Game of Thrones: Episode Three - The Sword in the Darkness

This was the episode that made us fall back in love with Telltale. [Issue#161, p.88]

The series is back on track with The Sword in the Darkness, which will make the wait for episode four all the more agonising/frustrating.

All in all, another hit from Telltale Games, especially if you're a fan of HBO's Game of Thrones.

Despite the lack of choices, Game of Thrones: Episode 3 is probably the best episode of the bunch.

Through three episodes, the developer has shown that it's more than up to the task of delivering a story worth residing in George R.R. Martin's world, and this latest episode is a shining example of where things could be heading moving forwards.

Episode Three fulfills all the promises it needs to for fans of the Game of Thrones TV series, even if it doesn’t necessarily give old school adventure game fans much to actually do in terms of interactivity.

We're right in mid-season of the Game of Thrones game by Telltale Games. In this third episode named The Sword in the Darkness, the studio decided to focus on the narrative aspect but left behind the gameplay in what's so far the longest chapter.

Sword in the Darkness shouldn't be viewed as a bad episode, but it does lack the expected drama. [June 2015, p75]

My least favourite in the series so far. I assume it will become a very important part of the narrative, but its highlights are few enough and far enough in between with the promise of more to come that it comes away somewhat less than its predecessors.

If the games hope to be considered worthy additions to the phenomenon, they'll need to take advantage of that vast world, and all its opportunities for original storytelling. While also remembering that we’d like to see a bit more than the bottom of a Whitehill’s shoe.

Right now we're in a mid-season lull. [June 2015, p.94]

There's still the odd Telltale-tastic moment, but things are in danger of petering out. [June 2015, p.71]

Telltale’s take on Game of Thrones feels quite low-key compared to some of the goings on in the main series, but this episode begins to move away from that being a problem and starts using it to its advantage, as it shows you different sides of familiar situations. There’s still a lot of filler to get through, though, and it’s very dialogue heavy with little to offer in terms of unique gameplay.

The one gameplay twist to the episode - a button prompt reading of the Night’s Watch vows - can be achieved by watching the exact same scene in the TV show and pressing a button every time someone starts a new sentence. This summarises the problem with The Sword in the Darkness - there is nothing new here.