Game of Thrones – Game of Death

Game of Thrones is an RPG made by Cyanide Studio and was released back in 2012 to not much fanfare. At first glance, it looks like a typical low-budget title cashing in on something popular outside of gaming, and by the visuals, it clearly is – budget that is. Even so, this game after a comprehensive play-through is fantastic, a true hidden gem in my opinion. It’s based on the TV series with the same name and does interact with it in minor ways – which adds to the enjoyment if you followed the show back in the day.

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Alpha Protocol – Espionage Stumble

Alpha Protocol could have been a masterwork of an RPG, the story, setting, and non-linear way of interacting with the narrative and characters I think is still unmatched to this day… but. The mission/level gameplay outside hub-area sauntering is absolutely awful. It’s both a major disappointment, because of the could-have-been, and baffling – how could it even turn out this bad? It’s not unplayable in any way, it’s just that it’s not very fun, especially since making a comparison to other games in the stealth genre the feeling gets so much worse. Imagine a Splinter Cell with this kind of narrative and the roleplaying elements from Alpha Protocol. It would be nothing less than a dream coming true, and oh so close we were to that dream.

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White Pond Games (Urban Strife) – Interview

The isometric turn-based tactical game, Urban Strife, is one of my most anticipated upcoming games this year. It’s basically Jagged Alliance 2, with updated 3D graphics, set in the zombie apocalypse. So, what’s not to like? It’s made by the Romanian studio White Pond Games, and I managed to score an interview with the crew over e-mail. Down below, you can read some hopefully interesting tidbits about this upcoming title!

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Icewind Dale II – Temple Hell

I can’t critique the full game since I have not finished it, and unfortunately, I’m not sure how likely that will be. Anyways, talk about a game that goes from awesome RPG goodness to a pure bore of the slog +2…

Let’s start with the good parts. The intro, like the first Icewind Dale, is great and gets me into the adventure headspace immediately. Creating the characters for your party is fun – especially now considering the engine was updated to D&D 3.0 edition rule set (which is my favorite version) from 2.0. The prologue and the first chapter have a magnificent feel to them, a freezing old town under siege by goblins and orcs. Mercenaries and guards are all over the place, and with an exciting narrative that steers towards conspiracy and treason.

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