Platform: Switch
Publisher: Telltale Games
Developer: Telltale Games
Genre: Adventure
Series: Minecraft
Players: 1
Crafting a story for a sandbox world is no small feat. With bedrock serving as the only limit, Telltale’s story can expand as far and as wide as possible. There were no prior story lines for them to work with. They had to start the same way as all beginner players did: from scratch.
Instead of overextending their storytelling reaches, Telltale created a checklist of relatable situations. A ragtag group of no names from Nothingtown? Check. Backyard bullies with egos untrimmed? Check. Greasy-haired, questionable character? Check. An adorable companion that sticks with you through thick and thin? Check.
Welcome to “Minecraft: Story Mode”
“Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure” follows the story of Jesse, a passionate male or female citizen of the Minecraft world whose optimism knows no bounds. Along with pet pig Reuben and friends Olivia and Axel, try every year to win their town’s building contest… except they keep losing. But this year, the stakes are higher. The winning team gets to meet one of the members of the legendary group, The Order of the Stone. With their ingenuity and positive attitudes within them, Jesse’s group set out once again to compete in the contest.
The game’s first chapter painstakingly sets everything up for players – the controls and its love for quick-time events, the characters, their quirks, their world, and its problems. We see them banter with each other, with a hint of their personalities seeping through with each line they say. With every choice, the game reminds you that someone remembers your actions. It’s a lot to take in all at once even if it’s going at a snail’s pace. And when you finally finish the chapter, you’ll feel equal parts of relief and surprise.
Thankfully, when the second chapter rolls around the bottleneck starts clearing up. Players finally get to do some adventuring, visiting other places while dodging dangers along the way. Interaction is still minimal, but that’s alright. The story starts taking control of its own identity and is gaining some speed. You’ll start rooting for our adventurers, while solving problems along the way, none of which are too difficult. And before you know it, chapter two closes in with a nasty cliffhanger.
Chapters three and four are really when the threat looms closer. The story’s climax shows up in chapter three, and this is when choices really matter. Revelations come out into the open, providing you with answers for those questions that you still have. The group is stressed and it’s up to you keep morale high. And even though the twist is here, Telltale still manages to keep the game wholesome for everyone.
And then chapter four ends.
While everyone is living happily ever after, by the end of chapter four, we’re left wondering about what happens next for the next four chapters. We just saved the world, what else is there to do? Will there be another perilous adventure that puts the safety of the world in danger again? Or are there going to be some post-victory blues that will grip our heroes and tear them apart from within?
But alas, chapters five to eight are not that epic. The latter half of the game focuses on what our heroes are doing after they saved the world. Instead of big, overarching narrative that drives the chapters forward, we have adventures that feel as disjointed as they are episodic. Jesse and friends are basking in the afterglow of glory, and it’s clear that Telltale is trying to push this story further along than it should. There’s even a chapter dedicated to popular “Minecraft” YouTubers such as CaptainSparklez and DanTDM. Even if it’s cool to see these real life “Minecraft” content creators join a fictional narrative, their appearance simply serves as fan service. If you’re someone who doesn’t watch a lot of “Minecraft” YouTube videos, you’ll be wondering why this chapter exists.
Unlike the first four chapters where you’re left anxious as to what would happen in the next episode, these latter chapters rely on dangling that end game carrot. The goal is merely trivial – they’re trying to go back home. That goal sounds loftier on paper than it is on practice, and that’s because it truly is. Our protagonists are now jumping from world to world, solving problems one after another in order to progress to the next one. They’re adventuring for the sake of adventure.
Cobblestone basics.
Stripping away the narrative from “Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure” reveals a simplistic, passive game. It’s really less of a point and click and more of an interactive story. You choose a response, you press a button at the right time, rinse and repeat. You can only explore what the game allows you to examine, and even that only contains the least amount of objects as possible. Perhaps Telltale decided to keep the game accessible to everyone regardless of experience level and that’s understandable. A few miscellaneous choices here and there with equally silly character responses would have been a nice touch.
The point and clicky parts of the game are usually in the free roam parts where you use your pointer for clearly marked things of interest. When not in a hurry, this system is fine. The pointer’s sensitivity is fairly low and it only snaps on the target for a split second before it moves again. During quick time events, however, this is a nightmare. The reticle’s movement becomes a loose cannon, making you hope that it moves just enough to snap on the target and nothing more. If it doesn’t, it becomes a gamble of whether you only lose some hearts or redoing the entire sequence.
Dying and respawning is also a bit of a touchy subject. Given the nature of the game, players really wouldn’t see the “You Died” screen, if ever. But on the off chance that this screen does come up, don’t be surprised if you’re sent back farther than you expect. Sometimes the game is inconsistent in its saves, and this can cause some irritation when you have to restart that part of the story all over again. And no, unlike “Minecraft,” you can’t save anywhere. Thanks, autosave!
The combat system could also use some tweaks. While it stays true to the source game – in which you only have to keep your sights on an enemy and start whacking them with your sword or draw your bow – you have to account for the arm animation before committing. You have to press the attack button a second before you expect it to hit because Jesse’s arm has to swing first. If not careful, you’ll miss your attack and get hit instead. Thankfully most of the battle is done through quick time events so you don’t have to worry about that delay.
Finally, home sweet home.
Just like any game, “Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure” has its faults, but they’re not enough to take away from the wonder of its adventures. Yes, it’s a story that we’ve already seen before but none of them has that blocky charm. Each and every locale in this game is built with the same care as other “Minecraft” structures. Even if you end up not liking the game, you’ll at least walk away with the urge to build something.
“Minecraft: Story Mode – The Complete Adventure” for Nintendo Switch is available for purchase in a Physical and Digital format for eShop, priced at $39.99 and is available starting today.
