Game of Thrones the TV show might have farted out of existence with a dribble, but that doesn’t appear to be of much concern to the beancounters; Game of Thrones: Kingsroad – the free-to-play action-RPG from South Korean developer Netmarble that’s looking to reanimate the HBO series’ corpse – is leaving paid early access and launching for PC and mobile on 21st May.
Game of Thrones: Kingsroad promises to take players on a “truly immersive journey” through the TV series’ version of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, taking in some familiar sights – from the northern Wall’s Castle Back to King’s Landing, Highgarden, and beyond – as they freely roam an open world of “vivid landscapes, massive cities, backwater towns, untamed wilderness, and the uncompromising lives of the people that inhabit them.”
Players start their adventure as an illegitimate child from a small noble house in the North who, following the death of their brothers, sets out to “solidify [their] political position, navigate the complex power struggles between the noble houses of Westeros, and seek out… allies” – all while preparing for the White Walkers’ arrival. It’s got classes (players can adopt the role of either Knight, Sellsword, or Assassin), co-op, and familiar series characters too.
Game of Thrones: Kingsroad launched into paid early access in March and it’s garnered plenty of criticism on Steam since then – and not just because playing it is bringing back terrible flashbacks of show’s tumble from grace. Most of the complaints – it’s currently sitting at a “mixed” rating on Steam – revolve around Kingsroad’s monetisation, with players lambasting its “filthy microtransactions”, and calling it “greedy”, a “money grab”, and “like a mobile game on steroids”, with talk of $20 dollar battle passes, $15 subscriptions, paid progression, and more.
Still, if you fancy doing a little wave at Jon Snow, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad will be available for PC via Steam, Epic, and the Windows Store when it gets its full free-to-play launch on 21st May. And if you’d prefer to play on mobile (cross-saves are supported), you can also pick it up on the iOS App Store and Android Google Play Store. If nothing else, it’s one way to pass the time waiting for George R. R. Martin to finish up The Winds of Winter.