Review for Minecraft: Story Mode. Game for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, Android, iOS, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 13/10/2015 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 22/08/2017 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 27/10/2015 The version for Xbox One came out on 12/04/2016
Not even a year has passed since the conclusion of the first season of Minecraft: Story Mode, but Telltale Games is already ready to inaugurate the Season Two with the release of the first episode, Entitled Hero in Residence, which debuted on July 11 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 (tested version), PC and iOS and Android systems. Currently, other platforms in the future are not to be excluded, including Nintendo Switch, which in a few days will receive its port of Minecraft: Story Mode - The Complete Adventure.
A new adventure
Apparently (or rather, from what we have been able to see so far) Telltale Games' decision was to create a new cycle that can be enjoyed by both newbies and fans of the first season. In simple terms: many old acquaintances return - some of which still cover the role of protagonists - but the adventure is brand new and at present it is difficult to hypothesize that there are relevant links between the two seasons in terms of the plot.
Avoiding spoilers, we mention very briefly to the plot of Hero in Residence, written by the usual Eric Stirpe who oversaw almost the entire first season. During a mission with Petra, Jesse collects a mysterious artifact, which will probably be the source of the catastrophe that will occupy this second season. The episode lasts a couple of hours, characterized by a fluctuating rhythm, so you can imagine that there are further points that we prefer not to reveal.
All quite classic, if not downright banal, but some interesting ideas emerge from this first episode (metavideoludic, I would say, Ed), which we hope will be developed in an intelligent way in the next chapters.
A new game?
Regardless of the narrative sector, it must be noted that the elements of novelty introduced by Hero in Residence are very few, which, in essence, looks the same as the episodes that make up the first season. The graphics appear unchanged, as well as the sound, both in the music (composed once again by Antimo and Welles) and obviously in the dubbing, as it was legitimate to hope given that many characters return. This observation is not necessarily negative, as these elements worked well in the first season, but they do not help to give a new flavor to the experience.
In terms of gameplay, however, the writer would have wanted some interesting innovation, which unfortunately has not arrived. Like its predecessors, Hero in Residence also alternates multiple choices (less meaningful than in other Telltale Games series, considered the decidedly lighter look), numerous but not very articulated Quick Time Events, simplistic fights and puzzles, some of which involve crafting phases piloted (in the sense that the material in the inventory and found around does not allow you to go beyond the few recipes provided by the game).
Among the very few innovations are the management of the fighting, which are enriched with mechanics such as stamina and dodging, without being more exciting, and the possibility of making some constructions, such as a statue that is requested of Jesse in the first few bars.
Minecraft: Story Mode - Season Two - Episode One: Hero in Residence represents a decent starting point for a season that still has everything to prove. The premises seem to be those of a "more of the same", but the plot could prove interesting, if developed properly.
► Minecraft: Story Mode is a game for PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Mac, Android, iOS, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 13/10/2015 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 22/08/2017 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 27/10/2015 The version for Xbox One came out on 12/04/2016
