Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series - A Sword in the Darkness
Overview -
'The Sword in the Darkness' is the third episode in the six episode 'Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series,' following 'Iron From Ice' and 'The Lost Lords'.
Video Review
As the series goes on, I find myself less and less attracted by the pastel overlay that covers all of the visuals. It was introduced to give this medieval fantasy setting a kind of watercolor aesthetic, but it tends to gloss everything over. 'Game of Thrones' is dark and gritty and bloody. Behind every smile and good deed is a carefully planned attack, just waiting to be sprung. Perhaps making it look like a painting isn’t the right choice. It’s not bad-looking, just kind of tampers with the mood.
I mention it in almost every review for a Telltale game, and I will keep mentioning it. The stutters and skips have not been worked out, nor are they likely to be worked out for the rest of this season, or as long as Telltale goes without updating or overhauling the engine. Mostly they are more of an annoyance than a hindrance.
Audio Review
The voice acting remains quite good, both for the TV show’s cast members and the video game characters. Peter Dinklage stands out, as does the actor for Rodrik Forrester. A new cast member from the show makes a welcome appearance towards the end, and will almost certainly have a larger role in the next episode.
Final Thoughts
With 'A Sword in the Darkness,' 'Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series' is making great progress. Blasphemous though it may be, I’m beginning to like the series even more than their 'Walking Dead' project, and that is also an excellent franchise. Like any great episodic game, high quality episodes make me wait for the next one even more impatiently.