Notes

'Minecraft' with a Story isn't as Bizarre as you Think

A narrative-driven game like Minecraft, the block-building phenomenon adored by adults and children alike, could sound bit contradictory. Minecraft is an unstructured game with no plot or characters. The world is randomly generated and the most compelling stories are created by what you build and discover. The game's free-form nature is what makes it unique and is the reason Minecraft: Story Mode, an spin-off game with a carefully crafted plot, has been doubted by many. Minecraft works because it doesn't have any story. Is it possible, or right for another developer to make one?



Telltale Games is most well-known for its adaptations of adventure games of popular franchises such as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Fables. Unlike Minecraft, these properties come with established stories, characters and mythology that the team can work with. Telltale uses its own game engine and comic book art style to create a series of five episodes. They are broken down into cutscenes, conversational branches, quick-time events and puzzles. Occasionally, you'll get the chance to explore an environment, but there's not much in the way of exploration or imagination. You would like freeform crafting and freeform building similar to that of Minecraft? Better look elsewhere.



Despite these enormous differences, Minecraft: Story Mode works. It's a delightful celebration of the game that made Markus "Notch" Persson a billionaire, and its plot and characters seem to are part of the world, despite them never being mentioned in the original game. You take on the role of Jesse in episode 1. Unlike other Telltale games, you are able to choose between a boy and one girl, as well as one or three races. It's a nice feature and immediately gave me some feeling of connection to the character voiced by either Patton Oswalt (best known for his role in Ratatouille and The King of Queens) or Catherine Taber (you might recognize her voice from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Final Fantasy XII or Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker). You and a small group of your friends set out to win a building contest at Endercon which is a convention which is similar to Minecon.



There's no mention to Jesse's treehouse, his pet pig Reuben or the Endercon competition in the original Minecraft game. This could have been a problem , but Telltale quickly gained my trust in various ways. One of them is that Story Mode doesn't claim to be the only storyline in Minecraft. It's a fresh take on the blocky franchise, and it's set in a separate Minecraft world. This allows the writers to experiment while still protecting the source material. Story Mode includes many elements that are familiar to those who played of the original game. Portals, beacons, and creepers all appear in episode one, and are easy to recognize. When Telltale introduces a novel concept -- like an amulet that is colorful and used to track important characters It isn't out of place within the Minecraft universe. Story Mode respects the original game's mechanics and objects however, it doesn't abuse the game's mechanics or items.



Although the pace of the game is slow at first but after the Endercon building contest has ended the plot is picked up significantly. The very first episode Telltale introduces the heroes of the Order of the Stone, which once defeated the Ender Dragon and subsequently disappeared into legend. These members are responsible for the current peril facing the world. Telltale sets up a few of the most important mysteries for the five-part series. The show isn't anything extraordinary, but I'm intrigued enough to play the remaining episodes.
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Story Mode is designed to be a family-friendly. There are some limitations to the writing and Telltale's ability to utilize its fun characters. Other properties it has adapted in the past, like The Walking Dead and Fables (The Wolf Among Us), have given the team more chances to create darker and more unpredictable personalities with clever plans. These properties provoke stronger reactions from the player, making more difficult choices and more complex relationships with the characters you select. Story Mode's characters are likable with the exception of Jesse's friend Axel who tends to be uncontrollable. I spent the majority of my time trying to make friends with them.



However the characters are distinct and have unique personality traits that make them lively. Each of them has clear motivations and desires, which makes it easier to predict the consequences of each dialogue decision. Although the previous games by Telltale were not without issues, with slow writing and pacing, they have always made me care about the characters. Story Mode is no different and is a proof of the quality of the script. While Jesse's friends may be somewhat superficial, they're easy to support. I'd like my "Nether Meniacs", (early on you have the option of choosing the name of the team in the building contest) to make it through and stay together. I'm curious to see how the show attempts to break them apart in the later episodes.



Even even if you've never played Minecraft before there's plenty to love in the story mode's first chapter. It's a sweet story with simple characters and some memorable sets. It's a world away from Minecraft in terms of game design but Telltale has managed to make it work. This is due to the quality of the writing, and the clever combination of classic items such as monsters, items, and gameplay mechanics. Story Mode raids everything in Minecraft's toolbox to support its own story, and ultimately it works to excellent effect. The game could have been a lazy and uninspiring cash-in, but instead it's a smart respectful spin-off that focuses on Minecraft's unique brand of imagination.


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