Review in Progress: Kingsroad from Game of Thrones

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Okay, so here’s the deal: I dived into the Early Access version of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, and lemme tell ya, it was a wild ride. I’m talking about the kind of chaos only Westeros could deliver—you know, epic battles, folks at each other’s throats, and mythical beasts lurking around. I’ve spent a good 20 hours in this virtual land, and I’m both pumped and slightly anxious about what lies ahead. Just hovering over the thought of how much grinding (or cash) it’ll take to really hit the big leagues is kind of stressful—like, why can’t anything be easy, right?

So, the game throws you into the fourth season of the series, and—get this—you’re a bastard (sorry, it’s true) trying to snag some power. Your old man is pretty sick, so you gotta roam around and get support to ditch that ‘bastard’ label and rise up the ranks. You’ll rub elbows with Jon Snow, meet dudes like Samwell, and maybe cringe at characters like the Boltons. The game’s tutorial is kinda like a brisk tour, whisking you off beyond the Wall and hinting at all those chilly threats. Brrr.

Now, choosing your player is another thing—they’ve got this whole archetype situation. Knight, Sellsword, Assassin—pick your poison. I went for the Sellsword. I mean, who can resist the idea of wielding a massive axe, right? But for those who can’t make up their minds (guilty as charged), you can always switch it up later, no sweat.

And the character creation is bizarrely detailed. You can tweak almost everything—beard length, random battle scars, even hair shine. It’s like crafting your avatar in those real deep games, or maybe just trying to make a character that looks like you but cooler.

On one hand, roaming Westeros was kinda like stepping into a real-world dream—at first. Everything’s recreated beautifully: icy chills of the Wall, ancient vibes of Winterfell. Then suddenly, things get… weird. Like, the grass doesn’t know whether to stay up or down, NPCs act like awkward robots or super creepy paintings. Some conversations got eerily intense with folks’ jaws moving in ways that just shouldn’t happen. Spooky.

Moving around felt off, as if I was skating over the place. Seriously, even on dry land, it was like trying to control an over-energized puppy—kind of funny, but also exhausting. I mean, drifting down winding paths at first was a hoot, but repeat tumbles into enemy camps? Not so much.

Now, talking about combat—it gets tired fast. Patterns repeat whether you’re up against a big boss or some lowly grunt. The diversity lies in how many foes you take on at once, and occasionally you stumble onto something that requires a tactic or two. But mostly, it’s the same old, same old. Thank goodness for a few heart-wrenching storylines that tried to tug me along (find the missing kids, defeat the bandits, the usual), but the execution didn’t always match up.

At least, within this vast map, there were nifty puzzles sprinkled about—hidden doors, secret chests. All little gems that reminded me of a stripped-back Assassin’s Creed vibe. But—here I go again with the ‘buts’—the game locks areas behind these ‘Momentum’ barriers. Like some convoluted score of your gear and skills, you must level everything up to wield any real exploration power.

And don’t even get me started on the microtransactions. They’re ubiquitous! Every time you turn, there’s an offer to speed things up or get a new perk. Die in combat? Shell out some dough to bounce back quicker. Want to warp around the map faster? Yeah, you guessed it—pay up. It’s like every step in the game was a reminder to crack open my wallet.

Here’s the kicker, though: beneath that veneer of transactions, there’s magic—a real hint of the Game of Thrones allure. Roaming on a dire wolf under a frosty sky? Pretty epic, I must admit. But consistently, the game yanked that fantasy away, nudging me towards payment options like some eager shopkeeper.

So, while I’ve poked around a whopping 20 hours, it feels like I’ve just scratched the surface. There’s a ton more to explore, whether it’s artefacts, upgrade trees, or, heck, estate management systems. Here’s hoping the 1.0 version—when it finally drops—unveils something more than what’s just a costly grind. But man, it’s clear already: in the realm of Kingsroad, you either pay up or kick the bucket.