Telltale Games has shared the first details for its upcoming Game of Thrones game series, confirming today that the video game adaptation will premiere on PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, PC/Mac, and iOS, "with additional platforms to be announced." Although no release date was announced for "Iron From Ice" — the first of six planned episodes — Telltale did give us an overview of the overall game series.
"Based on HBO's award-winning television drama, Game of Thrones – A Telltale Games Series tells the story of House Forrester. Caught up in the events of The War of the Five Kings, they are placed in a precarious position where members of the household must do everything they can to prevent the house from meeting its doom," Telltale said, adding that their game series is based on the world, characters and events seen in HBO's Game of Thrones show, which is actually based on George R.R. Martin's books (A Song of Ice and Fire).
The events in Telltale's series begin towards the end of Season Three of the TV show, and end right before the beginning of Season Five. I don't want to spoil anything for those who have yet to watch the show, but it's pretty easy to look up what happened around the end of Season Three. Telltale also promises you'll visit familiar locations such as King's Landing and The Wall, as well as unfamiliar locations such as Ironrath, the home of House Forrester.
Now most of you are probably unfamiliar with the Forresters. That's because they are canon to the world created by George R.R. Martin, mentioned in the book "A Dance with Dragons," but never appearing in the actual HBO show. So here's a brief explanation provided by Telltale.
House Forrester is a noble house from the Wolfswood in the north of Westeros. Bannermen to House Glover, they have always offered unswerving loyalty to the ruling great house of the North – the Starks. The Forresters are seated at Ironrath, an imposing stronghold surrounded by towering ironwood trees. Built over fifteen hundred years ago by Cedric Forrester and his triplet sons, Ironrath is a testament to the strength and endurance of Ironwood. The Forrester house words are 'Iron from Ice', which echoes their belief that – like the ironwood itself – the adverse conditions and unforgiving landscape of the North only makes them stronger.
Ironrath sits on the edge of the largest ironwood forest in Westeros, which has proven to be a strategic advantage for the House. The trees are a valuable commodity; many of the best weapons, ships, and defensive structures include the use of ironwood. House Forrester controls the majority of the ironwood forests in the Wolfswood, much to the chagrin of their bitter rivals, House Whitehill.
Telltale also confirmed that you'll be playing the game from five different points of view — each character a member of House Forrester; either a direct family member, or a person in service to the house. Characters are scattered across Westeros and Essos, each playing a part in seeking to save House Forrester from destruction. And of course, the decisions you make will impact the events that unfold throughout the season.
"Playing as five characters not only reflects the epic scope of Game of Thrones, but is also something that the player needs to be mindful of. This is because the actions of one character can ripple out to affect the rest of House Forrester. Multiply the actions of one character by five, and you're truly playing the Game of Thrones…where you win, or you die," Telltale teased.
Telltale promises more details about the premiere episode, "Iron From Ice," are still to come, but it's nice to finally have an overview of what the first season is about. Unfortunately, no pricing details have been announced. I'm assuming each episode will be priced at $4.99 each with a Season Pass offering a slight discount on all six episodes.
