Can Episode 2 carry on the great start from Iron from Ice?
Note: This review may contain spoilers for both the Telltale episodic series as well as the HBO show, so be warned!
Iron from Ice was an episode I didn’t expect, with plenty of choices to choose from and repercussions still to follow, I delved into Episode 2 “The Lost Lords” wondering how they could top that excellent cliffhanger to the first episode where young Ethan Forrester was murdered by Ramsay Bolton for his defiance. It was a twist I didn’t see coming and one that puts the House Forrester at serious risk. How can it survive without a proper Lord?
Well, it doesn’t last for long as Rodrik Forrester who is thought to have died at the Frays’ betrayal at The Twins is injured, but alive and takes up the Lordship of the House. He’ll probably never walk right again after his leg met with a sword during Iron from Ice, which puts him in a vulnerable position to his opponents and allies. We also catch up with the Forresters’ squire Gared, who was sent to The Wall after the incident during Episode 1, he gets in trouble straight away and soon enough, joins a few conversations with…you guessed it, Jon Snow.
Mira is still in King’s Landing, while asking Margaery if she will help Rodrik convince a noble family to enter into marriage for the benefits of the Forresters, she refuses and it’s left to you to decide whether to forge a letter to the family using Margaery’s seal or to just let the situation run its course. I personally chose to forge the letter and while it did seem to work in the favour of the Forresters, I fear it may work against poor Mira in future episodes.
The other story takes place in Yunkai, set three days after Daenarys’ liberation of the city and Asher Forrester is introduced and met by Malcolm to return to Ironrath. The funerals of both Gregor and Ethan are held in this episode and there’s a haunting song sung by Talia, it was incredibly moving and personally nice to listen to. I’ve missed out a few other incidents that happen in this episode to stop completely spoiling it for you, but it is memorable. It may not have the killer cliffhanger that Iron from Ice had, but it does set things up nicely for the remaining 4 episodes.
If there’s one complaint to be made, it’s that you move back and forth across Westeros so much that it doesn’t stop for breath. You may spend all of 5 minutes with Mira at King’s Landing, to be whisked away to Yunkai with Asher for a bit longer and then back to Ironrath. It’s not badly done, it’s actually done quite well…it just doesn’t leave a lot of room for character development, which is a shame.
Voice-acting is just as brilliant as in the first episode. There are cameos from Jon Snow, Tyrion and Margaery Tyrell with the actors reprising the roles as before. Character models remain as they did as well, while Jon “You know nothing, Snow” looks the part here, it’s only a shame that the character models for the Forrester’s look a little too animated in comparison. The locations look great and take straight from the show, while the story is its own and Telltale keeps on delivering in this regard.
The Verdict
The Lost Lords doesn’t quite strike as much of an impact as the first episode, but it keeps up a good pace and continues the story well. Character development takes a hit due to crossing over Westeros so quickly and frequently, but overall it’s a great episode and one that gives me confidence that the other 4 will deliver a superb experience.
