(Spoilers) Telltale's Game of Thrones Finale

[SlightlyJames]

Just finished playing there, I'm finding it difficult to place my thoughts on the series as a whole. Up to this point it's been quite the intriguing beast, a relentless slog where we've been shit on the entire way but it always felt to me that it was going somewhere. Come the final entry I can't help but feel underwhelmed. I suppose that comes with the territory, Game of Thrones is no fairy tale, there was never going to be some magic wand to wave our worries away.

I think the reason this felt like a let down is because of how weak the peripheral stories have become. Having finally made it to the North Grove we're really given any reason for why it's so significant. There are Ironwood Trees, Lord Gregor's bastards and some blood magic fuckery that I've seemingly put an end to. Mira's plot line wasn't particularly satisfying either, regardless of our decisions, the scheming, the intrigue, all we're left with is marry Morgryn or death.

After the battle at Ironrath it appeared for me that Ryon had been saved by Beskha and that the surviving Lord Forrester was found by Talia and the Traitor. Regardless of what happens, Ironrath is ruined. At some point during the promotion for the more recent entries, Telltale has begun referring to this game as Game of Thrones 'Season One'. I think that is to blame for the absence of closure found in this episode.

Did you decide to honour Lord Gregor's final request or leave to aid House Forrester? Did you reject Morgryn's demands or betray Tom to save Mira's life? Did you protect Ryon or risk everything to eliminate Ludd? It doesn't matter. Not one lick, not for this game anyway. I feel robbed of any sense of finality because Telltale have decided that the resolution of this series is less important than setting the table for the next.

This series has been plagued by the feeling of futility. A lot of the decisions we're presented with regarding the mainstay characters from the television series are pointless to anyone with knowledge of the main story. When Mira is tempted to seek help from Tyrion to arrange for her family's safety, all I'm thinking is that he'll be arrested before long so it doesn't matter. When Rodrik is weighing his chances of eliminating Ramsay after flaying Arthur, it doesn't matter because we know that Ramsay survives beyond the scope of this series.

I understand that the decision to feature characters from the television series was intended to make the game feel more of an authentic experience and to their credit, a lot of their involvement has been compelling. The very first encounter with Cersei felt like a political sword fight, the balancing act of maintaining Margaery's favour and seeking more direct influence to benefit the Forresters back north did the setting of King's Landing justice, the appearance of Ramsay was thrilling and made for a shocking end to the first episode.

I feel that it would have been of greater benefit to the series if these established characters were to have faded into the background after a time to let the game's original characters thrive. By the time the final entry rolls around, the game is largely free of the shackles of the greater continuity. Ramsay has decided to let the better house win, Gared and co. have escaped to an area of the far north never spoken of by the people of Westeros, Mira's political maneuverings are drops in the ocean that is King's Landing. They finally had the opportunity to tell a story that is entirely their own and all they've done is lay seeds for a sequel. I'm feeling really let down right now.

[prophet]

I hated the finale. It pondered more questions than it answered and that lack of closure (in a video game) is maddening. As you said, this is Westeros and fairytales don't exist in this world but after all the shit the Forrester's have been through this season I wanted to exact some vengeance.

I sacrificed Rodrick in the last episode so I was excited to see what kind of badassery Asher was going to conjure up for the Whitehill's but it just never happened. Ludd escaped, Ironrath was lost, all Asher's warriors (and Lady Forrester) died and Asher himself got his ass handed to him.

For all Mira's politicking and risk-taking in King's Landing her entire arc came down to marry Morgryn or die. I rejected him in my playthrough, thinking I'd be saved by Tom/Sara/Margaery/Cersei/Anyone but nope, Mira lost her head...another Forrester gone.

Gared's story was decent when he was at The Wall but fast became boring when he went beyond and the whole North Grove stuff was just...bizarre. The two bastards and the blood magic stuff didn't interest me and didn't add anything to the finale for me.

So yeah, no closure and not even a shred of vengeance at all. Now the season has wrapped up I've decided it's my least favourite Telltale game. So disappointed.

FYI: In my second playthrough, in which Rodrick survived, I did actually manage to sneak into Ludd's camp and kill him but Ironrath was still lost and Rodrick was the one who got beaten the fuck up once more, better but not great.

[SortaCreative]

I forgot i owned this game it's that good.