Telltale’s Game of Thrones-Everything
you’ve been fighting for up to this point is finally in front of you. The third
episode of Telltale’s Game of Thrones will decide whether or
not you get what you want, and whether or not you need to stop thinking and
just start running.
The Sword in
the Darkness does an excellent job of mirroring the Game of Thrones HBO
series’ tendency to place a high-tension, high-energy episode smack in the
middle of a season. Episode Three never lets you catch your breath; each scene
features major choices with consequences that ripple out to this chapter's
credits--characters will continue to harp on decisions made early in the
episode--and hint at larger problems to come in following episodes.
Episode
Three upset me in ways the first two episodes haven’t. It made me physically
anxious. As someone who has read all the books in A Song of Ice and Fire
and generally knows what’s coming in the television series, it’s fabulously
disturbing to see Telltale’s characters get kicked around and have no idea how
their story ends.
You will let
a lot of people down in The Sword in the Darkness. Every plot-hinging choice
leaves someone you love out in the cold, debating how much they can trust you.
You must choose between family and best friends, mothers and sisters, the lady
you’ve sworn to serve and the lord you’ve made a dubious pact with. Friendships
and alliances are made at the expense of breaking others. Game of Thrones nails
the sentiment that author George R. R. Martin hammers home across A Song of
Ice and Fire: you can’t please everyone, and the second you displease
someone, you better watch your back.
The Sword in
the Darkness brings plot threads that were left free-floating in Episode Two to their high points. Rodrick
struggles to stand his ground against the cruel Whitehills while still treading
carefully because the youngest Forrester, Ryon, remains the Whitehills’
captive. Half a world away, Asher and Beskha, joined by Malcolm, chase Daenerys
Targaryen across the desert, searching for an army of sellswords to bring home
to Ironrath. In King’s Landing, on the eve of the royal wedding, Mira must
choose between waiting for Margaery Tyrell to have time to help her and seeking
out her own, less favorable alliances. Gared, just as he’s settling into life
with the Night’s Watch, is thrown a curve ball that proves he can’t escape his
past.
It is in
this episode that you finally see the fruits of your labor bloom; every big
choice you’ve made in Episode One and Two catches up with you.
Situations you tried to clean up, like the strange incidents with Mira and the
coal boy or negotiating alliances with other northern houses, are proven to be
un-cleanable. Everything you’ve worked for can be destroyed in seconds or made
worse, depending on the people you side with.
Decisions
available to you, as members of House Forrester, always revolve around what is
best for the family. But some family members and their allies differ in what
they feel is the right course of action. Episode Three brings to the forefront
the struggle to keep your family placated and safe, either by listening to them,
making empty promises, or acting on your own when you don’t have time to
consult them. There’s a moment where Rodrick has to choose between standing up
to the Whitehills to defend his little sister Talia, or biting his tongue and
taking the abuse because his mother worries what repercussions his actions will
have on Ryon’s safety. It’s a powerful moment, being forced to choose between
your mother and your sister, showing weakness and allowing your enemy to walk
all over you in hopes the danger subsides, or standing tall and showing
strength because your baby sister is counting on you. The outcome is awful no
matter what, because you’ve let someone down either way, and you always feel
horrible.
There aren’t
many combat sections in The Sword in the Darkness, as most of the episode is
focused on verbally navigating situations and choosing the heinousness of the
lies you tell. There is also not much time given to exploring environments, and
in each segment when you get to poke around, you’re looking for something
within a time limit. Twice I had to search for things--like a piece of paper or
an escape route--while enemies were on the approach, leaving little room to
look around. It’s a bit disappointing, as it takes away from the world feeling
lived-in, with objectives in straight lines rather than allowing some wiggle
room.
Once again,
the Forresters continue to be the most interesting characters on screen, and
their plight is much more interesting than what’s going on with Jon Snow or Margaery.
But the way Game of Thrones’ canon characters come into play in Episode Three
is great. Their presence seamlessly weaves into and out of the plot, with small
things like a brief comment from Cersei Lannister making Margaery question your
loyalty. Tyrion, Cersei, Margaery, they’re not just dangerous people to placate
with conversation anymore; they are now completely in charge of your fate.
Most of this
is witnessed through Mira’s storyline, as she has the most direct contact with
them. As of Episode Three, Mira’s story is by far the most intriguing, as she’s
playing with fire on a level a little higher than her siblings. Her plot
started off slow in the first two episodes, but her struggle is the center of
Episode Three, and she’s playing a game as intricate as those currently
struggling for Westeros’ crown.
Asher and
Beshka’s tale continues to delight, as the two of them play beautifully off
each other with their bantering and sibling-like bond. The Ironrath plot,
however, is starting to get dull; Rodrick and those left behind in the North
continue to beat their heads against the Whitehills to no avail. The events are
repetitive: Rodrick or another Forrester stands up to the Whitehill member in
charge, the Forresters get slapped around, and the Whitehill in charge is
replaced with another Whitehill a little meaner than the last. Each Whitehill
makes the same promise to destroy the Forresters if they don't submit to authority,
but so far there's only been some light kicking and punching. As of now, the
Whitehills don’t feel like a threat as devastating as Ramsay Snow, but I’m
unwilling to discount them just yet.
And finally,
Gared and his secret about the North Grove have been given more attention and
care within the narrative. What was tossed around briefly in the last two
episodes is finally in the spotlight and becomes a matter of grave importance
very quickly. Just like the series it’s based on, Game of Thrones has taken
something small and seemingly minor and ripped off the curtain to reveal it as
the most important thing you know.
Game of
Thrones’ third episode succeeds in making you feel like the rest of the season
is hinging on the decisions you make. It marks the narrative apex so far, the
highest dramatic climax, with its barrage of tough choices in rapid succession.
You can’t help but feel bad for these characters; it looks like there’s no way
for them to win. If you’ve been playing it safe up to this point, deferring to
answers that keep the characters safe and relatively benign, you’re in for a
rude awakening. Episode Three marks the beginning of the end for neutrality.
There are tough decisions to make and no way around them, making this episode
true to the Game of Thrones atmosphere at its core.
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