18 cert, Cyanide Games, PS3 (also Xbox 360, PC) **

Games Disappointment can be a killer – whether you’re one of the many betrayed characters in Game of Thrones, or a humble modern-day gamer. The game of Game of Thrones is ambitious but stumbles in too many areas. Let’s fill the credit column first: this role-playing game maintains the TV show’s atmosphere and its stirring music. The story and new characters aren’t bad, taking place parallel to the first book. There are two main plot strands: you’re Mors, a knight stationed in the snowy Night’s Watch to protect the kingdom; and Alester, a priest whose brother has ruthless political ambitions. Some of the dialogue is agreeably hard-boiled. So what’s wrong? Well the combat system is clunky and overly complicated; the pacing is slow and the character animation stilted. It also suffers in comparison to similar titles, especially Dragon Age 2. A game set in this rich, enthralling world should have been an instant classic, instead, it’s a below-average RPG. Pity.