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Westeros. A land of political intrigue, epic battles, and… disappointingly mediocre mobile ports? Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, the action RPG daring to tread on sacred ground, recently shambled into Steam Next Fest with a demo that's less "Winter is Coming" and more "Winter is Whining." While the prospect of a story-driven RPG set in the Seven Kingdoms initially sparked a glimmer of hope (a flicker brighter than a wildfire, perhaps), the reality, as showcased in the demo, is about as thrilling as a bowl of brown.
Kingsroad's most egregious offense is its unshakeable mobile DNA. Like a Dothraki horde pillaging a peaceful village, the mobile-centric design choices ransack any hope of a genuinely engaging PC experience. You can pick from three classes – Knight, Sellsword, or Assassin – and even team up with friends for co-op play. But the combat itself is about as dynamic as a conversation with Maester Luwin. Light attacks, heavy attacks, dodge… rinse, repeat. It lacks the visceral impact, the weighty satisfaction of a true PC action RPG. The lock-on camera, meanwhile, is less a helpful tool and more a persistent, unwelcome guest at your feast, constantly obscuring the already lackluster action. Stealth mechanics are present, but the enemy AI possesses the situational awareness of a particularly dimwitted wight, rendering them effectively useless. And then there are the on-rails chase sequences. So thrilling, so engaging, so… utterly tedious. They're the gaming equivalent of being forced to watch Ramsay Bolton flay a particularly uninteresting turnip.
The demo whispers promises of a mobile-style monetization system, a chilling premonition of Kingsroad's potential future. The suspicion lingers that progression will be heavily tied to in-app purchases, transforming the game into less of an epic adventure and more of a tedious grind designed to pry open your purse strings. Even with system requirements more modest than a sparrow's ambition, the demo chugged along like a wounded direwolf. While PS5 controller support functioned smoothly (a rare glimmer of competence in this bleak landscape), the overall technical performance was about as stable as Cersei Lannister's reign. Kingsroad isn't a complete disaster, but it's a far cry from the immersive, captivating RPG experience the Game of Thrones universe deserves. The combat is dull, the exploration is uninspired, and the potential for predatory monetization hangs over the game like a Valyrian steel sword poised to strike. With a Q2 2025 release date looming, there's technically time for a miraculous resurrection. But based on this demo, Kingsroad needs more than a Red Priestess; it needs a complete exorcism of its mobile demons to have any hope of capturing the hearts (and wallets) of PC gamers. For now, consider this one banished to the shadowlands of your wishlist.
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