Review: Game of Thrones: Episode 4 – Sons of Winter

There’s two more episodes of Telltale’s interactive Game of Thrones adventure still to come and there’s rather a lot left to wrap up. The inevitable showdown between the remaining Forresters and the Whitehills, Daenerys’ potential assistance in this confrontation and the mystery of the North Grove all remain unconfirmed. The story progress has been a bit plodding so far, and this doesn’t change a huge deal with episode 4; sadly, not helped by the monthly release schedule, these plot points don’t feel as greatly pressing as they initially did.

Developer: Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Reviewed on: PC
Also Available On: Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android
Release Date: Available Now

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The delay between episodes is problematic with this series in particular, mainly because the latest season of HBO’s Game of Thrones began airing between Telltale’s episode 3 and 4. As a result, certain characters that are replicated in the game can’t help but seem somewhat unessential – one example being Margaery Tyrell, who whilst alive and relatively well in Telltale’s adaptation set several seasons prior, was last seen locked up somewhere in the Black Cells on the show. Obviously there is an understanding that the game and the show are two different adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s series, yet it seems likely that players will also be fans of HBO’s retelling. Playing these episodes on release with the events of the show fresh in the mind is a little bit confusing, and creates a sense of merely revisiting old events.

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Luckily, there’s been enough character development dotted around to make the unique focus of Telltale’s game, House Forrester, maintain intrigue. There’s definitely been improvement in fleshing out some of these characters, albeit slowly. Small things such as switching between characters and locations are getting better and better; Mira’s introduction in this episode reveals an establishing sketch-book style shot of the mighty Red Keep, before cutting to Mira seated within one of its bustling walkways, listening to gossip surrounding Joffrey’s recent demise.

Mira Forrester is slowly coming into her own, which is a relief. Far away from the confrontations in the North, she is seeking to help her family through other means – and as she’s stuck in King’s Landing, this means politics and playing the game. After sneaking into Tommen’s coronation party in the Red Keep gardens (a place of dark significance for her already) Mira’s character offers some very witty and biting dialogue options along with opportunities to be extremely sly. After eavesdropping on conversations and discovering who the Whitehill informer is, Mira has the chance to conduct some illicit bargaining of her own, which ends on a very satisfying note. It’s great to see some victory from these characters who have been fairing rather poorly for the most part, Mira certainly revels in her win against the Whitehill enemy. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a handmaiden?”

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Another great development in this episode is a little more surprising, and that’s of Asher’s fellow sellsword and friend, Beshka. I remarked in reviews of earlier episodes that Beshka seemed little more than a side character and female counterpart to the exiled Forrester son, yet interestingly her role in this episode makes for one of the most powerful scenes of the game so far. With the problems that are being faced in the North, family members and friends are seeking to help the Forrester’s all over the realm – Gared at the Wall, Mira in King’s Landing, even Asher in Slaver’s Bay. With the backdrop of Meereen appearing little more than a pointer to Daenery’s storyline and an opportunity to tie Telltale’s characters into this, Beshka’s backstory adds an unexpected extra level of depth.

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Arguably this poignancy is what Telltale’s Game of Thrones has been missing; there have undoubtedly been some shocking deaths and cliffhangers yet the reactionary sentiments of the characters are not very powerfully conveyed, which is a shame. More could be made of Elissa Forrester’s grief over one son’s death and the capture of another; the mixed emotions of Asher, first banished from his family yet now fighting to save them, would be interesting to explore. Perhaps the sort of characters befitting the world of Ice and Fire aren’t portrayed to their full potential in a Telltale-length game.

Yet this studio can get it perfect at times. After arriving in Meereen and seeking out the Mother of Dragons’ assistance, Beshka’s behaviour takes a severe turn as she drinks and rages at Asher and Croft, the one-eyed Second Son who was introduced in the previous episode. After some dialogue prompting she confesses her fear of returning to the place where she once was a child slave, forced by her master to battle in the fighting pits against other children. For fans of the show or book series, Beshka’s story deepens the established immorality of the trade in Slavers Bay; it’s a dark personal confession, one painful example of this widespread phenomenon that has played an important part in Daenerys’ character arc.

Following Beshka’s emotional divulgence – and it’s worth noting the great job on voice acting in this scene – the pair’s role in the sack of Meereen seems a lot more purposeful, their task in taking down the eastern beacon in order to avoid detection being one of the best combat sequences Telltale have provided yet.

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The pacing alternates according to the action; Asher and Beshka begin creeping their way towards the alarm beacon that must not be lit, climbing up rocks and taking out guards quietly as they go. Yet inevitably plans don’t go entirely smoothly, and the scramble to kill the remaining soldiers before they raise the alarm reaches a point of axe-throwing panic, providing a very climactic and exciting way to end this sequence. This was probably my personal highlight of episode 4, confirmed after experiencing the slightly disappointing ending. After Rodrik’s long-awaited showdown with Lord Whitehill – during which the choice of actively attacking him proves absolutely redundant, as it leaves all of the present characters dead and merely reloads the game – Ramsay Bolton grants another surprise visit to Ironrath, just as he did back in episode 1. Obviously this signifies catastrophe, as where Ramsay appears, murder usually follows. However there is also the niggling sense of moving in circles. One step forward usually results in two steps back for the Forresters, and whilst this emphasises the seriousness of their circumstances, the shocks found in the first episode seem to have noticeably waned in succeeding ones.

Decent character development for Mira and Beshka
Fantastic combat sequence in Meereen
Some sense that the story is going in circles
Engagement is slipping – plot progress seems disappointingly slow

Overall, Sons of Winter delivers more of the same, and the slow plot progress is a bit of a drawback for this series. Whilst there’s definitely some gratifying character and individual plot developments at work – Gared’s desertion from the Night’s Watch, for example – the broader picture doesn’t feel all that compelling. Nevertheless there’s still two more episodes left that could change that; maybe Telltale can still end this slightly trudging series with a much-needed bang.

The review copy of this title was purchased by the author.
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