Game Of Thrones Episode 2

Game of Thrones: Episode 2 – The Lost Lords PC Review

Judging by the first episode alone, author George R.R. Martin would have been undoubtedly pleased with the way Telltale Games has been handling his world famous book-turned-television-series; by the conclusion of the first episode, the body count had already matched the numbers of an average Tuesday in the world of Westeros, where the most potentially beloved characters meet a sudden and merciless end while the characters that are utterly despised live on to flay another day. But even the survivors fail to get off easy in this harsh world of political back-stabbings and arctic zombies, and this next episode does a good job of conveying both the mental and physical torment of those still struggling to survive.

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After what is perhaps the most bizarre POV opening seen in most videogames to date, Game of Thrones’ second episode introduces a couple more of the playable cast while also showcasing more famous locations (and characters) from the original series. Celebrity actors come to reprise their roles in this adaptation while attempting to make their cameos feel as little awkward as possible. The continued absence of one pivotal character in the story continues to stand out, especially for fans who have kept up with the show and/or books who are aware of an upcoming event involving said character.

In any event, the game continues to wisely focus on its original core characters and the unique struggles each one must go through. One character in particular spends much of this episode recuperating from a major injury, which results in some of the best player interaction that Telltale is known for; controlling a character who can barely stand on their own two feet makes for a much stronger interactive experience than an extended QTE action segment (which are still plentiful in this game, love them or hate them), and the strong writing and facial expressions add to the heavy burden these characters must go through.

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Once more, players are given key choices that may or may not have major consequences to the overall story. This leads to a possible issue for those who are intricately familiar with the source material, as fans will undoubtedly ally themselves with famous characters who are known to be trustworthy while showing extra scorn toward those that are known for their treachery. Whether Telltale plans to throw a curveball to our expectations is only speculation, but it will be interesting to see where the story goes regardless.

In the end, episode 2 is a more dialogue-heavy entry compared to the first, but it’s also a much stronger episode for it. The world of Game of Thrones is an utterly harsh one where few of its inhabitants live comfortably, and this episode emphasized the uncountable struggles that plague these principal characters. Hopefully the following episodes will continue the strong narrative here will continuing to raise the stakes.

8 out of 10