As I remember it (and it's been a while), they had some slow close-ups of his face, they cut all the music and outside sound for a few seconds, showed him staring at Arya, etc. I thought that added a lot of impact while still staying realistic. There's a big difference between B-movie CGI and some subtle touches to emphasize the emotions of the moment. Game of Thrones has used the latter many times throughout its three seasons and I don't think it's ever felt out of place. I dunno, I guess it just seems to me that when you have a series-defining moment, you should give it a little something special.