Minecraft: Story Mode Episode Six: A Portal To Mystery
Developer : Telltale Games
Publisher: Telltale Games
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One (reviewed), Xbox 360, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, OSX, iOS, Android
Let’s Change Gears
How on earth are they going to make a story-based game out of Minecraft? That was the question we all asked way back when Story Mode was first announced. Well, it turns out that Telltale Games and Mojang weren’t entirely sure about the answer either. Now in Episode Six of ostensibly the same “season,” the story and format has shifted. The first four episodes followed the traditional Telltale formula with a flow-through plot. Episode Five acted was a transition and we are now secured in a monster-of-the-week style of episodic content for the remaining three add-on adventures. The challenge I have in reviewing this is that it’s not all that bad!
This reminds me of my invented Grade 8 Halloween costume: Mr. Boxhead. Seriously, that’s real.
Season 1.5
Jesse and friends discovered a hallway full of portals (read: endless new adventures to buy) in Episode Five and are still trying to find their way back home. In this way, it truly feels like a Saturday morning cartoon with a clear goal that will never be achieved, less the series is to end. This time around, the crew lands in a zombie-infested forest and finds refuge by way of an ominous invitation to a giant mansion. What could go wrong? Murder. That’s what. But more on that in a bit.
My favorite aspect of these games are the characters. The voice acting has been wonderful the whole time and Story Mode is a rare instance where my enjoyment and the number of characters maintain a positive correlation – the more the merrier. When I heard Episode Six would feature several special guest stars from the Minecraft community, I was a little worried. Partly because I am (full disclosure) not even remotely part of the Minecraft community so the star-factor would be lost on me. Luckily, these new characters are perfectly cast and deliver delightful performances.
Joseph Garrett as Stampy Cat, Stacy Hinojosa as Stacy Plays, Dan Middleton as DanTDM (The Diamond Minecart), Lizzie as LDShadowLady, and Jordan Maron as CaptainSparklez play the role of strangers trying to collectively solve a mystery while trapped in mansion.
Just one of the special guests in A Portal to Mystery. A pleasant surprise.
Restricted to the mansion (a page from the original Resident Evil playbook) forces some focus upon the series. This isolation forces Telltale to focus on the obstacles facing Jesse and his pals rather than worry about the overarching plot. It makes for a better episode but makes me wonder about the impact my decisions now have and if, really, “Petra will remember that.” Will she? So what? So there’s a trade-off here and one that Telltale was likely trying to avoid, given the first four episodes. With all this in mind, something tells me Minecraft fans won’t mind at all.
There’s not much to say about the gameplay itself. It’s the usual point-and-click, walk-and-talk to everyone, go-through-the-motions we’ve come to expect from this and most Telltale games. So on that front, it’s a little boring. Once again, I was reaching for some caffeine to lighten my heavy eyelids. The saving grace in A Portal to Mystery is the Scooby Doo-style mystery at the foundation of this episode’s plot. It’s oddly nostalgic, considering there’s no real heritage to speak of.
Final Verdict
Minecraft Story Mode seems to be making it up as it goes along and while that troubles me fundamentally as a consumer, it’s actually for the best of the series. I only wish it had started out this way and not fumbled its way through the first five episodes at the expense of Minecraft mega-fans. It’s worth pointing out that the season pass that delivered the first five episodes doesn’t help you here. These episodes are truly “add-ons” at $4.99 each or $14.99 for the pack of three (no bundle pricing either, folks).
It’s a fine way to spend $5 and 90 minutes of your time but that’s about it. Fine. Minecraft fans will likely get much more out of this but onlookers will have a better time with some of Telltales’ other offerings.
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