Game of Thrones: KingsRoad Review

Game of Thrones doesn't need any introduction. It's probably among the most-watched TV series of all time and, of course, among the most popular. While the video game adaptation for several movies and TV series has worked really well, there hasn't been a memorable one for Game of Thrones. Yes, there have been a few tries before by some studios, but it's been a while since the last Game of Thrones game for any platform was released.

Well, we get The Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, as it's finally available to us. The timing of the release, however, could've been a better one. Because it has arrived closer to the period of the much bigger titles, such as Kingdom Come Deliverance II and the newly released Assassin's Creed: Shadows, you might wonder if it's worth spending more on this new Game of Thrones title, even if it's somewhat reasonably priced.

As mentioned, it's arriving close to much bigger titles, and it's obvious that Game of Thrones: Kingsroad won't compete with the aforementioned. However, whether you're a Game of Thrones fan or not, it should be clear that this could be a game you can simply get on the side while you take a break from enjoying the bigger fish.

You ought to know that Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is currently only available on PC, and as of right now, there's no confirmation of when the game will arrive on consoles. Now, the next thing to think about is whether this game is worth getting at all. Let alone have it as a side piece? Well, I'm here to tell you that, in my opinion, the game is actually surprisingly good. I'll explain more in a moment.

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad brings you a story-driven RPG action adventure. Set during the second half of Game of Thrones Season 4, your character has become a new addition to the franchise. The tale involves you playing the role of an illegitimate child from a small house in the North of House Tyre, and you're on a journey to create your own legacy.

You must avenge the death of your brothers and restore your house to what it once was. On top of that, you must coagulate your political position and traverse through the feud between the Westeros houses. You get to grow heirs, rebuild houses, and more. But before you get into the action, you're required to select one of three classes, all of which come with their own unique combat styles, strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and so on.

If you were to choose the 'Sellsword' class, you'd be the illegitimate child of the head of House Tyre, Marrok Tyre, who's also the last in the family line. When this class was young, it received rocky and intense training under the guidance of House Umber, which resulted in possessing the skills that a brute mercenary would require. As you move from each battle, you stumble upon an emergency summons for you to make your own way home.

If you were to choose the 'Knight' class, you're also the illegitimate child of Marrok Tyre, and after you've trained to be a fierce knight errant, you leave your home. During your dedicated service as an apprentice knight for House Rykker, you've learned of your father's sickness worsening and, because of this, have decided to go back to his homeland.

If you were to pick the 'Assassin' class, you're the third born of Marrok Tyre, and you live to serve as the quiet messenger to your family. Your training is usually at night to learn how to hunt in the dark. As you're undertaking a mission in Lord Harroway's town, just like the 'Knight' class, you've been given the message of some devastating news regarding Marrok's deteriorating health and have decided to go back home.

Then, after choosing a class, you get to pick the gender, followed by customizing the look of the character from that class. Since I've selected the 'Assassin' class, I can only tell you my experience with the class. The reason for picking this class is that, with my play style, I emphasize using stealth as a primary approach and would only go out of the shadows if need be. Which comes to fruition in Game of Thrones: Kingsroad.

Now, let's discuss why I mentioned that Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is surprisingly good. For starters, the story is pretty intriguing and nicely written. It does enough to grab and maintain your interest, although there are a few stale moments. Other than that, the story is quite impressive overall. Moreover, you'll endure some cool quick time events, so you'd need to pay more attention during cutscenes.

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad has a sizeable map for you to enjoy, along with the minimap that gives you details about your surroundings. The minimap also helps you find directions to your destination, random events, enemy locations, and much more. The World Map displays the entirety of the Westeros region, but you won't be shown undiscovered locations on this map.

However, when you unlock new areas on the map, you'll be able to view their points of interest on the map. Plus, you have the scan feature that allows you to unlock, gather, open, loot, investigate, and more on your interests. You also have your trusted horse. However, its animations are very amateurish and robotic.

Combat in Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is decent; you get to perform a couple of combos, counterattacks, and so on against enemies and engage in enjoyable boss fights. Speaking of boss fights, they're very engaging and the most enjoyable aspect of the game's combat, moreover, with the use of weaponry such as swords, longbows, axes, crossbows, and daggers.

Unfortunately, considering how repetitive the combat is, thankfully, what gives the combat its shine is mechanics, such as the skills system you acquire as you progress and the rage feature. The 'skills' feature is sort of like your special moves that not only add more spice to your battles but also impose more damage on enemies. You can store up to four skills, each of which requires you to activate them whenever you're ready and then have to wait for a cool-down period before being able to use them again.

The game's stealth is commendable, as there are multiple ways of eliminating enemies inconspicuously. And since I am in the assassin class, this is more useful for me. Approach from behind and perform cool sneak takedowns. However, you'd need to attack quickly, as enemies can detect you if you get too close. You can also strike from farther distances.

Your character has a trait tree that allows you to activate specific nodes in the tree. You'll have three different trait trees: attack, defense, and support, all of which have their own nodes. The nodes feature cool abilities and upgrades such as parrying ability, increased stamina, and much more.

If you don't want to play alone, you can also take advantage of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad's co-op features. You and a friend can engage in many wild battles against a variety of creatures and beasts from the actual universe of Game of Thrones. As a bonus, you earn some nice rewards for a job well done for all your hard work on the battlefield.

Like I said before, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is a surprisingly compelling RPG that you can enjoy on the side when you want to take a little time off from playing the big boys. And it's pretty impressive that for such a low price, you're getting a fun-packed experience to satisfy your RPG tastebuds. Now, obviously, there are glaring flaws, such as poorly crafted animations in many areas and limited customization options. But for the price, you can't really complain. Would definitely recommend this game.