(Editor’s Note:

Introduction

Aiden recently let me know that I could download Minecraft Story Mode and play through at least the first episode for free. A�I was under the impression that it cost money. A�That’s the only reason that it has taken me this long to try the game. A�Although I haven’t played much Minecraft in any form over the last month or so, I remain addicted to the game. A�Because, every time I do sit down to play it, I lose several hours to whatever silly job I end up creating for myself.

I have yet to play any of the “story mode” games. A�I’ve been introduced to the Guardians of the Galaxy one and find it intriguing because I enjoy the movie and comics so much. A�I even went as far as to download the Walking Dead one. A�None of them, though, have enticed me enough to load up and start playing. A�Until Minecraft. A�Because we need some filler/an easy topic to get back into the podcast, I’ve played and written about the main game on more than one occasion, and I just discovered that part of it is free, join me for my introduction to “story mode” with one of my favorite games of all time.

The Good

Voice Acting – The first thing that I noticed, and I’m sure this was intentional, is that Patton Oswalt does the voice of the main character. A�I didn’t recognize any other voices and I’m a little surprised that Patrick Warburton didn’t voice any characters, but hearing Patton’s voice as one of the first things in the game has gone a long way to increasing my enjoyment of the game.

It’s Minecraft: A�I know that I was using this old trope quite a while to illustrate the good in these articles. A�However, I haven’t used it much recently, so I feel safe resurrecting it now. A�The game is recognizable as Minecraft, even if you aren’t performing many of the same actions as in the main game.

Decent Story: A�The story isn’t great, by any stretch of the imagination. A�It was interesting enough, though, to keep me playing. A�First, I wanted to see how the building competition might end (as I expected, but a twist to make it worth the wait), then when the pig ran away, I really wanted to chase after it, and now I want to see what happens with the Wither skull and diamond trade.

Funny: A�It is genuinely funny, too. A�Both Aiden, who heard some of the dialogue and me, as I played through it, laughed at more than one part. A�It isn’t side splitting, but there is humor and it is welcome.

Choose Your Own Adventure: A�The game tells you that your choices matter. A�It also helpfully reminds you at times that a character will “remember” your choice for later in the game. A�I don’t know exactly how true that is since I’m only part of the way through the introduction, but it is valid enough that I consider my choices before making them. A�I could go back to play through again, similar to how I used to read the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books until I got the best and the worst ending, but right now I’m treating it like a game, taking it seriously, and considering the circumstances of my choices.

The Bad

Voice Acting: A�How can this be both good and bad? A�Well, as I already mentioned, other than Patton Oswalt, I didn’t recognize a single voice. A�That’s not necessarily bad, but at least one of the voice actors seems to have taken a class at the Resident Evil school of voice acting. A�It’s not awful, but it isn’t good, either. A�It is just bad enough that when you hear the voice, it takes you out of the story for a moment as you realign and try to fit this bad into something that overall is actually decent to good and might become great later in the game.

It isn’t Minecraft: A�Wait, you are probably thinking, now you are just talking in circles. A�While that might be true, let me explain. A�It is recognizable as Minecraft due to the graphics and overall feel of the game. A�However, and I’m not saying that it is trying to be, it isn’t anything like Minecraft in terms of gameplay. A�Sure, you mine and you craft, but those are accomplished only to advance the story and only by rapid pressing of a single “button”. A�Overall, it’s just not that engaging and doesn’t add much to the game other than make it more game and less of a movie.

The Ugly

The graphics: A�Again, the game knows what it is and it has been successful in spite of the fact that it uses blocky, retro style graphics during a time when games are becoming more and more realistic and pushing for realism to add to the appeal of virtual reality. A�But, seriously, the graphics are not just retro, they are retro in 3D. A�Sometimes the style is just jarring and I wish for slightly better aesthetics. A�But, I know it won’t ever happen, so I’ll just keep complaining about it. A�That’s what we old guys do, right?

The Verdict

It’s not quite Minecraft, but it’s close enough. A�It’s named for its story, which isn’t great, but is just good enough. A�Some of the voice acting leaves quite a bit to be desired, but Patton Oswalt makes up for all of that. A�Minecraft Story Mode isn’t a great game by any measure.

What it is, though, is a good enough game. A�It does just enough right to make me want to finish the first episode. A�We will see if I can continue to forgive the not so great and keep playing once it isn’t free anymore. A�I get the feeling that I might end up just buying it. A�That will most likely lead me back down the rabbit hole of the main game and both will feed one another.