It’s a predictable tragedy, but a tragedy nonetheless: both of the recently-released Game of Thrones video games suck.
Those wanting to mess around with a virtual Westeros, though, know that all is not lost, because some mods for existing games are here to help soften the blow.
While these aren’t official, standalone titles – and as such may be lacking slightly in the immersion stakes – they are modifications to excellent games in their own right.
So what you lose in things like soundtracks and proper voice actors you make up by playing some of the best PC titles ever made. Only now with added Game of Thrones flavour.
Note of course that these being mods, you’ll need to own the original game first (though the mods themselves are free downloads) before you can get playing. Many of them are either old and/or cheap, so you’ll even save money!
War of the Usurper
War of the Usurper is a mod for Crusader Kings, an excellent PC strategy title from Paradox. As much about family politics as it is the responsibilities of governing a realm, the mod adds the houses but more importantly the actual characters from the books. It can be a little twitchy, and prone to crashing, but for an experience that matches the back-stabbing tone of the series better than any other mod (or game!), you can’t go past this.
Those put off by the dated graphics, know a similar project is underway for the more visually pleasing Crusader Kings II, which is currently my favourite game of 2012.
Westeros: Total War
A mod for the ageing (but still popular) Medieval II Total War, WTW lets you choose from the major houses of Westeros and lead them to victory, crushing any and all who stand in your way. Being a game that’s mostly about military conquest, there’s not as much politics to wade into as you’d find in War of the Usurper, but if all you want to do is play Robb Stark and kick the Lannisters up and down the countryside, this is your mod.
Sadly, it’s still a work in progress, so not all the houses and armies have been converted from medieval Europe to the colours and styles of Westeros. Still, to have a go anyway, hit the link below.
Skyrim: Game of Thrones
Seeing as Skyrim owes so much creatively to Game of Thrones, it’s understandable that there are so many GoT mods already available for the 2011 blockbuster RPG. While it’s lacking a complete overhaul or story-driven mod, there are plenty of ways to spruce up your standard Skyrim game, such as adding authentic weapons and shields from the series and even importing some of Westeros’ more notable warriors to serve as companions.
A Clash Of Kings
Mount & Blade: Warband is a PC action/RPG that’s, well, a little rough around the edges. It’s not for everybody. But if you can stomach the quirky UI and dated visuals, this is a game that basically lets you get a small army together and then roam the countryside doing whatever you want. Looting, pillaging, sacking, questing, whatever
If it helps, this mod actually brings a number of improvements to things like M&B’s AI. It’s also an astonishing achievement considering it’s the work of just one man. Those looking for something a little more comprehensive, though, bookmark this grander (yet unfinished) project for the same game.
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