Episode 1 of Minecraft: Story Mode feels more like Telltale’s The Walking Dead than you might guess. You’ll make tough choices about which members of your group stay and which go, mediate disputes, and yes, you’ll even fend off zombies. Of course, Story Mode’s family-friendly adventure replaces Walking Dead’s despair with a lighthearted sense of humor and camaraderie, written with a lot of heart that kept me invested in this story and its mysteries.
At first, the world is a mystery in of itself. We play as Jesse, the heart of a group of friends and aspiring builders. As for what it means to be a builder in the world of Minecraft: Story Mode? I couldn’t tell you, because almost no time is spent on introducing us to Telltale’s take on Minecraft’s inherently blank-slate universe in Episode 1. Instead we’re quickly tossed directly into the drama. Ten extra minutes of opening scenes devoted to who these friends are, where they live, and other worldbuilding or character moments would have gone a long way towards orienting me into what this blocky world is all about and what its rules are. Are they kids? Adults? Do people in this world have jobs? I’m not sure.
These concerns fade into the background once the compelling world-ending plot kicks into high gear. The themes might be heavy - death! destruction! betrayal! - but it’s all presented in more of a light, Ghostbusters-esque vibe. Jesse, faultlessly voiced by actor/comedian Patton Oswalt if you play as a male or Catherine Taber as female, perfectly balances heroics with laughs. The rest of the squad isn’t given enough screen time to grow beyond one-dimensional status, sadly. The episode’s heaviest moment comes when your group makes a discovery that forces them to question everything they’ve always believed in. Pretty heavy stuff, for a game mostly content to get by on laughs.
Big Minecraft fans will enjoy it on a much deeper level.
Telltale’s commitment to genuinely forking paths more than ever before is off to an impressive start. On my episode-closing stats screen I found out that only 29% of players had experienced a rescue sequence I assumed was mandatory. The episode ends on a heavy choice, too. Allowing me to truly navigate my own path through this adventure feels great, and does make up for some of Story Mode’s storytelling shortcomings.
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Minecraft: Story Mode will work as a traditional “save the world!” adventure for just about anyone, but big Minecraft fans will be able to enjoy it on a much deeper level. Cute in-jokes like punching trees as part of a training montage, gathering nine slime to craft a slime block, and admiring a chicken-torturing device made the Minecraft fan in me smile. I especially liked the couple of time-lapse building sequences that show elaborate structures being erected, and the opportunity to “craft” story-critical items by placing them directly onto a crafting table.
Even more impressive is Story Mode’s gorgeous in-game sets. Each looks like it was painstakingly and lovingly created directly in Minecraft itself. It’s extremely authentic and impressive, with lots of huge buildings and vistas to soak in, combined with plenty of tiny street-level details when wandering around town.
Still, I wish there was more to play around with in these spaces. Minecraft’s trademark is its unrestricted freedom and interactivity, yet Story Mode Episode 1 only contains a couple true puzzles. Those that are here really work, though. They’re smartly integrated into the plot and environment, and feature clever solutions. But that isn’t enough gameplay to sustain a two-hour episode, the rest of which is made up mostly of on-rails quick time events.
