Game of Thrones: Episode One - Iron From Ice

This first episode is a bit dense, particularly for newcomers, but the attention to detail is meticulous and appreciated.

Telltale has hit another home run with the debut episode of its licensed Game of Thrones series. However, it's not going to be for everyone, as it will only appeal to fans of the franchise and may be too wordy for some.

I had an absolute blast with the title and was blown away with how they managed to get all the highs, lows, shocks, twists, lore and excitement of the series into a snug 2-3 hour gameplay session.

When it comes to what Telltale does best – forcing you to make difficult choices – A Game of Thrones is already excelling. The ending of the episode is a real knockout, but also a reminder that the real value of your choices is what you feel in the moment you make them.

Duplicating its success from The Walking Dead, Telltale has created an excellent new way for fans to enter Westeros – one that has a unique vibe that sets it apart from the books and show. The Forresters' story boils with intrigue in this first episode, and with Telltale's scribes mimicking George R. R. Martin's cruel pen, concludes with a cliffhanger and chaos.

Iron From Ice is an intriguing baptism of blood: if we had to judge the book by its cover, we could definitely expect some good fun from the latest Telltale adaptation. A complete must have for the fans of the saga, a bit less for anybody else.

A strong start to an ambitious series, held up by a series of thrilling interactions with the characters and actors from the TV show. A genuine must for fans. [Issue#120, p.77]

Adapting a prestige cable drama like Game of Thrones is no easy feat and could have easily ended in embarrassment for Telltale Games. Thankfully, they've done a very good job of capturing the show's often depressing essence, setting the stage for an intriguing story to come. With the show's fifth season still four months out, Iron from Ice proves itself a very good appetizer for one of the most popular series on television despite the occasional technical hiccup.

Its nature as a side-story to the HBO show means we won’t get to decide the fate of Westeros, but this introduction is convincing evidence that the future of House Forrester puts enough at stake to make choices matter.

A real interactive episode of the TV series, with the same well-known atmosphere, storytelling and dramatic turns of events. Telltale should work more on its engine and animations though, as the game lacks in details and suffers of clunky animations. Even the gameplay could use a renovation, after several years of the same formula.

This first episode falls a little short of expectations. [Feb 2015, p.80]

Iron from Ice once again offers everything you’ve come to expect from a Telltale episode: difficult decisions and moral dilemmas, incorporated into fine dialogues and concluded in a SHOCKER of a cliff-hanger. This time it comes in a reasonably successful Game of Thrones-marinade, complete with actors from the series who really seem to give it their best effort. But, again, Telltale seems to be ambitious in their story-telling, but not in the (gameplay-)technical aspect of their titles.