For a long time, Telltale Games has been a studio well-known by gamers. The Walking Dead was an absolute masterpiece, and while the studio's efforts since then haven't been on quite the same level, that doesn't mean titles like The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands aren't amazing games in their own right.
That being said, Telltale has always been a studio for hardcore gamers, but not for the broader crowd. Bring up the name with non-gaming friends and see how many recognize it. The studio hopes to change that with Game of Thrones: Iron from Ice, the first part of a six-episode series based on the hugely popular HBO show. If the reviews for Iron from Ice are anything to go by, Telltale is headed in the right direction...Game of Thrones just isn't there quite yet.
Telltale's The Walking Dead benefited from existing outside of the continuity, meaning non-fans of the show or comic could jump right in and enjoy the story. It's a bit different for Game of Thrones: the game acts as a supplement to the third and fourth seasons of the series, and as such, the story can get confusing for the uninitiated. Andrew Webster of The Verge said:
"It's a lot to take in if you're unfamiliar with the series, and even though the game features a helpful codex detailing new characters and locations, I wouldn't recommend playing if you haven't watched the show or read the books."
Considering Telltale's games are all about story, it could be a hindrance for those who aren't familiar with the lore already. At the very least, the acting is great - IGN's Dan Stapleton said as much in his review:
"Across the board, acting is up to the high standards Telltale has set with its past games. Plus, all the characters from the show who appear - Margaery Tyrell, Queen Cersei and Tyrion Lannister, and Ramsay Snow - are authentically voiced by their TV actors, and the likenesses are good enough that details like Cersei's signature lopsided sneer and slightly raised eyebrow come through."
Even so, the best characters can't make up for a story that doesn't do enough to hook readers - surprisingly, this is where some reviewers are torn. Polygon's Ben Kuchera believed that the story wasn't quite strong enough:
"[The story] is the problem with "Iron from Ice": We have no idea how these decisions will pay off or punish us down the road. It feels like a slow episode of the show, and although the story could go into a few interesting directions, as it stands it often feels like you're simply standing on the periphery of much greater struggles.
...while PC Gamer's Lief Johnson couldn't wait to get back into it:
"[Iron from Ice is] the first Telltale game that I really want to replay. With all the lording about going on, the choices here have far more wider consequences than they did back when we were trying to keep Kenny from being a punk back in "The Walking Dead"...Certain parts could be better, but Telltale knows what it's doing here, and nothing proves the Forresters belong in the canon so well as the classic Martin shock that caps the whole experience."
As it stands, it seems that Telltale's first foray into the world of Game of Thrones is a bit middling. Complicated character arcs could be lost on those who aren't already familiar with the players, and all the setup in the world is for naught when the story fails to go anywhere. That being said, Telltale is known for hitting their stride a few episodes in: while it doesn't excuse the failings of the first episode, players should expect things to pick up as soon as the second episode is released.
