Dannie Kitten's Gaming Year

You may have read about my "Top Three Games of 2015" on Honest Games Reviews (http://honestgamesreviews.com/blog/hgrs-games-of-2015/) but as I mentioned there, I don't think picking just three games has given enough credit to the games of 2015. So I have chosen to expand upon that here and give you my top picks of 2015. 

I have found 2015 to be a great year for gaming. There have been a massive number of Indie and AAA games that have been hugely enjoyable. I've been thinking about formats in which I could write about my picks of the year...a top ten, choosing the best of the genres etc. And in truth I still don't know how I'm going to tell you about my favourite gaming moments this year. So I'm just gonna start writing and see where it takes me...

Best Game for Kids: There have been plenty of games I have been able to enjoy with my son this year and in fact I was going to give this to Octodad: Deadliest Catch purely based on how much time we spent laughing together at it. But seeing as this is the award for kids I should probably ask my kid what he thinks and his vote goes to Lego Dimensions because it's "really, really good. About a 1000% good" because "you can go in Homer Simpson's world as Batman". I should point out that this is one of the main reasons Lego Dimensions is great, unlike Disney Infinity which only allows you to use certain toys in certain areas Lego Dimensions gives you free reign to play as whoever you want whenever you want, which has gone down a storm in my house. 

Best Xbox One Exclusive: Some people love them, some people hate them but there's no denying that console exclusivity is here to stay. I'm not going to count timed exclusives in here, because unless you're a really impatient person you can get the game on any console at some point in time. These categories are for the games that will never see the light of day on the "rival" console. So with that in mind it is Gears of War:Ultimate Edition that has to win this crown. I know, I know it is a re-release BUT it is a damn perfect re-release of a game that is actually pretty old. Seriously load up the original and just feel how clunky it is. 

Best PS4 Exclusive: Now I bought my PS4 when I felt like there were enough exclusives on it that I wanted to play. A lot of people give Sony stick for not having exclusives, but I don't really understand where this comes from...I found it much harder to nail down my favourite PS4 exclusive of the year. I haven't been able to play some of the games I have on this yet, so they obviously couldn't enter into the list (sorry Bloodborne!). I opted for the game that I primarily bought the PS4 for, Until Dawn. I bought this and my brother came round the next night to play it and over the next couple of weeks I saw him much more than usual! Until Dawn is basically a game of a cheesy 90's horror film...and that's what makes it GREAT! Graphically the game is superb and the game really does have plenty of shocks. I can't wait to play it again and hopefully save more people!

Best Wii U: Seeing as we've given awards to PS4 and XB1 exclusives we obviously need to do it for the Wii U too. Choosing this was pretty hard too, much harder than it was choosing for XB1. But really there has been one truly stand out game on the Wii U and it ties in with the below award too...

Best Fan Service Game: In a year that saw a bazillion games getting a HD remake "because the fans wanted it" this award should have been a lot harder to give out. But in my mind the only game that can be considered a true fan service this year is Super Mario Maker for the Wii U. Super Mario Maker gave Mario fans the world over the power (and an incredible interface!) to make their own Mario levels. Honestly the UI is something dreams are made of and the ability to share your levels online and download other means you will never run out of Mario levels to try. 

Best Co-op: I love to play games co-op but this year, this gen even, I don't think there have been enough co-op games. Ark: Survival Evolved has changed that, finally. Ark is a great survival game, but it gets infinitely better when played alongside friends. Find it in Early Access now and grab it (if you're not one of 1,000,000+ who has already).

Best Multiplayer: I'm using multiplayer as online and against others to shoehorn this one in here really. And you can play the winner of this co-op in what is actually my favourite mode but anyway Star Wars: Battlefront is my multiplayer game of the year. Which is a good job seeing as the majority of the game is in the Online section. Fast and slick (when you're not suffering from lag anyway) Star Wars Battlefront is the most fun I've had in an online shooter for ages. 

Most Graphically Impressive: There have been many games this year that have been pretty damn beautiful. Hell seeing an AT-AT go down in Star Wars Battlefront is an amazing experience. But I have to say I find myself most blown away by Rise of the Tomb Raider. Even now when I have played a fair bit of it, I still find myself loading it up and being surprised at just how gorgeous it is. 

Shooter of the Year: As much as I have enjoyed the aforementioned Star Wars Battlefront it isn't my shooter of the year. Splatoon on the Wii U is. Just like Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare  did when that was released Splatoon brings the fun back into an over-saturated market, and it is family-friendly which will always win out in this house. But even if you don't have kids to play it with Splatoon is well worth picking up.

Best Character: The last time I did a gaming award thing was a few years ago and Kenny from Telltale's The Walking Dead won it. This award is just a little nod to a fun or well-written character. This year I found it quite hard really, as even though we've had many a brilliant game I don't think there has been much in the way of great characters. It was going to go to Chumbucket from Mad Max because he really did make me laugh, but I felt like this would be to cheapen the award. Life is Strange offered us some great characters but the dialogue was sometimes a bit jarring, which initially put me off giving this award to a character from that. But after much deliberation the only character this award could have gone to is Chloe. She is a really well-written character; she is flawed, scared and angry with a myriad of issues but she's also loyal and fierce. It was great fun getting to know her and I hope to see more of her again.

Best Telltale Game: Ok maybe I'm cheating here, giving Telltale their very own category but bear with me. This year saw the release of three (!) episodic Telltale games: Tales from the Borderlands, Minecraft: Story Mode and Game of Thrones: A Telltale Series. I have been lucky enough to play all three so I'm going to tell you which one you should buy if, for some crazy reason you have limited yourself to just one. And the answer is...Game of Thrones: A Telltale Series every time. This game was the perfect foray into the world of Westeros, featuring plenty of betrayal and nastiness from some of our favourite characters from the show (honestly Cersei's smirk translates just as well to a game world). This game truly pulls the rug out from under you multiple times throughout, and it is all the better for it. 

Honourable Mentions: There are a lot of games that I have had a LOT of fun with this year, so I'm going to give them a mention because I want to spread the love. 

The Escapists - One of the first games I streamed on Twitch when I began earlier this year, it is a great little sandbox game where you have to escape from different prisons. DLC is cheap for those looking for more places to escape from and there has even been FREE DLC! 

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture - I know this game got a lot of stick for being a "walking-sim" but when you really delve into it, was you get is a great story that is beautifully realised. Honestly I was flicking through my Twitter pics the other day and screens of this game were sandwiched between pictures I had taken at Lyme Park. I had to do a double take. It is THAT beautiful.

Sparkle Unleashed - I love me a good ball-busting puzzle game and this has filled the Zuma shaped hole in my XB1. And even though Zuma is now available through backwards compatibility I still find myself down "just one more level" on this. 

Plague Inc. Evolved - A late entry because I only picked it up in the sale but this iOS game has made a great transition to the home console. Well worth picking up!

King's Quest - Another episodic game, but this is releasing much further apart than anything Telltale does and has 1000G per episode! It's a great little game that serves as a decent nostalgia kick for any 90's point and click fans out there. 

Quest of Dungeons - A great little game that you put on for ten minutes and end up forgetting to feed the dog (or children) because of. Buy it.

Ori and the Blind Forest -  This game doesn't need me to give it an honourable mention, I'm yet to speak to someone who didn't love it. But it was a beauty of a game and if you haven't already you should play it. Now. 

Anyone who follows HonestGameReviews will have already read what is below, but if you haven't please read on to find out what my Top Three Picks of 2015 were. I think 2015 has been a damn good year for gaming and I'm excited to see what 2016 can bring us. I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year and I'll see you all in 2016! 

3. The Swindle

The Swindle is easily my favourite indie game of the year and is the perfect example of a simple premise that has been perfectly executed. The graphics are good but the controls and handling are where this game really shines, it is just so slick and responsive. The aim of the game is to complete a number of heists in the hope of doing the big one within 100 days. Each heist is different as they're all randomly generated so no two players games will be the same. Your character can die (mine does a LOT which I'm sure anyone who watches my Twitch streams is surprised to hear) but you can respawn with a new one minus all of the upgrades you had purchased. The Swindle is the perfect game to have pinned for whenever you have a spare ten minutes, but be warned ten minutes is never enough on The Swindle.

2. Life is Strange

Life is Strange is an episodic game that, to date, I have only played through once so it obviously hasn't had that many hours put into it. But this game makes it onto the top three list anyway because it is just that good. Yeah the dialogue is sometimes pretty cringe-y but Life is Strange deals with ideas that are rarely touched upon in this medium and it does it really well. In a year that saw a huge slew of episodic games Life is Strange is the standout title for sure. The graphical style is beautiful and whimsical making Arcadia Bay one of my favourite game locations of the year. For the most part the characters are engaging and well-written, but the best thing about this game is the way in which it explores "The Butterfly Effect". As always I'm spoiler free so I won't go into much more detail, but I see this being in a sale in the not so distant future and if you haven't already bought it then you should definitely pick it up then. Life is Strange is a brave idea of a game that actually worked and I can't wait to play it through again.

1. Fallout 4

Anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE fan of the Fallout franchise, and well, Bethesda in general. Bethesda can do no wrong for me and Fallout 4 has just cemented that for me. Fallout 4 has offered a vast improvement on all previous Fallout games and given us yet another amazing open world to explore. Graphics aren't quite as shiny as some of the other offerings this year, but it's a new Fallout game so most of us can forgive it for that. And for the first time your character has an actual voice - something I never realised I missed in previous Fallout games until this one. You don't need me to go into a ton of detail about a game as huge as Fallout 4, unless you've lived in a bunker you know of it and what it offers to gamers. Fallout 3 had always been the game I'd take to a desert island but Fallout 4 has hopped, skipped and jumped right over it. I have sunk many an hour into it already and barely scratched it's surface. But the time I've spent in the Commonwealth isn't nearly enough, and I fear that I could spend a year of my life on it and still miss some of it's offerings. If you're looking for a game that offers MASSIVE value for money look no further. Buy it. Now.

Worst Game of 2015: Toro

I mean, seriously, if this isn't on everyones worst games list it'll be a miracle. Everything about it is terrible and it had the honour of being the first game I ever deleted from my XB1 and gave a 0 star rating when forced to review it. To be fair on RecoTech they seemed to take all of the stick I sent their way quite well, even sending me multiple copies of their next release for review and giveaways. I'm still trying to decide whether that was meant as more of a punishment though...

One to Watch in 2016: Gears 4

I found this really tough to narrow down, and I was hoping I'd pick a little known indie or something less mainstream. But I'm a MASSIVE Gears fan and I am thoroughly invested in the universe so the opportunity to play another Gears game on the new hardware is hugely exciting for me. With the release of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition earlier this year my excitement for another Gears instalment only grew and I can't wait! Sorry to anyone reading this who was hoping to see something they had missed for next year!

Game of Thrones Ep. 6 (Xbox One) - Review

Well I have well and truly effed things up for the Forrester's....

As I mentioned in my review of Episode 5 of the Telltale Game of Thrones series I felt like they were tying up as much as they could ready for an epic finale. Well I was right.

My heart was pounding from beginning to end during this episode as I watched things go from bad to worse for the Forrester's because of the decisions I had made in the previous episodes. As ever this review will be spoiler free, which I'm sure you are aware is a very difficult task when speaking of Telltale games so as such it will be a fairly short one.

Every arcing story from the previous episodes comes to a head in this final episode. A bloody mess of a head, for me at least. It is nothing short of thrilling from beginning to end, that has left me INCREDIBLY excited for the now confirmed Season 2.

The ending did feel abrupt, but I think that may be because of the dire state I had lead the poor Forrester's into. Decisions I had made previously came back full force to bite me in the ass and I was constantly kicking myself for being such a bitch/walkover/idiot in the previous episodes. Usually game finales have a final swan song for the games hero, but mine (at least) just kinda limped to a very sad and sorry end. And you know what? That made it all the greater.

Telltale does as G.R.R.M does - that is give you a character, make you feel for them and want things for them and the cruelly snatches them away in the bloodiest of ways. Would we want anything else? This game has been as true to the series it comes from as I ever could have hoped for and I can't wait for more. But first I'm gonna replay it all as closely together as I can and come back with a spoilerific review for all of those interested. Keep your eyes peeled!*

*That is once I can tear myself away from the wasteland that is The Commonwealth. Sorry folks.

Game of Thrones Ep. 5 (Xbox One) - Review

The next instalment of Telltale's Game of Thrones game came out last week. Episode Five of Six (eurgh how can it be almost at the end?!) is entitled 'A Nest of Vipers' and picks up where we left off, obviously. But is Episode Five as good as its predecessors?

I have to admit to being bitterly disappointed with this episode. It definitely feels like the lull in the series and has left me wondering whether Telltale should have just stuck to a five episode series as they have done with all games prior to this. It clocks in at very little over an hour long, and when you consider that much of this hour is spent watching cutscenes this episode really does fall short of what you would expect from Telltale.

I could forgive this though if it was edge-of-my-seat storytelling, but aside from the last few minutes which were pretty damn good, it really isn't anything that special. It feels very much like they are tying off a lot of lose ends ready for the next episode, but none of it is that exciting for now. And maybe I was being silly but I was kinda expecting this to be the best episode of the game, seeing as the penultimate episode of the show is usually the one where all the shit goes down.

This episode was the first one where I found myself plagued with bugs too, which was really unfortunate. For the vast majority of my playthrough I had little to no sound, something which was definitely not a problem on my end as some sound was getting through. There is nothing more disengaging in a game like this as having to do the RTE's with no sound effects. I found myself having to dodge blades with no real indication of whether I had actually dodged it effectively or not and with no real warning at all. For the most part the speech came through fine, it was the sound effects that didn't and I have to say I'd have preferred it the other way around, at least with speech you have the option of viewing subtitles.

All this being said it was still a fairly enjoyable foray into the world that Telltale has envisioned. We got to find out who was the traitor inside Ironrath, and I would be interested to see whether it changes depending on decisions you have made throughout the game. Things come to a head for the Limping Lord of Ironrath and the end of the episode is truly frantic.

Overall I'd say this is definitely the weakest episode of the Game of Thrones series so far, but I am still excited to see what is coming next. And anyway, if you wanted the Game of Thrones game you've bought the Season Pass, so it's no extra money out of your pocket for this episode. I just wish it could have reached the climes of the previous ones, as they were bloody fantastic.

Game of Thrones Ep. 4 (Xbox One) - Review

Wow! This was an explosive episode of my favourite Telltale episodic game yet. Yes the Game of Thrones game has managed to kick The Wolf Among Us off the top spot for me. That's a big achievement.

So. You pick up where you left off, obviously, which for me meant feeling shitty that I hadn't stopped Beskha from being hurt by the dragon seeing as she has stuck with me for a long time (or so it seems). This was just one of many regrets I have in this game. I can't wait until they are all out so I can play it over and over again, correcting all the things I have done wrong. Hindsight is a great gift in a Telltale game. But for now I am sticking with the decisions I make in the extremely small amount of time that they give you. And it sucks. Big time.

In the fourth instalment of the Game of Thrones game we get to spend quite a bit of time near/in Mereen with Asher, Beskha and Malcolm(?) Asher's Uncle. At the end of the last episode they had come face to face with Deaenerys. She isn't happy with me, but gives me a job to do - help her to take control of Mereen. I have to admit I absolutely love the nods to the show and how it is all interconnected. Anyway, things do get hairy for a bit, and she gives you the choice of approaching her dragon Viserion. I declined. I'm not absolutely mental.

Gared's story, as I thought, did play a great part in this Episode. I won't ruin it, as you know I am spoiler-free, generally. But suffice it to say that this part of the story is picking up quite a bit. Up to now, I've kinda hated playing as Gared. I hate his whiny voice, and that is mostly my beef with him, because actually his story hasn't been too dull. I just preferred everybody else's before and couldn't wait to get back to them. This is the first episode that I have not wanted Gared's segments to end. A great achievement.

In the previous episodes I guess I kinda forgot that it is clearly running alongside the show, seeing as it shows snippets of both the Red and Purple Weddings. I pitched myself to Tyrion when playing as Myra, forgetting the absolute mess he spent much of last series in. Oops. For now, at least, it seems no one is too mad at me for this. Maergery Tyrell is being a bit funny, but by this point it could be for a number of reasons. I have decided to play Mira as a pretty selfish girl, except for when it comes to her family. So there aren't many people in King's Landing that haven't been thrown under the metaphorical bus for her to get what she wants. And in this episode I was faced with protecting Sera's secret so that she could marry a Lord, or ruining this happy ending by telling him that she is a bastard. Guess which I chose? King's Landing has done horrible, horrible things to me. I am dreading what Sera will say to me when she inevitably finds out, but I figured better to not piss off a Lord. I hope I'm right, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

House Forrester, as always, is a hub of much discontent. They don't seem to have many friends, do they? In this part I will have to say SPOILER ALERT, as I'm not sure how my decisions in the previous episodes have changed what happens here. I managed to save my relationship with Elaena Glenmore, and convince her to marry me in one of the previous Episodes. She turns up with her brother Arthur in this episode, and 20 of their father's best men. YES! Her father has decided that she should marry Gryff Whitehill instead and she has come to see whether I can help her. I am concerned however, as I told her that I would kill Gryff. But I didn't. I didn't mean to save him really, but I accidentally said that I'd trade him for Ryon. I'm hoping I'll be able to double cross him when the trade comes in the next episode. The moment I got to confront Gryff Whitehill was THE BEST. It was perfect. I used the move that Ser Royland had taught me before to bring him to the floor and then banged my cane to bring the Glenmore soldiers in. It was spectacular.

So again, there have been many twists and turns in the fates of the Forresters. And, again, I am eagerly anticipating the next episode. A month is far too long to wait for a game this good. If you haven't already bought it, wait it out and save yourself the pain of having to wait after you've played the newest episode through on release day. The pain is just too much to bear.

10/10 BUY IT! (Eventually)

A code was provided for the purpose of this review. 

Game of Thrones Ep. 3 (Xbox One) - Review

You all know I have been absolutely loving my foray into the Telltale depiction of Westeros so far, so has it continued to keep me gripped into Episode 3?

Well the answer to that is yes. That's it. Review done. If you even remotely like Game of Thrones and do not own this game yet then you are mental. What? You expect more of a review than that? Oh go on then!

This episode sees you pick up where you left off (obviously!) and it is this episode in particular which really shows you how your choices have affected the fates of the Forrester family. This episode, more than either of the previous ones really drills home the sense of desperation the Forrester family must be feeling.

DAENERYS!

In this episode the cast of main characters is pretty well known, leaving more room for the plot to continue. The Whitehill occupation of Ironrath is still causing tension, forcing the limping Lord Rodrik into some kind of action, as always with a Telltale game, the nature of that action is yours to decide. Mira is clinging on in King's Landing, and in my story at least is now in a very precarious position, following the death of King Joffrey at The Purple Wedding. Gared's story at the Wall is also coming along nicely, and looks sure to be a brilliant part in the next episode. Asher makes his way to Mereen, and we meet the next big character from the show... Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen, Mother of Dragons, etc. etc. Seriously how does she even recite all her titles anymore?

This episode, more than either of its predecessors had me hooked from start to finish. My heart was beating so fast in certain parts and I have questioned most of the decisions I have made almost constantly, to the point where I am now pissing off my other half with my constant ramblings about the state of House Forrester ('How will they cope if another one dies?' etc.). If you want a Game of Thrones gaming experience that feels true to the franchise then the Telltale game is the only way to go. They've hit the nail on the head with this one, and I cannot wait for the next three instalments.

10/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Tales from the Borderlands Episode One (Xbox One) - Review

Hopefully you all know me enough by now to know I am a massive fan of Telltale Games and all that they do. Well almost all that they do. Because it turns out that I am not a fan of their foray into the world of Pandora.

My favourite Telltale Game by far is The Wolf Among Us. Even now that they have married two of my great loves and made the Game of Thrones episodic, I just can't displace Wolf Among Us from that top spot it so rightly deserves. It is fantastic. Don't get me wrong I have loved the Walking Dead series and I am really enjoying the Game of Thrones one too, but Wolf is the one that I would recommend to anyone new to beauty of a Telltale episodic game.

There is no doubt that the artstyle of Telltale Games lends itself brilliantly to Borderlands. It seemed like a match made in heaven and one that I was eagerly anticipating. But it falls short in many ways. The thing that I, along with many others I expect, love the most about Borderlands is the anarchy. Borderlands is absolutely mental. There are no rules, you run around killing anything and everything and hoping to score some wicked loot. And that is where it's beauty lies - in the simplicity of it. The story is neither here nor there (for me anyway) and I play the game purely for the fun of it. The unparalleled joy of getting a new gun and unloading it into a midget psycho.

You play as this bad ass. And this hapless sap. 

The Telltale episodic misses out on this I feel. The story in it feels kinda lazy too, with you being able to adapt it via your character just telling the tale to the person who has captured you. There are some thrilling moments, but it all feels removed as you struggle to feel anything for the characters you are playing as. I can honestly say I didn't really care what happened to any of them, a real shame as I think it is empathy for a characters situation that drives the Telltale games.

There was a really cool little bit when I had completed the game and skipped the credits. In the same vain that they use in the game when you make a decision that can change the course of the narrative it came across the top that 'Telltale Games will remember that' which did make me giggle.

Overall this game just doesn't work for me. It feels pretty lazy and lacks the emotive writing of Telltale's other offerings. It may get better as more episodes release, but for now I'd say it's safe to skip it until it's in the sale. Grab it in the half price Telltale Collection if they run the offer again and you definitely won't feel robbed. The other games in the collection more than make up for this one.

5/10 TRY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Game of Thrones Ep. 2 (Xbox One) - Review

If you've been reading my blog you will remember that I gave the first episode in the new Telltale Game of Thrones series a 10/10, so the second had a lot to live up to...

Well I'll cut to the chase and say that it did! In many ways it was better, mostly because you started to see the effects of your decisions in the first episode, many of the decisions made in episode one are quite far reaching, indeed, you didn't really see many consequences in the first episode.

In this episode we get to meet Jon Snow! Gared makes it to the wall and after making some friends/enemies we get to go to the top of the wall with the man himself. It is a great rendering of Jon Snow, just as dour as he is in the TV series and I was truly excited when in the trailer for this episode I first got a glimpse of him.

Jon Snow. He knows nothing...

We also got to see a bit more of Mira in King's Landing and see how the choices you made in the first episode effect her life there. Which I think up to now has been one of the most interesting parts of the game. I don't really like Mira though, but there's no mistaking the fact that she is playing in the big leagues with regards to who she can reach out to.

Lord Whitehill makes another appearance at House Forrester, to gloat and be generally horrible. There are many things going on in House Forrester which I won't ruin here, but suffice it to say that it is incredibly interesting.

We also get to play as Asher, the Forrester that was exiled to Essos. Although I don't know how for me really as I chose NOT to send Malcolm to Essos in search of him, maybe I found a glitch? Anyhow I'm not going to complain. Asher is a great character that I feel will really come into his own when or if he makes it back to Westeros.

Asher in Essos. Try saying it drunk.

Reviews for these games are fairly difficult to do, as I really don't want to spoil any of the big surprises for you guys. But, just like in the show, the twists and turns keep coming and it really keeps you on your toes. There is no slacking on this game, with every decision you make you may be endangering the lives of others, and lets be honest its Game of Thrones, you probably are. With each choice that comes I am constantly pressing the corresponding button at the last minute as I desperately struggle to decipher every possible way it could be construed. It's a real thinker and I absolutely love it for that. There have been many Game of Thrones games to date, but none has captured the true spirit of Westeros quite like this one has. If you haven't already got it DO IT. At the time of writing this the whole Telltale Collection is half price on the store, and in my opinion they are five games that you just can't do without!

10/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Game of Thrones Episode One (Xbox One) - Review

Ethan - House Forresters 'Little Lord'

I have been eagerly awaiting this game since its announcement, which feels like ages ago! I am a huge fan of both Game of Thrones and basically any game Telltale have released. I love what they do with each universe, and the first episode of their new Game of Thrones series is no different.

You play as various members of the House Forrester, as well as the Lord's squire, Gared. The game starts off at the Red Wedding(!) and seeing as the House Forrester have been loyal Stark banner men for centuries, you can guess it isn't going to go well...

You didn't get to see much of Tyrion Lannister *sob*

Now that's where the spoilers begin and end from me. I won't go into the story too much, as it will be much better experienced naturally when you decide to pick up the game (which you will!). I did stream it on my Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/danniekitten) and will be doing another play through making different decisions in the her future. So keep an eye on my Twitter to see when that is happening.

In this first episode you play as three people...Gared the squire, Ethan the 'Little Lord' and Mira - Ethan's sister who is in Kings Landing with Maergery Tyrell. This playing as multiple characters was something I didn't think would bring much to the table in all honesty, but it pans out great. With each decision you make as one character the game is forcing you to think about how that may effect the rest of the House Forrester. It really does feel true to the Game of Thrones experience. Theres something I did playing as Mira that hasn't had an affect yet, so I am very eager toe ee when that will come back into play, and probably bite me in the ass!

Ramsay Snow and Lord Whitehill

There are many moments in this short episode (completed in about 2hr 30 mins) that are completely jaw-dropping and I was definitely not ready for the episode to end when it did - much like the television series! The pacing of it is great, the graphics are exactly what you would expect from the brilliant Telltale and the characters you meet from the show are brilliant! Cersei and Ramsay in particular are instantly recognisable and just as nasty as they are in the show!

My one criticism for this game is that it just wasn't long enough. I want more, much more and the wait for the next episode is going to kill me. I could have seen more of Tyrion too, because why the hell would you not want to?! And given that this game series takes place between the Red Wedding and the upcoming Season Five I do wonder how much of him we are going to see....

Queen Bitch...I mean Cersei

If you are a fan of Game of Thrones then this should already be downloading! If you're not then I do question your mental health but I can honestly whole-heartedly still recommend this game. It has enough nods to the series to keep a die hard fan happy, but you don't necessarily have to watch the show to be able to enjoy the game. It is a stand alone story which doesn't have an effect on the show, it gives us an entirely new family never seen before in the show so try it and you never know, maybe you'll like the show too. At any rate I think everyone should be buying this game! Buy it and buy it now!

10/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.