Minecraft Season 2 Story Mode
While it was pretty astonishing that we got a Minecraft-inspired Telltale experience to begin with, here we are in 2017 and the developer has unleashed the first episode in a second season entitled Hero In Residence. The concept itself remains as strange as it did when it was first announced, but by that same token, the franchise is still oddly entertaining and filled with personality.
The most enjoyable aspect of Minecraft: Story Mode is that it’s clearly aimed at a younger audience. This does mean adults may struggle to get into it – as you’d assume – but if you’re a Telltale connoisseur then this feels like a well-earned vacation. All the usual tropes from the studio are apparent, of course, so you’ll be making decisions and weaving your way through a somewhat unique plot. The ramifications are so light and what you’re asked to do so fluffy that you can’t help but have fun with it.
Those who've played the original (or any Telltale game, for that matter) know what they're getting here; a dialogue-heavy interactive story with bursts of action. That said, Minecraft: Story Mode -- Season Two has a leg up on its predecessor in that it's paced better right off the start. This could be because it assumes that players are familiar with the first game, know the cast, and understand how things work, so there's less time wasted in establishing the world and its characters. Plus, the story kicks into high gear within the first 15 minutes, sending Jesse off on an adventure full of twists and turns that just keep coming. And fun new characters -- like a famous one-time adventurer named Jack who accompanies Jesse and Petra while learning to face up to his fears -- inject just enough newness to freshen up the formula.
Minecraft: Story Mode - S2, episode one, starts off a little while after Jesse and the gang have defeated the Wither Storm.
Now accustomed to being the most famous heroes in the land, your days of adventuring are pretty much behind you. In its stead you're building up and leading Beacontown, and your friends are also pretty busy.
All except Petra who invites you along for one more crazy ride to catch a llama - which turns out to be doubly intense after you get a gauntlet stuck on your hand and unleash a plague of charged-up Creepers.
Kicking off more or less directly after the end of season 1, where returning hero Jesse and friends have defeated the Wither Storm, you’re tasked with getting back to normal. Or, at least, as normal as being a giant block-faced person can be. Naturally, this doesn’t last long when a new threat emerges in the form of a neighbouring town known as Champion City with its leader Stella.
The plot never becomes too out of hand or overly complicated in the way of Batman: A Telltale Series, but this is the reason it’s so easy to play. It’s nonsense, at the end of the day, balanced out by some bizarre characters and ridiculous sub-plots that ensure the pace never lets up. It’s quite clear the developer understands its audience here and that having even an ounce of downtime probably isn't what they’re looking for.
This doesn’t mean it goes overboard or bombards you with too much, because it doesn’t. Hero In Residence simply keeps events ticking over so that when you’ve reached the end of episode 1 – which takes around two hours or so – you’re more than ready for more.
Adventure calls, however, as it tends to in these situations, breaking Jesse et al. out of their golden handcuffs to protect the world they’ve helped to shape from new threats. These rising menaces include Beacon Town’s neighbor, Champion City, and its meticulous and self-aggrandizing leader, Stella, who tightly controls what everything looks like. Stella’s rigidity about building serves as a sharp contrast to the anarchic, builder-centric creativity of Beacon Town. This question about precision vs. creativity sets up a similar thematic dynamic to The Lego Movie, which had Emmet and Wyldstyle rebelling against the regulated designs of Lord Business.
More serious is the threat posed by an ancient relic Jesse finds early in the episode, which sends Jesse and his friends on a quest to restore balance and quell a mysterious danger from underneath the earth. This journey sends them on a collision course with the Admin, a legendary figure who supposedly created the very world in which they live. The world-building brings to mind 90’s cartoon ReBoot, which followed the sentient virtual denizens of someone’s computer.
A big reason it works is the well-written dialogue and voice acting. There’s nothing here that’s going to be winning a comedy award, but it’s so keen not to take itself seriously that it’s open to everyone. Given that a large portion of people playing are probably going to be parents with their children, in the same way families will always head to the cinema to see a Disney movie, the whole thing is just very well pitched. You sit down, fly through an easy-to-understand and accessible story then sit back and wait for episode 2.
This is apparent in how Minecraft: Story Mode sets itself out, too. A lot more stripped back than other efforts that seek to introduce new combat options or complex mechanics, this is Telltale’s model in its most basic form – there isn't that much to think about. Even the odd puzzle isn’t particularly taxing – but surely that's the point, and a reason to nod proudly in the studio’s direction. This isn’t about pushing the envelope or turning Minecraft into something it isn’t. It simply exists to tie into a franchise that’s now bigger than life itself.
It’s a similar result in terms of the aesthetic. Countless times in the past titles from the developer have suffered terrible technical issues, which affect proceedings far more than they should. This isn't the case here, mostly because we’re using that cutesy Minecraft look. It’s not hard to replicate a blocky aesthetic, and because of this fact everything looks really rather pleasant – especially the animations used on our band of would-be warriors.
It’s just all so stripped back and simple, and knowing you’re not about to be smacked in the face with serious visual or audio flaws is most definitely welcome. Even the soundtrack follows suit, reproducing the light-hearted tone the franchise is known for. You’ll have it in your head for days.
Telltale games, are always a bit of an acquired taste. Kids who love the social and creative aspects of Minecraft won't find much of either here. A crowd-play mode lets a group of players vote to decide how to respond in dialogue situations, but the majority of the group will spend most of its time simply watching the story unfold. And while a handful of puzzles and tasks allow players to assemble ingredients to make items like torches and cakes, no imagination is required. The ingredients are readily available, and the proper recipe is automatically provided. And so Minecraft: Story Mode -- Season Two earns the same qualified recommendation as its precursor: It's fantastic for Minecraft fans who've been dying for a real story in their favorite game, but inessential for almost everyone else.
The first thing you notice is the faithful voxel art style. If you've played your fair share of Minecraft you'll get the feel of it straight away, right down to the building blocks.
The animation of the characters, from their facial expressions to their physical movements, also help bring that desired feel to it. It makes you forget every now and again that it's a Telltale game.
Its soundtrack is an absolute winner, replicating the chilled-out sort of score you find in the game during the day, but with a little more substance to it.
Needless to say that the voice acting was excellent across both the male and female Jesse, and the supporting cast are also absolutely spot of - especially Ashley Johnson's portrayal of Petra.
With the calm nature of the townsfolk and the fact that Jesse's pretty chilled, Petra adds that spunk and energetic burst which keeps the game from drying out.
Unlike the many Telltale series that adapt narrative media with established characters and stories, such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, or Batman , Minecraft: Story Mode has given the team a relatively blank slate with which to create their own world. The result is grounded in the familiar for Minecraft fans, with all sorts of in-jokes and references to the game, and even appearances from popular streamers as characters like Stampy Cat and stacyplays (as themselves), but it still feels broadly accessible.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 does very little to mix up the Telltale formula, which is a mark for or against it, depending on who’s asking. Fans of the studio’s other titles will feel right at home, with a largely linear narrative that offers a few (often cosmetic) choices and periodically drops the ominous warning that a character “will remember that.” There’s an opportunity to freely build a statue for a friend, and a few puzzles you solve using the crafting bench, but none of the signature creativity from the original game has any real bearing on the story. These additions feel somewhat tacked on. Though Minecraft serves as a colorful setting for the game, Story Mode never really manages to bridge that fundamental gap between Minecraft‘s signature open-endedness and Telltale’s narrative model.
Minecraft Season 2 has started off in very much the same vein as the first, but that does mean similar problems are apparent. Given that such things are intentional, it’s hard to pick holes, but if you’re looking for something deep and gritty then you shouldn’t give this a second’s thought – you’re barking up the wrong tree entirely.
This is akin to a hand-holding adventure than any kind of serious challenge or deep experience, and if you approach it as such you’ll be sorely disappointed. It’s cookie-cutter gaming at its most sweet, a way to expand Mojang’s universe to new territories and probably make a load of money in the process. It’s well put together and decent while it lasts, but that’s about as much attention as you should give it.
There’s no doubt the Minecraft community will enjoy this as intended, and the fact it’s made it back for a round two will be all the information some need before jumping in, especially since the world has been established now. You just get to go on another journey with a cast of characters you recognise and understand. It doesn’t even matter if you haven’t played the original – there’s nothing here that you couldn’t figure out on your own.
Unlike Batman or Guardians of the Galaxy's introduction of more complex combat combinations and new mechanics, the controls here are pretty simple, likely for the sake of a younger target audience.
That would also explain the speed of its first episode. A lot may have happened in the space of two hours, but it never dragged.
It's also a nice touch that you don't have to play the first season to play this one. Like any decent story, character building and growth is what connects us to the characters on a personal level.
Minecraft: Story Mode - S2's first episode starts off with a bang as we're immediately thrown into several adventures with a neat cast of characters.
Though I was a little skeptical at first about a Minecraft story-based game, it was pleasantly surprising and I only hope that episode two continues this level of quality.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2, Episode 1 is a nice return for the series as it continues to be as light and easy as before. The perfect next step for families who love Mojang’s absurdly successful creation.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2’s audience will be largely self-selecting. Anyone that enjoyed the first season will be happy for more. Fans of Minecraft and/or Telltale Games at large who did not play the first episodes could certainly jump in with little to no context and follow along easily, but they would be better served by going back to the original first and catching up. This doesn’t innovate on the studio’s well-worn formula at all, and won’t be the Telltale adventure to lure in an unconvinced gamer.
