Telltale Games is back with a new episodic adventure and this time they've partnered up with HBO to bring the massive hit, Game of Thrones, to the world of video games. Telltale games has been on a roll as of late with their titles and unique style of gameplay and storytelling. Can Telltale keep the hits coming with such a huge property like Game of Thrones tied in? My guess is yes. Before we go too far into this review, I’m about to drop a pop culture bomb on you. I don’t watch Game of Thrones. So I was a little concerned that on my overall enjoyment of the game would be impaired. A few minutes in, I was relieved that wasn't the case. In true Telltale fashion, the narrative is so carefully crafted that it can stand on its own to people who have never seen the show, while also giving fans their Game of Thrones fix with an abundance of fan service. Those are very difficult things to do and Telltale pulls it off seamlessly.

Being thrust into a new world, there is a lot of narrative to be set up in this game. The events begin towards the end of season three of the series and takes you through to season five. That being said, there could be some “spoilers” laced throughout if you’re playing catch up on the TV show. The narrative is presented through three main protagonists that all hail from the Forrester House; Gared Tuttle, the squire and Maria and Ethan Forrester. The characters are all working towards doing what’s best for the House Forrester. As you make decisions that dictate a portion of the story, you can either begin to gain the trust of supporting character’s or start to plant the seeds of discontent. Speaking of supporting characters, you are introduced to a massive amount of them and they are spewing gallons of exposition. All of that veers dangerously close to becoming this numbing white noise that attempts to lock you into this world. Unfortunately, there are times that you will find yourself praying for someone, hell anyone, to pull a sword on just to get you some action.

While Game of Thrones enthusiasts will probably find all of this very riveting, it runs the danger of becoming taxing and could turn new fans off. While there are great moments throughout, unfortunately, they're too few and far between. While it’s easy to pick on these smaller things, the Telltale team are in the midst of laying down some interesting ground work that will take time to unfold into possible greatness. I will say that the “cliffhanger” at the end of the episode does a fanatics job in dropping an awesome moment that almost all but insures the purchase of the second episode for fans.

Here’s the real question: is Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice for fans only? Yes and no. If you are a fan then this will no doubt be right up your alley and just going by how popular this show is, there are a lot of you fans out there. If you're new to the Game of Thrones world, the first episode can be a little intimidating early on, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that ultimately makes Game of Thrones Episode 1: Iron from Ice worth checking out.

Score: 3/5

Rated: Mature Developer: Telltale Games Publisher: Telltale Games Price: $4.99 USD or $24.99 USD for the Season Pass Release Date: 12/02/14 Platform Reviewed: X-Box One