Telltale has made a name for itself over the past few years with its adaptations of major media franchises, with series ranging from the super popular The Walking Dead to the more niche The Wolf Among Us. Its newest, and perhaps most ambitious, project is taking on HBO's Game of Thrones with an original story set in its universe.
How did Telltale do with the large scale wars and more subtle politics and intrigue of Westeros? Here are some review excerpts from around the web:
Escapist, 4/5: "Similar to the TV show, much of this first episode was spent laying the plot groundwork for forthcoming installments. While Iron from Ice had a large share of dramatic moments, its real purpose was to make you anticipate the release of episode two - and it does that extremely well. I'm definitely interested to see how the choices I've made in this episode will impact what happens in the next. Taken in that light, any of the warts apparent from Telltale tackling this major new license can be safely ignored. Yeah, I'm hooked."
IGN, 8/10: "It's important to note that most choices in Episode 1 have little or no significant impact within this two-hour section of the story. In fairness, it's an episode that positions itself as a prologue, concluding with "Your story begins," so much of what makes this a great start for the series is the promises it makes - or implies - for what's to come. It caps off with a powerful and shocking ending that reminds us both of the kind of harsh world we're in, and also that the major events of this story are going to be beyond our control."
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"Tough decisions, well-acted original characters in interesting situations, and a strong, provocative ending kick off Telltale's new Game of Thrones series in a great way. 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."
Polygon, 6.5/10: "Iron from Ice has enough interesting choices and more than enough tension to grab me as a Game of Thrones enthusiast, and at its best this episode suggests the desperation of the books and show. It forces you to react to horrific circumstances.
"But anyone new to the setting will likely become bored long before anything interesting happens. So far, Telltale's game leans too heavily on prior investment in this world. It's possible all of this is leading someplace interesting, and the final scene shows the kind of spirit and verve missing in the first two hours. But Iron from Ice is a rocky start to a promising story."
Destructoid, 7/10: "Another side effect of the inclusion of less cartoony character models is the step toward the uncanny valley. Most of the previously unseen characters look stylized enough to fly under the radar, but some of the known characters are unsettling. Specifically, Margaery Tyrell resembles a strange alien porcelain doll hybrid. Again, it distracts from the serious drama of the narrative.
"Still, that narrative is the focus, and it is strong. If Zer0 Sum left me looking forward to future episodes of Tales from the Borderlands because things are going to get awesome, Iron From Ice does the polar opposite for Game of Thrones. The bad situation that House Forrester is in is only going to get worse. It feels like a punch to the gut, and it sets the stage for an intensely emotionally draining experience. In spite of its blemishes, so far it looks like Game of Thrones: A Telltale Game Series deserves its place in the A Song of Ice and Fire lore."
