The fourth installment of TellTale Games’ Game of Thrones series came out a couple of weeks ago. I played it the day it released, but due to time constraints and my recent computer build-off, I’m just now getting around to write about it. Overall it was a fun episode and had more intense moments that I have come to love. On with my choices!

The episode opens with the player in control of Gared. He had just killed off Britt, who was responsible for the slaying of Gared’s family. Gared gets locked up inside the dungeon of Castle Black, but not before Finn actually comes to his aid, at least with words, while Frostfinger is berating him as a killer. Inside the cell, it isn’t long before Cotter comes to free Gared, as he is a former Wildling and wants to leave Castle Black anyway. Gared and Cotter sneak off and because I had made peace with Finn, he shows up during the escape. I chose to bring him along, as did the majority of players.

Back at Ironrath, Royland is training Rodrik to fight despite his injured leg. The Glenmore Elite forces show up, and a plan is put in motion to expell Gryff and his forces from the family home. This doesn’t take long to accomplish, and soon Rodrik is face to face with Gryff, and bashes him a bit. You can choose to stop at any time, but I put a good beating on him, and more than half of the players did too. There’s a bigger conspiracy brewing though, as it’s discovered that there has to be a spy in their midst. As a result all of the crows are killed.

In King’s Landing, Mira is still at odds with Margaery, so she is forbidden to enter Tommen’s coronation feast, despite knowing that she needs to get into it. She’s trying to figure out who is Lord Whitehill’s contact in the city so she can attempt to meddle with arrangements and help her family from afar. Mira manages to convince Sera to help her get into the gathering, but also gains some inside knowledge of Sera’s bastard-hood. Shuffling about the party, talking to various nobles, you eventually talk to Lord Tarwick, who is in the process of courting Sera. There comes a point where you can use Sera’s secret in exchange for information from Lord Tarwick, and that’s exactly what I did. Apparently King’s Landing is wearing off on me, and I’m in the minority with this choice.

As I mentioned earlier, Ironrath is in peril. There is a spy within its walls, and Rodrik is summoned to meet with Lord Whitehill at Highpoint. This is an opportunity to parley as it were, but they also leave their home vulnerable to attack. You have to choose who to take with you, be it Royland or Duncan, and if you take the Glenmore Elite with you or leave them behind. I chose to take the Glenmore soldiers with me, in the event the “truce” isn’t what it seems. I left Royland behind to guard Ironrath, as I felt his military mind may be best suited to the task. This was also a choice many did not make.

The last choice revolved around Asher and Beskha. You basically end up in service of Daenerys Targaryen, in her attempt to free Mereen from slavery. There comes a point where you go through the arduous task of killing all of the guards at a post that surrounds a beacon (a warning system for the upper class in the city). Several other groups are performing the same task in different parts of the city. Completing this task will allow the unsullied and the former slaves to rebel against their masters (this should sound familiar from last season of the TV show). During the course of this episode it is revealed that Beskha is a former slave from Mereen, and while you are heading to this beacon to perform your duty, Beskha runs off on her own. You follow and find her attacking a man who turns out to be her former master. She begs you let her kill him, while your commanding officer wants her to stop. I’m ruthless this episode. The slave master died. Apparently most players of this game aren’t so vicious.

That’s it for my choices. There were other important plot points and details in this episode, but I tried to keep it relatively spoiler-free. I’ll be back with the next episode in 6-8 weeks or so (whenever it’s released). Til next time.

#gameofthrones #telltalegames #narrative #interactivestory