3 Reasons Telltale’s Game of Thrones Series Should Be Amazing

Let’s be honest, Telltale Games have accomplished everything they have set out to do for the last two years. In fact, it has become such a regular occurrence to compliment the company that I am running out of combinations of words to praise them. With ‘The Wolf Among Us’ getting everyone hooked on the mystery and the Walking Dead Game remaining one of the most impressive game franchises available right now, we have every faith that they could make any game the next best thing on the market. Therefore, it is pretty much guaranteed that when their next planned series, Game of Thrones is released (I am assuming when the Wolf Among Us is done and dusted), it will be a phenomenal achievement. However, to get us even more in the mood for this upcoming series, I thought I would list three reasons why it could be the best piece of gaming news in the foreseeable future.

3 – TELLTALE IS THE ONE COMPANY THAT COULD PULL A GAME OF THRONES GAME OFF

The best thing about the news that Telltale Games are taking on the Game of Thrones game is that they are the only company that I trust to make it work. Game of Thrones is one of the most loved series currently on air and it was only a matter of time, before someone sat down and brought a gaming accompaniment out for it. However, while Game of Thrones: The Game sounds awesome, when you think about it, it is a really hard concept to get right. In truth, Game of Thrones should have never worked. It is very slow-paced, would rather spend an episode getting to know a character than include some action and takes forever to get to its point. The easy thing to do would be to try and replicate Skyrim, but more Game of Throne-sy. However, it would inevitably be rushed and come across as a forced Skyrim, hoping that the occasional Lannister reference would earn it some fans. In truth, Skyrim is probably as close as anyone will get to making an open world Game of Thrones game.

However, Telltale Games have already done the impossible and made a game that consists mainly of talking. The fun comes from the political minefields of meeting a new group in the Walking Dead or the slow development of your bad-ass Sheriff Bigby. Those elements are what I want from a Game of Thrones game. Telltale also respect the source material, so it should genuinely feel like being thrown into the Game of Thrones universe. They will not turn their game into a bloodbath fighting game, because that would take away from the show’s style. This is why when Telltale Game announced they were making this game, I actually was both pleased and relieved.

2 – IT WOULD REQUIRE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THEIR OTHER GAMES

There is a clear theme in the Walking Dead, where you are rewarded for being nice. You can hardly go around a new group and begin pissing people off. Lee’s character needs to be a moral anchor for Clementine, so you need to be constantly doing the right thing. Lee needs to keep Kenny as a close friend, yet at the same time, he needs to step in and tell his friend, when he is acting like an idiot. In ‘The Wolf Among Us’, while there is the option to be less than pleasant, there is still this idea that you need to redeem your character. People don’t think much of him as a person, so you end up feeling compelled to make them change your mind. Again, you end up keeping your character as morally grounded as possible.

You would not be able to do this with Game of Thrones. It is a totally different universe. It would not be about doing the right thing; it would be about keeping your King happy. If you try and change King’s Landing too much, you will end up getting your head lobbed off by the unpredictable King Joffrey (or whoever Telltale Games choose as their ruler). It goes the same for other areas. In Season Two, the Night’s Watch have to ignore the fact that their host is raping his daughters and sacrificing his sons, because if they try to seek justice, he will throw them out into the hostile environment. I am hoping Game of Thrones will make the gaming experience feel like you are walking on eggshells. You want to help the poor damsel in distress, but you would be pissing off the guy who has the power to make your life a living hell. Even the characters who appear nice could have a nasty motive up their sleeve, meaning you would be wary of making friends. You would have to play a completely different character to Lee and Bigby, making each episode far more varied than the other series (definitely a good thing as Telltale Games’ one flaw is the sense that things could get stale at any moment).

1 – THERE ARE SEVERAL DIRECTIONS TO TAKE IT

I just want to know where the writers will take the story. There is such a massive universe that anything could essentially happen. We could be a member of the Night’s Watch, forced to turn down every temptation in the book for honour (unlikely, too action-focused and it would be impossible to avoid doing ‘zombies’ again). You could be Khalesi Daenarys Targaryen finding her feet as a ruler and conquering kingdoms, bringing her closer to King’s Landing, her rightful place. Or you could be a Stark, trying to uphold honour in a land, sorely lacking in morals.

I know what I want to see. I think it would be very interesting to play a woman in this universe. It doesn’t really matter where, as even the most powerful female figures in the series have to deal with their fair share of sexual politics. The male characters don’t care how powerful you are, because you are just a woman and, in their eyes, not as worthy of power. It would make your development as a character very interesting. Do you marry your way to the top like Cersei? Do you let your natural power and strength do the talking like Daenarys, risking a knife in the back at any given moment? Or do you act like Sansa and just keep your head down, trying to survive in a dangerous world? I think this direction would be very Telltale Games-esque, as every dialogue choice could be sealing your fate and it would be a constant struggle to keep your head above water. And entertainment through dialogue and politics would be exactly how everyone imagines a Game of Thrones game!