Game of Thrones: Episode 6

Game of Thrones: Episode 6 - The Ice Dragon

Score: 80%
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Media: Download/1
Players: 1
Genre: Adventure

Previously on Game of Thrones:

Game of Thrones: Episode 6 - The Ice Dragon is more than just the end of this game's initial season, it also adds a lot of setup to the recently announced second season.

Episode 5 - A Nest of Vipers left many of the members of House Forrester in some pretty hot water. Gared had to face off against wights, but the fight convinces his new friends that the only safe place really is the fabled North Grove. In King's Landing, Mira has done a lot of political maneuvering, but she might have stepped over one-too-many lines in the process. Meanwhile in Mereen, Asher has collected his army of pit fighters, but his first steps back on Westeros soil end badly when the Whitehills ambush Asher and the rest of the Forresters who arrive at the port to welcome the long-exiled brother. Players are forced to end A Nest of Vipers with a choice between Asher or Rodrik. Which one will lead the house into the final episode, and which will sacrifice himself so the other can escape?

Ironwrath:

That final choice in the previous episode means that there are some potential pitfalls as Game of Thrones: Episode 6 - The Ice Dragon starts. Since Asher recruited the pit fighters, will they follow Rodrik? Has Asher's time away from Westeros made him a better or worse leader for House Forrester? While the game's events don't play out too differently based on which Forrester is left in charge, they do give enough of a different feel to possibly warrant copying your save and ending A Nest of Vipers with a different choice.

Unfortunately, with the Forrester house dwindling fast, Ludd Whitehill sees this as the perfect opportunity to force a peace treaty. The options put on the table range from an outright bending of the knee to a marriage alliance, and the Whitehills seem to have brought enough forces to the gates of Ironwrath to make their threat all too clear. On top of that, the youngest Forrester boy, Ryon, is in tow as a bargaining chip. You are faced with how to handle the upcoming encounter; can you possibly get yourself out of the situation without more bloodshed? Quite frankly, I'm not at all convinced there is an option at this point in the game that won't lead to more deaths.

North of The Wall:

Gared's part of Game of Thrones: Episode 6 - The Ice Dragon has him and his new friends actually finding the North Grove, and with it a strange pair of people who were obviously sent to the Northern location many years ago to protect it. When Gared sees that the two keepers have been given strange powers, he starts to have hope that their abilities could help the Forresters, but marching back South means abandoning the North Grove, and Gregor Forrester's last words that the North Grove must never fall still ring clear in Gared's head.

While spending time with the new characters, Gared also has to watch while Cotter's wounds get worse and worse. There will come a point where Gared will have to make a fairly brutal choice, and how he decides to play out the event will make you look better in one character's eyes, but worse in another's.

King's Landing:

Mira Forrester has had to make some pretty shrewd choices throughout this season of Game of Thrones, and no matter what choices she made, there were some toes stepped on. All of those machinations come to a head in Episode 6 - The Ice Dragon when she not only ends up losing the protection of Lady Margaery, but she also learns that she has been actively plotted against for quite some time.

During the first five episodes of the game, you get the feeling that you are doing an okay job maneuvering through the political waters that surround King's Landing, and while there are some definite tight spots where you are forced to betray one person or another, you get the feeling that you might actually be able to help out the rest of the Forresters. Unfortunately, the revelation of the plots against you help you realize just how much of an amateur Mira is, and she is left with two choices that seem like they could have a very drastic effect on how the next season starts off.

Next Time on Game of Thrones:

A lot of Game of Thrones: Episode 6 - The Ice Dragon was about prepping the player for the next season of the game. While Gared's story doesn't end up having an effect on the rest of the story, it is obvious that what he finds in the North Grove is going to be a big component to the upcoming season. Meanwhile, the members of House Forrester, at least those still alive, are going to have to work hard in order to recover from the events of this season. It will be interesting to see how Telltale will integrate the events from the show with the next season of the game.

As a whole, Game of Thrones is a different perspective of Westeros and Essos that shows some of the main events from the series in a slightly different view. While the show focuses on the Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens and Martells, this game shows the events of people of a slightly less level of importance. These aren't the wardens and royalty of Westeros, but a family that were bannermen to the Starks, and when the events of the Red Wedding play out, the rug is pulled out from under them and they have to find a way to survive in the even more treacherous world around them. Just remember, this is Game of Thrones and there will be a lot of death, even of some beloved characters.

-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer

Previously on Game of Thrones:

Ironwrath:

North of The Wall:

King's Landing:

Next Time on Game of Thrones:

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