A narrative-driven game like Minecraft, the block-building game that is loved by children and adults alike, could sound tad contradictory. By the nature of it, Minecraft has little in the way of plots or characters -- the world is randomly generated and the best "stories" happen naturally depending on what you decide to create and explore. Its freedom of movement is what makes Minecraft so special. This is also why Minecraft: Story Mode has been met with so much doubt. Minecraft is a game that doesn't have a story. Can it be possible or appropriate for a different developer to give one?
Telltale Games is best known for its adventure games based on adaptations of popular franchises such as Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Fables. These properties, unlike Minecraft, have established stories characters, mythology, and characters that the team can work with. Telltale utilizes its own game engine and comic book art style to create five episodes. secure content These episodes are split into cutscenes and branching conversations. It is possible to explore an environment. However, there is little exploration or imagination. Do you want free-form building and crafting, like in Minecraft? You'd better look elsewhere.
Minecraft: Story Mode works despite these massive differences. It's a delightful celebration of the game that made Markus Persson a billionaire. The characters and narrative appear to be part of the world even though they're not in the original game. In the first episode you play the character of Jesse and unlike other Telltale games you can choose between a boy and a girl, as well as one of three different races. It's a nice touch that instantly made me feel a sense of attachment to the character. The voice acting was performed by either Patton Oswalt (best-known for his roles in Ratatouille or The King of Queens) and Catherine Taber (you might recognise her voice from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker or Star Wars: The Clone Wars). You and a handful of your friends set out to win a building contest at Endercon an event that is similar to Minecon.
You won't find any reference to Jesse's treehouse, pet pig Reuben or the Endercon competition in the original Minecraft game. Which could be a problem however, Telltale quickly impressed me in several ways. One of them is that Story Mode doesn't claim to be the definitive storyline for Minecraft. It's a different take on the blocky franchise, and is set in a separate Minecraft world. This allows the authors to play around while still preserving the original material. Story Mode also weaves in numerous elements that will be familiar to those who played the original game. Episode 1 features beacons, portals and creepers that are all easily identified. Telltale's new concepts like a vibrant amulet that could be used to find important characters, aren't out of place within the Minecraft universe. Story Mode respects the original game's mechanics and items, but does not abuse the same.
Although the pace is slow at first however, after the Endercon building contest has ended the story picks up significantly. Telltale introduces the Order of the Stone, an elite group of heroes who once defeated the Ender Dragon but then faded into legend. These members are responsible for the current threat facing the world. Telltale sets up some of the most important mysteries for the five-part season. While it's not the best however, I'm still enthralled enough to continue watching the remaining episodes.
Story Mode is intended to be a family-friendly show, however there are some limitations regarding the writing style and where Telltale can go with its jolly characters. Other properties that it's adapting in the past like The Walking Dead and Fables (The Wolf Among Us) have given the team more opportunities to create characters that are darker and more unpredictable with clever strategies. These properties provoke stronger reactions from the player, more difficult decisions , and more complicated relationships with the characters you pick. The majority of Story Mode's characters are likeable (aside from Jesse's best friend Axel who tends to be impulsive and self-centered), so I spent the majority of my playthrough just trying to be the best friend with everyone.
That said, the characters are distinctive and have an enthralling, lively personality. It is easier to determine the outcome of every dialogue because they all have distinct motivations. While Telltale's previous games had a few issues with inconsistent pacing and stiff scripts, they have always made me want to know more about the characters. The same is true for Story Mode, which is a testament to the quality of the script. Jesse's friends may be a bit superficial, but they're easy to root for. I want my "Nether Meniacs", (early on you get to choose the name of the team in the building contest) to make it through and stay together. I'm interested to see how the game attempts to break them in later episodes.
Even even if you've never played Minecraft before, there's a lot to love in Story Mode's first chapter. It's a delightful tale that features simple characters and some memorable sets. It's a world away from Minecraft in terms of game design , but Telltale has succeeded in making it work. I'm putting that down to the quality of the writing and how it cleverly integrates classic objects, monsters and gameplay mechanics. Story Mode uses Minecraft's entire toolbox to help tell its story. It works well. It could have been a messy or awkward cash-in game but instead it is an elegant, respectful spinoff that celebrates Minecraft’s unique brand of creativity.