesn't really have a single compelling, original, character. Instead, we just get vague ciphers at the center, with Tell Tale's usual incredibly black or white characters representing extreme view points to give the main character something to pick between.

And, yeah, I don't think I've spotted a single choice that matters for jack shit. Walking Dead Season 1 would at least carry your choices on into the next episode or 2, but nothing much in GOT lasts beyond the episode. I actually decided I was going to reject a character's offer of help in episode 4, and the game let me go down that path for 2 seconds before I was basically hit with 3 options that were more or less different versions of "OK, I'll take your help." It was silly. Another time, when trying to reject a certain avenue, another character immediately spoke up afterwards, rendering my choice entirely moot.

So it kind of diffuses the fun of a game that is ostensibly about political maneuvering when none of your choices make a bit of difference. GOT RPG didn't have much C&C either, but it did have a couple very significant choices that lead to different endings, which was nice.

 

[Correct_Carlo]

New episode was more of the same, but at least ends with what looks to be a massive choice. It's one that could be incredibly expensive if they stick to it, so I wonder if they will stick to it or if they will retcon it as per usual.

Spoiler

You basically have to chose between Asher or Lord Roderick dying. I chose Asher to live, naturally, as he's more interesting. But the death scene wasn't definitive, in that no one was decapitated or burned. So it's always possible (1) the character you leave behind isn't truly dead or (2) the character you leave behind will be revived ala Lady Stoneheart.

I expect the second option, although the games haven't introduced any servants of the Lord of Light yet, so I'm not sure who could possibly revive him. At the same time, they already did option 1 once in the series, so it'd be really cheap of them to pull it a second time.

 

[Venser]

Just finished the last episode 5.

Spoiler

Unfortunately I got the ending spoiled and I knew I'll be able to save either Asher or Roderick. Before I even started the episode I already decided I'll let Roderick live. I like both of them but he is more suited to be a lord and his whole recovery would make a nice arc. However when I finally reached the scene and saw the context, I had to leave Roderick behind since it made more sense in a way I played his character. He would choose to stay. I was looking forward to seeing Asher and Roderick ruling and fighting together so it was pretty disappointing the way it ended. The whole situation was bullshit anyway, archers would kill both of them just like they shot down every soldier that tried to get in under the gates. So even one of them making it out alive requires suspension of disbelief.
I feel stupid for observing the character actions and trying to figure out who was the traitor. They did exactly what I was afraid they're going to do. If you choose Royland for a sentinel, Duncan would betray you and vice versa. In my case the traitor was Royland and his reasoning was he tried to save the house and thought Roderick was too weak. Even tho my Roderic might've been physically weak, he never shown any type of weakness, didn't submit to anybody and always stood up to Gryff. Even Ramsay said something like "so I heard you're the man who cannot be broken." How would betrayal help the house? Makes absolutely no sense.
I liked the part with the fighting pit, headbutting "The Beast" was fun (didn't enjoy the fight tho since I hate QTEs) and talk with Tyrion was slightly amusing.

All in all it's one of the weakest episodes and possibly the shortest. I give it 6/10

 

[twincast]

New episode was more of the same, but at least ends with what looks to be a massive choice. It's one that could be incredibly expensive if they stick to it, so I wonder if they will stick to it or if they will retcon it as per usual.

Eh, it's one more episode; can't cost the world. And I doubt the Foresters will be the protagonists of TT's next season. Not that it matters to me, seeing as it has about as much of a chance of being played by me as any TV show episode from the season five premiere onwards of that abomination of an "adaptation" has of being watched by me. That is to say zero unless forced to by some monster with no taste abducting me.

 

[Rahdulan]

So who do we have to sacrifice a goat to in order to get some news about the final episode? It's been like a month without any news.

 

[twincast]

Telltale never release any news between episodes, do they? There's the respective trailer officially announcing the release date one week before, and that's about it.

 

[Tommy Wiseau]

Tweets.

 

[Venser]

The final episode is out. Wonder how it will go after the huge decision in previous episode but don't have much faith in Telltale. Gonna play through it tonight.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

It was good.

 

[Rahdulan]

They leaned too heavily on ASOIAF racking up the body count for no real reason other than because that's what happens to characters in these books. It was a decent shock at the end of the first episode, but I kinda stopped caring towards the end, possibly because once again it seemed like Telltale had no clue what to do with the story so much so they needed an extra episode to finish the damn thing. Also, fuck that whole Beyond the Wall part and whatever little sense that's going to make.

Will replay one day just to see if it's a Telltale game through and through/10.

 

[Venser]

The ending is obviously set up for a potential second season so I bet it's going to be announced soon. The finale wasn't very fulfilling and I feel like I've made all the wrong decisions in this episode. I'm going to reply the episode with another character just to see how much the game would change if I've made choices and then I'll rate it. A lot of questions are left unanswered so surely there will be another season.

 

[Shadenuat]

Even at the last episode, no choices whatsoever
Choose to poison/ambush cunts or try and make peace with them - ends same with same characters dying just differently.
Handmaiden that was only interesting proactive character basically got turned into another Sansa. Both of her endings imply that character is as good as dead.

ALT-F4'ed during half of the second playthrough.

 

[34scell]

The laziness in not implementing potential CnC is astounding. Take for instance the kid who gets killed in episode 1; they could have easily let him live if he acts like a pussy/incompetent, since the older brother takes over in the next episode anyway. A huge potential CnC moment (with only a few changes required), thrown away for forced emotional engagement.

Obsidian should have been the one to make interactive movies, since they've actually demonstrated they can do it for real in Alpha Protocol. And there it felt much more natural as well.

 

[Correct_Carlo]

This game is a good case in point for how killing 4 major characters off in one game becomes seriously diminishing returns, especially when you don't have much else going for your game in terms of plot or characters. 2 major characters died in this episode and I couldn't bring myself to care much beyond just an "Oh, OK. I guess they are killing them now."

Spoiler

Handmaiden was the most interesting character, but I didn't marry the guy in my game so she got beheaded. Which, of course, means she will die first episode season 2 for everyone else. Oh, well.

I wish the fucking boring, John Snow rip off, Crow (don't even know his name) would have died, putting an end to his tedious adventures beyond the wall. There are really no interesting characters left that make me want to play season 2.

 

[Space Insect]

I personally was disgusted by how TellTale handled episode 6. They completely abandoned the ideas of logic (people who should be dead from wounds not dying) and the entire illusion of C&C just so they could say, "Look at how grimdark and cool we are, guys! We killed off everyone!11! lol". It really revealed itself as a big promotion for Season 2 instead of a self-contained story as multiple plotlines either had no effect on the overreaching story or no true conclusion. Episode 6 was also extremely lazy graphically. Many of the talking animations were off, anda few textures were just bad compared to the previous episodes. The worst of the graphics issues was an animation of wine being poured. While I may sound like a complete graphicsfag, I assure you, I am not. Overall, episode 6 wa just incredibly dissapointing.

 

[Talby]

I got drunk on French absinthe and played through this since I like A Song of Ice and Fire. Now I need to get more drunk. GFuck you and your shitty false choices telltale

 

[Venser]

Spoiler

So I just thought about the ending...how the hell are they planning to get past the wall? There's no way the watch would let a deserter along with the army of magic controlled zombie people in. Are they going to climb the wall? In that case warg will have to abandon his bear and I don't think the woman's army would be very good at climbing anyway.

 

[taxalot]

I stopped caring about the consistency as soon as I finished the game. It was terrible.