Review — Minecraft: Story Mode — A Journey’s End?

Minecraft: Story Mode

We sit down and review Minecraft: Story Mode — A Journey’s End?. This is the final episode of Telltale’s take on Mojang’s famed Minecraft franchise. Here’s our review on how they did

He we go with the final leg of Minecraft: Story Mode as the eight episode of the IP has been released and we can see how this story is finally going to end. It has been one trek for us with Telltale Games and Mojang‘s franchise as we were given a story to a game that generally doesn’t have one set up. Even with all of the Minecraft celebrities and all that there hasn’t been one concise story until now. Especially now that we can play through the whole thing in one shot. Here’s our thoughts on how it ended and if the whole thing is worth your time and money. All in a nice review form.

Story

Jesse and crew are heading to the last part of the adventure and make their way home. Of course it can’t be easy and it isn’t as they group are thrown into a Thunderdome style scenario where the fight is to the respawn and for their freedom. Also their way home but of course the heroes can’t just be worried about that alone. Can they make it to the winner’s circle and thus home or will they be cut down and forced into labor camps until they can try again? I guess we’ll have to be their guide here…

Hated

While this episode of Minecraft: Story Mode still has some of the issues I’ve been having since the first episode in terms of the story and dialog syncing up and flowing correctly, this episode seems to be even more disconnected. Characters would show full understanding of things when talked to and then would follow up with a conversation where they had no clue what things were. The biggest case in point was when the topic of Spleef was brought up. This is the game in one of the larger games thrust upon us. One character talks details about it when asked once and then in another private conversation asks what it is?

This was one of the best examples of it in this episode but there were quite a few more. I can believe that I spoke to people out of order here as everything was greatly linear so it just felt like sloppy writing from Telltale and no one checked it all before launch. I’d give a pass if the characters we feigning intelligence or lack thereof if others were around but it was all in private conversations where there was no need for it. Like I said, it felt lazy and like they just wanted to get this all over with as quick as possible. Could just be me though.

Also, there are hidden side missions in this episode like others in Minecraft: Story Mode that should have some consequences for not completing. One of which is finding an item of one of the other characters in the story. I never got it back and all I got was a “well that sucks” kind of response and everyone else just kind of moved on. Why even make that a point in the game to hunt down if there are no real consequences for completing it or not? This IP never felt like choices truly mattered or had any outcome other than “that sucks” and it is odd given the really great track record Telltale has.

Loved

One thing I’ve been hoping to come to Minecraft: Story Mode since the first episode has been some new style of gameplay for the usual choose your own adventure style we’ve always been getting. Mostly this has been a letdown in the past but in this final episode it looks like Telltale has brought back one of my favorite style of gameplay from Tales From The Borderlands in terms of the interactive chase sequence. It is nothing more than an extended QTE thing but there is a lot more interaction needed than just pressing X to win. It broke up the monotony I have had with Minecraft: Story Mode so far and was glad to see it all go out with a bang for it.

Lastly, while all of the other IPs that have been created before and after Minecraft: Story Mode began have kind of ended in a place where it feels like there should be more, here we get full resolution and with things left so there could be a season two if fans and the developers want it. While I haven’t been impressed with the overall story and game I will have to admit that it was left with pretty much all of the loose ends tied up and no one will feel like there is something missing if the franchise doesn’t go further than these eight episodes. That is all a weird thing to write though.

Overall

Plan and simple Minecraft: Story Mode was more or less made for the fans of the core IP from Mojang. That’s not to say that fans of Telltale’s normal style of game won’t have something to enjoy here but there is a very niche audience that this IP is looking to cater too and not really a broader audience. It does wrap up nicely which isn’t usual for the developer so far but all in all if you are not a huge fan of Minecraft before all of this, Story Mode should most likely be a small blip on your radar. Sorry to say…

I give Minecraft: Story Mode — A Journey’s End? 4 Old Builders on the Old Builder scale.

Minecraft: Story Mode — A Journey’s End? was developed by Telltale Games and Mojang. Minecraft: Story Mode — A Journey’s End? was published by Telltale Games for the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC on September 16^th 2016. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes.