Review

Developed by:Telltale Games/Mojang Published by:Telltale Games Genre(s):
  • Adventure
  • Platform:
  • Handhelds
  • Microsoft
  • Nintendo
  • PC
  • Sony
  • Cost:$24.99 (Full Season) ESRB Rating:EVERYONE 10+ Players:1 Release date:October 13, 2015 Reviewed on:PC Episode Release Date:March 29, 2016
    9.5

    Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 5: Order Up

    One of the things I find fascinating about Minecraft: Story Mode, is how distinct its episodes are. Their grouping is similar to the craftable items in Minecraft; a piece of wood is just that until it’s combined with other materials to create something useful. It has a coherent story for sure. But the episodes in this series, taken separately, vary in quality…

    Of course, this sort of thing applies to most episodic games. Focusing on character growth in lieu of big action segments could make an episode seem duller than what came before. The difference here is that it feels like Minecraft: Story Mode is being written as we go along. And while that’s something Telltale is known for – episodes are altered based on player choices to offer a more compelling season – their other games proved better at hiding this fact. If you read my review of the last episode, or you know from playing personally, you’d know that it ended on an odd note. It was very final in nature. And yet, there was a hint of some looming threat still hanging over the first Order of the Stone (based on my choices). What you find out after playing through “Order Up” is that they didn’t have anything to worry about. Mainly because this episode has very little to do with the ones that came before it.

    “Order Up” takes place sometime after Jesse and the gang have established themselves as the new Order of the Stone. They’ve explored faraway lands, defeated monsters, and collected an assortment of rare treasures. Everything concerning the Wither Storm has been wrapped up and tucked away for the occasional reference to the past. Sporting new armor and fancy weapons, our heroes begin the game with a venture into a temple on behalf of Ivor. He believes that it holds the key to a group of legendary builders and their Eversource – an object that supposed to generate an unlimited supply of premium resources. During their search, Jesse finds enchanted Flint and Steel tools that are capable of activating a secret portal. Things seem to be going well until our group is assaulted by Aiden and the Ocelots. Jealous of the Order’s newfound fame, Aiden planned to gain some recognition by securing the Eversource for himself. So while the fighting ensued, he stole the Flint and Steel before making a break for the portal…

    This episode isn’t strongly connected to the rest of the season. Sure, what came before establishes who the main characters are which provides a foundation for this new arc. But “Order Up” would be better suited as a beginning to a season, not the end of one. With Telltale announcing the release of an add-on pack consisting of three more episodes, my view seems justified. The good news is that Jesse’s latest adventure is rather entertaining. Even more so than rest of the season.

    There’s plenty of action, the new characters we meet are as lively as they are unique, and I enjoyed visiting the floating Sky City. That said, I suspect the main reason I liked this episode more than others was because of its self-contained story. It’s refreshing to have a beginning, middle, and end to a conflict held within one episode. This is the start of Jesse and the gang’s ongoing trek to new and exciting worlds (which is why it would make sense to be the first episode season two, but I digress). While I was curious to know what ultimately happened to the old Order, I happily look forward to what Telltale has in store for Jesse. If the coming episodes are like this one, they could significantly raise the quality of this series as a whole!

    Gameplay:

    10

    This is one of the best episodes of this season. The self-contained story alone is, worth the price of admission.

    Graphics:

    10

    Still looks like Minecraft, but better!

    Sound:

    10

    The new cast of characters are just as well voiced at the old guard.

    Replay Value:

    8

    Because this episode has a complete story arc, I can see people replaying it. You won’t really have to worry about your choices, at least not right away, given the way things end.

    Final Score:

    9.5

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