Minecraft: Story Mode Episode One review
:: STOP BUILDING, START LISTENINGPrice: $4.99
Version: 1.1
App Reviewed on: iPhone 5
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Point-and-click adventure games are in the midst of a new renaissance, and at least part of that prosperity can be attributed to Telltale Games's excellent adaptations of established properties like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, and most recently, Minecraft.
Minecraft: Story Mode builds a story up around a universe that's been slightly lacking for a background tale up to this point. Sure, Minecraft has the Nether, towns, and the Ender Dragon, but not a lot of lore about who lives there or what their motivations are.
Heroic losers
Story Mode fills that void by introducing a band of friends (including a pig) who become reluctant heroes-in-training when a world-consuming evil is introduced to the land.
The game's story is engaging, the dialogue between the characters is snappy, and the ability to play as either a boy or a girl is most welcome. But the world you wind up exploring is mostly "Look, but don't touch."
"I wanna play!"
Obviously, most Telltale titles are more concerned about delivering a story above making your palms sweat, and that's fine for properties based on books and comics.
But Minecraft is a game about digging, building, and exploring, and when you sit on the sidelines and watch other characters do it for you (even though you tap the screen to get 'er done), it makes you feel itchy.
The bottom line
Nevertheless, Minecraft: Story Mode still tells a good tale that's filled with fun and friendship.
The plot and twists may be too predictable for an older audience, and having to sit out on the action is weird, but it's nice to have a Telltale adventure game that's suitable for youngsters.