Yes, because we find Jon Snow and not only
Game of Thrones Kingsroad is a free-to-play game that takes place directly in the universe of the series as we know it. More precisely, the action takes place during season 4 and follows the trajectory of Jon Snow, at the time when the latter defends the Wall against the White Walkers. Even if the latter is present and modeled in the game, it is not him that we play but a bastard heir of House Tyre, a new noble house, created for the needs of the game. Your character, regardless of the gender you have previously chosen (male or female, you have the choice) will be determined according to three character classes: knight, mercenary and assassin.
The customization tool for your avatar is very advanced and the integrations with the iconic characters of the saga are successful (hello Jamie Lannister), whether they are good (the members of the Night's Watch, like Samwell Tarly) or villains (Roose and Ramsay Bolton). The game is regularly updated by Netmarble, so the roster of guests should logically be expanded in the future.
Yes, because the gameplay is effective and the environment faithful and coherent
It's not just the characters we meet that faithfully remind us of Westeros. The places we cross or explore do too. The iconic locations of the series, such as the Wall or Winterfell, are successful. During the many hours we spent on PC exploring this ultimately well-known universe, we were amazed by the graphic quality of the game, which, let's remember, is primarily designed as a mobile game, which it also is by nature. Technically, everything holds up, the NPCs move around without problems, there is life all around us, and this, constantly in the dedicated areas (we think of the different houses, their villages and their buildings). It must be said that the game runs on the Unreal Engine 5, which explains its stable side, its ambitious aspect and the fact that it is as qualitative and fluid on PC as on mobile. And, icing on the cake, in the launch menu, as quite often during the game, our ears are lulled to the sound of the theme of the series, composed by Ramin Dwajadi.
Mechanically, the game takes up the classic codes of an action-RPG. We collect a certain number of objects and materials during the adventure, which we sell or use to improve our equipment. Regardless of the class, the player has a skill tree to develop, with the possibility of resetting if the evolution of his character – which we also evolve in different categories, such as vitality, strength, speed or dexterity – does not suit us. You can travel on foot, quickly (once you've discovered the area and for a fee), on horseback, or on the back of a wolf, making the walk and exploration much more enjoyable.
As for pure action, you can parry, dodge, and activate special techniques (usually deadly combos), all of which have a waiting time. The idea is to quickly understand which technique is most effective against a type of enemy, to quickly get rid of it and move on to the next one. If Games of Thrones Kingsroad is intended to be a single-player game, online multiplayer is available, with dedicated quests, as well as live events (appearance of really tough monsters on the map) to liven things up. In short, between that and the main story, there's no time to get bored.
No, because everything isn't perfect and the economic model is problematic
We had a good experience on Game of Thrones Kingsroad, there's no denying it. The immersion is total, especially if you're a long-time fan of the series, with connections to the story and rather interesting interactions with the characters. The exploration aspect is nice, the map is huge, the side missions are well and truly present, and even if we're dragged from one point to another in the main story, with quests of sometimes questionable interest, we appreciated the mechanics offered and the combat system, not revolutionary in the least but effective.
The problem is that Kingsroad suffers a lot on the technical side. We noted bugs in interactions with NPCs, dialogues that wouldn't start, missing scenery elements or offset inlays (basically, the image is only complete a few seconds after arriving in front of a given location or place). Even a bit of lag in some fights, which is always problematic when you want to parry to counterattack.
But the game's biggest problem lies in its economic model. And this is where we must remember that GOT Kingsroad is first and foremost a mobile game, regardless of its presence on PC. The monetary aspect comes back regularly and very quickly in the game. You have to pay to resurrect after death to keep the loot you had previously collected, pay to quickly go from one point to another, and get RP points to complete certain side missions. While these seem secondary at the beginning of the game, they are actually essential to allow your character to evolve. Because in Kingsroad, there are areas that are only accessible with a very required level of vitality and some fights are practically impossible to win, regardless of your skill and resilience, without having reached this famous level of vitality. Since we are addressing the sensitive subjects, we would have liked not to have the impression of fighting two, three types of enemies maximum, since they all look the same. But hey, after all, this flaw is also found elsewhere. On the other hand, the game is very rich in information and objectives, a little too much even since we are not necessarily well guided on the effects of this or that artifact, or this or that stake. As a result, you can quickly feel overwhelmed and/or overwhelmed by the steps to follow, with a flood of notifications after each completed fight or mission that you end up dismissing.
Now that Kingsroad is officially out and available for free – remember that early access was paid, which inevitably caused some complaints – we can reasonably think that Netmarble will do everything to Improve its product and try to please as many people as possible. By changing policy? Probably not. By making its game a little less “pay to fast”? Certainly. We'll have an answer in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we remind you that if you want to try Game of Thrones Kingsroad, the game is available on PC and mobile.
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