Now That I've Played The Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad Demo, The Story Isn't What I'm Excited About
I'm not sure what I was expecting from Game of Thrones: Kingsroad,but after diving into the demo to see what was in store, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the combat elements were actually pretty fun. Details surrounding Kingsroad have been few and far between, and honestly, I was under the impression it would be strictly a mobile game when it was first announced at the Game Awards late last year. Thankfully, that is not the case, and the PC demo offers a glimpse into what you can expect from the open world of Westeros when Kingsroad fully launches.
Set around Season 4 of Game of Thrones, Kingsroad picks up where the television show began to fall off. While many players are going to be interested in the alternative/continued storyline and how it ties in with events in the series, such as the fallout from the Red Wedding, all of that kind of became subtext for me as I dove in headfirst into an Assassin run, sneaking up on unsuspecting Wildlings and exploring the open world of Westeros. In short, the story for Kingsroad is enticing, but the combat and exploration elements are what has me excited about the full release.
Kingsroad's Combat Is More Dynamic Than I Expected
The Best Game Of Thrones Combat You're Going To Get For Now
My first impressions of the Game of Thrones:Kingsroad demo were that there were a ton of cutscenes in the opening moments, so much so that I found myself eager to skip through dialogue and get to the action. While I am a huge fan of the television series and books, the story elements are certainly important and interesting to me on some level, but sitting through long cutscenes isn't exactly what I consider the most entertaining part of an RPG. After an initial slog that sets the story in motion, I was finally able to venture out of Castle Black and start completing some side quests.
Game Of Thrones: Kingsroad Is A Good Start - But GoT Still Deserves More
The reveal of Game of Thrones: Kingsroad feels like an unambitious adaptation of the series, as it deserves a compelling AAA fantasy experience.
The combat in Kingsroad is much more dynamic than expected, and while it isn't truly novel or innovative, it is more complex than the simple button-mashing mechanics I was anticipating. Each character class in Kingsroad has a set of unique melee attacks that are on cooldown timers. The Assassin class was a ton of fun, and I found myself dodging and flipping around enemies and feeling like I'd been training under the Many-Faced God for years alongside Arya. The stealth mechanics are a lot of fun as well, though I found enemies to be rather unresponsive and was able to get close without alerting them at all.
Combat In Kingsroad Is Limited To Three Classes, But That's Not Necessarily A Bad Thing
More Depth Might Be Better Than More Options
The character progression and leveling in Kingsroad is probably what I was most surprised by. There are Trait Trees that allow you to specialize your character in three different categories: Attack, Defense, and Support. Special skills for each class can be placed into one of four skill slots, and there are unique skills for all three classes. Another interesting feature is that you can switch between class characters at any time, though each one has its own story and character progression. Guard and Parrying features are available, with enemies being able to perform unblockable attacks as well.
Should there be a continuation of Game of Thrones?
Game of Thrones may have come to an end, but in a world of reimaginings, revivals, reboots, and continuations, it doesn't have to be. A lot of the storylines were wrapped up, which simply means that the series could continue and explore something new. Bran is now King, and we all know that in this world people love to fight for the throne. Should his rule be challenged, thanks to new characters and threats, that could make for some great television. There are a lot of spin-offs in the works, but a continuation would likely draw an audience in as well. I know I would tune in.
There are also a range of quests to complete, including main, side, estate, faction, and artifact quests, all of which have their own distinct rewards that come in the form of crafting items, weapons, armor, or currency. While the combat is in line with what you'd expect from any other action-RPG, these gameplay elements are leagues better than any mobile GoT entries available currently. Unfortunately, all of this is underpinned by the fact that Kingsroad is set up to be a mobile pay-to-win experience, with nearly everything being tied to an in-game currency.
Gameplay & Exploration Are More Exciting Than Game Of Thrones Lore
Pay-To-Win Model Aside, Exploring Westeros Is A Good Time
Overall, I had a pretty good time playing the Kingsroad demo, but I could never see myself playing it on mobile. The game is essentially optimized for a mobile experience, made evident by the menus and various award features that simply overwhelm every aspect of gameplay. The open world of Westeros is definitely one of the best aspects of the game, and combat is smooth, even if the class selections are fairly limited. At the end of the day, I'm more excited about playing Kingsroad on PC and exploring the various regions and factions than I am about the story itself.
Will you play Game of Thrones: Kingsroad after its gameplay trailer?
I was excited when I first heard about Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, but the reveal that it was a mobile game was disappointing. However, after the project's gameplay trailer was released, showing how stunning the visuals are and how fun combat seems to be, I once again changed my mind about it. Now, I plan to give Game of Thrones: Kingsroad a try when it comes out.
The new story and characters are a big selling point for Kingsroad, and may be the only thing a lot of players are interested in. However, the combat and exploration features in the game are surprisingly more fun than you'd expect, and in my view, will be more of a draw than any plot or story elements. It's a shame that Game of Thrones: Kingsroadis more or less destined to become just another pay-to-win mobile GoT game to add to the pile, but if you can get over this fact, you might just end up enjoying yourself.
Game of Thrones: Kingsroad
OpenCritic Reviews- Released
- May 21, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Netmarble
- Publisher(s)
- Netmarble, Warner Bros. Interactive
- Franchise
- Game of Thrones
In Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, players join Jon Snow and the Night's Watch in defending the Wall against White Walkers and giants. Set between Seasons 4 and 5, this open-world action RPG allows exploration of iconic locations like Winterfell, with dynamic combat and interactions with familiar characters.
- Platform(s)
- Android, iOS, PC
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