REVIEW

Minecraft Story Mode Season Two Episodes 1 – 5 Review

by Rob Pritchard, December 22nd, 2017

After being created back in 2009, the Minecraft franchise is one of the gaming world’s most recognisable brand names. One of the biggest surprises to come from the sandbox phenomenon is Minecraft Story Mode, an episodic graphical adventure game created by the infamous team at Telltale Games. The first season of this narrative based adventure series comprised of eight episodes, focusing on murder mysteries, the toppling of tyrannical rulers and the inconvenient truth about a legendary group of Minecraft builders known as The Order of the Stone.

The series proved popular enough for Telltale Games to create another five episodes, under the title of Minecraft Story Mode: Season Two. These new adventures build on the success of the previous eight instalments, and provide some genuine surprises and additions to Telltale’s regular formula. It was always going to be hard for Telltale to create an established set of characters in a world of infinite possibility, but they seem to have succeeded in this case. The feisty adventure loving Petra, the paranoid assistant Radar and the aloof control freak and antagonist Stella shine with personality, and their believable reactions to your choices give them the extra dimensions that they deserve.

Each of the five episodes has their own separate story events, tied together with a longer narrative.

EPISODE ONE – A Hero in Residence

After returning to his home world following the events of the eighth episode, the series protagonist Jessie and all of his slash her companions have rebuilt the world after its destruction was caused by the Nether Storm. It doesn’t take long for another adventure to appear, which places Jessie in a perilous situation and put their newly erected metropolis of Beacontown in great danger.

The first episode of the second season is one of the best episodes in the collection. It is also the longest episode of the series, clocking in at just over two hours long. The gameplay versus cut scene balance is fairly even, but the lack of difficulty for the in game puzzles will deter veteran point and click players. The inclusion of a puzzle which pays tribute to a fallen character is a nice touch, giving returning adventurers a chance to remember their faithful friend.

EPISODE TWO – Giant Consequences

Faced with a colossal enemy known as The Admin, Jessie and your companions are forced to compete in a twisted game set inside an enormous ice palace. With the rules constantly in flux, and the group split apart over their loyalty to the weakest members of their team, it will take a miracle for the group to survive this latest challenge.

Although it might be the shortest in length, the second episode of the season introduces one of Telltale’s most memorable villains. The Admin, voiced by the prolific JB Blanc, is a wonderful mixture of Joker styled sadistic anarchy and a cruel dictator who seeks to control everything in his path. The exposition is heavier this time around, but the difficulty of the puzzles in the Ice Palace is worth the extended periods of inactivity.

EPISODE THREE – Jailhouse Block

After one of their teammates is kidnapped by The Admin, Jessie and his companions are forced into a correctional facility. At the Sunshine Institute, insubordination is cruelly extinguished, and betraying your closest allies is highly rewarded. Will Jessie keep their integrity, or will they be forced to make choices which will forever render them unrecognisable?

This episode is highly dependent on the choices you decide to make. Becoming one of The Admin’s employees allows you to gain favour and access exclusive dialogue options, but choosing to defy him will result in your allies receiving injuries or demotion. From a gameplay and storyline perspective, this was probably my favourite episode of the bunch, as it provided many memorable moments such as the rationing of mushrooms and the eventual discovery of Prisoner X.

EPISODE FOUR – Below the Bedrock

Led by one of the former colleagues of The Admin to a secret underground city, Jessie and his companions are forced to see for themselves the true brutality of their current enemy. The race is on to recover the only artefact that put a stop to the villain’s plans, and rescue their beloved Beacontown from his evil clutches.

This episode is probably the weakest out of the five, as it focuses heavily on exposition with very little gameplay in sight. The quiz puzzle is one of the highlights of Below the Bedrock, as it requires you to pay attention to details you might think are irrelevant on first glance. Another positive is the return of another Season One character, who has undergone a humourous change in occupation by becoming a not so humble ninja.

EPISODE FIVE – Above and Beyond

EPISODE FIVE – Above and Beyond

Arriving back in Beacontown, Jessie and his companions devise a plan to get close to The Admin and remove his powers forever. With the fate of the world at stake, it will take everything they have to bring back peace to the universe once again.

The final episode brings everything together to a satisfying conclusion, with the final boss fight against The Admin being one of its many highlights. The cameo appearances of Jessie’s longest friends, as well as the resulting consequences of your many choices throughout the season place this episode firmly in a respectable second place.

Since it was popularised by Telltale back in The Walking Dead series, the choice and consequences game mechanic has become a fan favourite inclusion. Unlike the decisions made in the first season, the choices this time around are wider reaching, with some decisions from the first episode only having a direct impact later in the game, such as your treatment of Lluna, a treasure sniffing llama who is the mascot character for the protagonists. The occasional combat sequences are still as clunky, but they feel a lot smoother thanks to the slightly tighter controls provided this time around.

The graphics and frame rate have been drastically improved since the first season of Minecraft Story Mode, because of the upgraded Telltale Tool game engine and the additional power of the current generation of consoles. There are a few dips and stutters in the more intense scenes, but their infrequent occurrences leave little room for concern. Like many of their previous projects, Minecraft Story Mode Season Two has a stellar voice cast. Ashley Johnson reprises her role as Petra, as do the majority of the returning background characters voice actors.

Overall, Minecraft Story Mode Season Two is a competent continuation of the previous season. The new storylines and characters fit well with the existing material, keeping the player entertained as they continue on their journey. If you are a fan of Telltale Games portfolio, or are simply looking for the next episodic series to point and click your way through life, this is an experience that will build a place in your heart for many years to come.

Minecraft Story Mode Season Two builds on the successful world created by Telltale Games, providing a solid point and click experience for fans and newcomers alike.