Game of Thrones: 5 Ways to Make a Great Video Game Adaptation

1. Narrative Freedom

I mentioned earlier that passion does not sprout from adherence to the work of others. I bring this up again because anyone familiar with Martin€™s world knows that there is a lot of information to keep in mind at all times. Westeros has a long and intricate history, and so a video game that attempts to tell a story in continuity has the arduous task of doing so without contradicting what has already been laid out. Therefore, the only way out of this conundrum is to forget about adherence and focus on telling a great story. Now, before you grab your torches and pitchforks, let me clarify myself by saying that I am not saying a video game should just disregard all the elaborate back story and do whatever it wants. What I am saying is that the game should not strictly follow the events of the books. The perfect starting point for the video game would be just after Robert Baratheon dies, and the War of Five Kings begins. From this point on, the player is allowed to diverge and change events through the gameplay elements I previously outlined. By creating an original character and forming your own house, you have already changed the way events will play out. From that point, you are free to traverse the world of Westeros, making enemies, forging alliances, and playing the game of thrones to your desire. Want to ally with the Starks of Winterfell? You would be free to do so, but at the cost of a potential alliance with the Lannisters. However, at any point, you can betray them if the opportunity presents itself. As the leader of your house, you€™d have to manage all the various challenges that come with such a role, including collecting territory, sending messenger raves and orders to troops deployed, dealing with any would be betrayers, forming alliances, and participating in battles yourself. The appeal of a video game based on ASoIaF is the chance to live in that world and experience all that comes with it. The best way to do this is to allow the player to create their own character, throw them into a vast open world that feels real and lived in, and let them forge their own path, all while utilizing the components unique to Martin€™s mythology. All of these various gameplay elements would come together to create a true ASoIaF experience, which unfortunately will probably never see the light of day. But hey, a fan can dream, can€™t he?