HBO and George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, Game of Thrones, has just completed its first season. Have to say, I loved every moment of it and it left me wanting more, which is amazing since I knew every twist and turn that was coming, having read the books multiple times over the past 10 years, starting way back in college in 2001. Seeing the show has made me ache for a really high quality game set in that world.
And we’re getting one, but it’s an RTS. Now, nothing against those, I like them. But enviously reading the reviews for The Witcher 2, which is based on a Polish fantasy series, got me to thinking about what genre would be ideal for making a game set in the world of Westeros. And it came to me, the answer being right there in front of me: an open-world RPG like Oblivion or Fallout 3.
Just picture it: you get to roam the entire land of Westeros, visiting Winterfell, doing quests for Ned Stark, such as hunting down wildlings or delivering supplies to the Wall. There, you take quests from Lord Commander Mormont, maybe even go beyond the Wall or track deserters. You can travel to King’s Landing, participate in tournaments, including jousting, join the many different factions and undertake countless quests from all the characters you know, love and hate.
What’s more, the plot of the books could occur over time, so events will change circumstances, allowing you to fight in massive battles and maybe even change history if they wanted to pursue that avenue. Regardless, your character could have his or her own story while the story of the books takes place around you as time passes. The point is, this would be an awesome way to play in this world. In fact, I think this genre would be the best for many licensed games of this kind. Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings…this genre works best with sci-fi fantasy worlds that are already established. It wouldn’t be ideal with something like Batman.
What say you? Did I just design a game that sounds awesome or lame? Winter is coming and hopefully, so are the comments, so let me hear you roar!