Game: Game of Thrones Episode 2 - The Lost Lords
Publisher - Telltale Games
Release Date - Feb 3rd (PC, PlayStation) Feb 4th (Xbox)
Genre - Episodic Adventure
Spoiler Free
Episode 2 of Telltale's Game of Thrones series, the Lost Lords, picks up directly after the events of Episode 1. A funeral pyre is set, a character's loss is grieved and a new character is introduced. Just like the television series. Except for one thing, the television series has action, sex appeal, moral dilemnas etc. After the events of Episode 1 setting up the remaining five with its lead in story, the Lost Lords gets caught in neutral for most of episode's 90 or so minutes of gameplay.
Asher Forrester, the long lost brother who is mentioned in episode 1, returns. Of course, his demeanor and actions are dependent upon certain decisions you chose in that episode. The build up from Episode 1 leads you to believe that Asher is a gungho, play by your own rules type of guy. Now, while this may be true, we don't see any of this in the Lost Lords. The decisions we're faced with him amount to merely "life or death" to those he encounters. With four episodes remaining and Asher set to be a focal character, hopefully we get to see more impact in his actions.
With Episode 1 Iron from Ice taking us to Kings Landing with Myra Forrester and Marjorie Tyrell along with House Forresters' home town village, The Lost Lords treats us to several new locations. Yunkai, where Daenerys Targaryen lays siege to slave masters in the television series, and The Wall make their debut in the Lost Lords. As most Telltale games, there is little action other than watching your choices play out in real time. Episode 2 changes that up a bit with some sword and archery practice at The Wall which is unfortunately short lived as more of a throw in mock mini-game. Although we know that one Jon Snow makes his debut in The Lost Lords, I found myself thinking "You do nothing Jon Snow" and was disappointed to see that his appearance amounted to little more than a cameo. There is a mystery, surprise character that enters the fray though, but we don't want to spoil it for you.
Perhaps the most fascinating part is just how paramount the decision you make with Myra Forrester are. In Iron from Ice we saw her in a showdown with Cersei while Tyrion looked on and dead smack in the middle of a moral dilemna while making choices in her conversations with Marjorie Tyrell. Although Cersei is pretty much background chatter in the Lost Lords, Marjorie is front and center. As Myra, we're tasked with contemplating the contradistinctions of maintaining Marjorie's faith in us or taking a chance on self-preservation. Knowing that these decisions play a vital role in all of the in game character's outcomes, I found myself clamoring just a little more over soul searching as opposed to the other characters.
As pulse exhilarating as these decisions are in sync with most Telltale Games, that is unfortunately where the Tachycardia ceases. After Episode 1's lead in storyline, we were disappointed to see that Episode 2 just continued on the same pace. Now, don't get us wrong, the lead in story is quintessential to a game's success. However, Game of Thrones is such an action packed entity that viewers/players need to have their fill and have it now. Unfortunately, the 90 or so minutes of The Lost Lords leans toward the pen being mightier than the sword. From Asher Forrester's lead in story to Tyrion continuing to be set up for a big, in game break through, we found ourselves left holding the proverbial bowl asking "Please sir can I have some more?"
The graphics are what you would expect from a Telltale Series game. Brilliant hues blended perfectly between the fore and background tied in with the audio synchronization that really brought a more emotional feeling to this episode. This is immediately evident in the aforementioned funeral pyre scene. The undulating colors of the pyre's flames combined with the melodic eulogy song has you wishing you could replay scenes. It's a rare moment that you find yourself forgetting you're playing a game and actually focus solely on the what the moment means. The eulogy song had me just sitting and listening as if I was at a concert; focused solely on the music. As if I was there
Although it was disappointing the way the story line went, the addition of some new areas as well as the mystery character set us up for what has to be a polar opposite as far as Episode 3 is concerned. After all, it's Game of Thrones. Episode 3 needs that prototypical character death or backstabbing moment that we are all used to. Plus we'd like to finally see what the deal is with the North Grove. It can't be that hard, right? Just as Iron from Ice does well, The Lost Lords sets us up well for what's to come but lacks in the manner in which it is delivered. Of course, it's still a great play through and by all means a necessary purchase. However, just temper your enthusiasm as far as the OMG! Moments go.
