Telltale Shakeup

I last posted adventure game news way back in... 2016! Holy Moly! Since then, a lot has been going on at Telltale:

They've completed season one and season two of Batman, season two of Minecraft: Story Mode, season one of Guardians of the Galaxy (season 2 hasn't been announced... but it's pretty inevitable), and Season Three of the Walking Dead.

Plus, they announced season two of The Wolf Among Us (yes!), and announced that season four of The Walking Dead will be the final season.

Even more surprisingly, Kevin Bruner quit and Dan Connors stepped back temporarily as CEO. Then, Pete Hawley, the former general manager of games at Zynga replaced Dan Connors as CEO.

Then, on the 7th of November, a little more than a month after Pete Hawley became CEO, Telltale laid off 25% percent of its staff.

According to The Verge, the atmosphere at Telltale was toxic long before Pete Hawley came in. Kevin Bruner apparently stifled creativity and pushed employees into long crunch times.

Dan Connors was mentioned to be a much less imposing figure, but Pete Hawley isn't off to a great start. But some employees are hopeful that they'll have more creative freedom going forward.

I hope so as well. This blog was once named "Telltale Fan" after all. I wish the employees who are still at Telltale luck that they'll be able to once again make the games they want to, without being overworked. And, I wish those that lost their jobs luck in the future. If any of you haven't yet landed a new job, hopefully you will soon. And hopefully the next job will be your dream job.

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Minecraft - Story Mode Episode 5

Minecraft: Story Mode has been a breeding ground for new experiments at Telltale Games. The fifth episode is no exception. Rather than an episode to wrap up the season, Telltale has instead created an episode that is all about a new story.

The story of the old Order of the Stone had concluded in episode four, and episode five opens with the new Order of the Stone coming into their own with their new found fame and responsibility. This also has brought them some scorn from some of their peers. This jealousy brings a new danger to the world, and the team is split up in order to confront it head on before it’s too late.

This split up gives the group a much different dynamic than before. The new Order of the Stone has been split in half. Jesse is paired with two people who are seemingly outside of the new Order, but who have worked with Jesse before. These two are the two who were deemed outsiders in the previous adventure. They didn’t fit in, but they tried their hardest to get people to acknowledge them. They managed to do that by the time the Wither Storm was defeated, but after the new Order was formed, they once again found themselves to be outsiders. So, their inclusion in this new group is quite interesting as the two members of the new Order are now much more sure of themselves, and the two who aren’t are still trying to prove themselves. This split in the attitudes of the cast changes the tone of the game, as everyone was more or less on equal footing before. But now with this split, the two outside the Order feel out of place, even more-so than before.

That's the crux of this episode, as it is mostly about the relationships between the characters. While the first arc had a big bad that needed to be vanquished, the enemy in this episode is strictly human. As such, the voice performances are more important than even before. Thankfully, the voice cast delivers. The returning actors are excellent as usual, and the actors for the new characters deliver performances that compliment the regulars quite well. The music and art style once again compliments the story and the performances of the actor beautifully.

As this is a new story, the choices you make primarily matter only within this narrative, for now. However, the long wait between episodes is worth it, as your choices make much more noticeable changes than in previous episodes. There isn't a lot of puzzle solving, compared to previous episodes, but the choices and consequences are handled well. Additionally, now that the three episode Adventure Pass downloadable content has been announced, it is possible that your choices will make a difference in future episodes as well.

Overall, the fifth episode is a worthwhile addition to the main game. The evolution from the old Order of the Stone to the new is explored, albeit briefly. The main crux of the game is the split up group dealing with the relationships between themselves, as well as the relationships of their peers, now that they have become heroes. It's a mostly standalone title, except for a cliff-hanger at the end that sets up the events of the downloadable content. In that way, it might seem like an advertisement for future episodes to some. However, the choices and consequences are handled well, the new locations and characters are fun, and the music and voice acting is handled very well. It doesn't quite live up to the adventure and suspense of the previous episodes, and the puzzle solving is lacking in comparison, but the episode should please fans of the series.

Final Verdict:

3½ out of 5

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Minecraft - Story Mode Episode 4

Telltale has been using Minecraft: Story Mode to try out new ideas, and the pacing of the series is no exception.  There is still one more episode to go in the season pass, but with this episode the Wither Storm story line is wrapped up in a satisfying, yet emotional conclusion.

As the episode begins, Jesse's gang and the Order of the Stone are both dealing with the effects of the events of the last episode.  Everyone has to team up with an unlikely ally, and in the process Jesse learns more about the Order than anyone had before, outside of the Order themselves.    The previous episode broke out of the mold of the traditional losers turned heroes story line, but this episode completely turns expectations on its head.  The story of this series has never been presented better than it is here.

Thankfully, the game play also manages to live up to the standards of the story.  There are some interesting puzzles, and the action sequences are quite memorable.  There are also some choices and consequences here that make a noticeable difference in the final moments of the game. There are quick time events, of course, bur as with the rest of the episodes in this season, they are balanced by the excellent hit counter based directly controlled combat system.  The only drawback in the game play is a maze half-way through the episode, which is not puzzle based, but trial and error based.  It's a small maze, and it doesn't last long, but it's a shame that they didn't use a puzzle to solve the maze, as they showed they can do it well in Tales of Monkey Island.  As it stands, the maze just feels like a way to artificially extend the play time.

The presentation is once again excellent as well.  The new locations are quite interesting, and as usual the blocky graphic style fits the retro 1980s feel that was the inspiration for the story.  The music once again also manages to capture that feeling fantastically.  The voice actors are also on the top of their game in this episode.  As this is the conclusion to the storyline, we get to see more of characters that haven't appeared much in the season.  These characters stand right up against the main cast, which is a testament to the skill of the voice actors.  Some of them even get their personalities and backstories more fleshed out in this story, which also helps the game not feel as one-dimensional as it did in early episodes.  This may be a family friendly story, but as Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures showed previously, Telltale can still deliver a fantastic story and interesting characters in a family friendly environment.

The fourth episode of Minecraft: Story Mode is a surprise early ending to the Wither Storm story line, but it is handled quite well.  The story is the best in the season, delivering plenty of surprises, and fleshing out characters, giving the whole game more depth than was evident early in the season. There are also some choices and consequences that have a noticeable effect in the story. The music, puzzles, and art style all continue to shine, and the voice actors give some of their best performances to date.  The only drawback is a maze that feels like it is there just to artificially extend the play time. Thankfully though, the maze is a short one, so it doesn't detract from the rest of the game, which is fantastic.  Telltale has used Minecraft: Story Mode as a testing ground for new ideas, and they have succeeded.  It's certainly their most diverse game in the modern era, and possibly the most diverse game they've ever made.  It's well worth experiencing the story of Jesse's group and the Order of the Stone.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 2 and Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 5 Are Out Now

Telltale managed to meet its projected dates for two of its series, as today sees a double release from the studio.  Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 5 sets up the scenario for the upcoming three downloadable content episodes, while The Walking Dead: Michonne is the penultimate chapter of the three episode mini-series, furthering the danger and setting up the finale.

Both episodes are available to download today across all all available platforms, except for the Wii U version of Minecraft: Story Mode.  Also, due to an unexpected delay, the PlayStation versions of The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 2 will be delayed until the 31st of March.

Also, Telltale now has a dedicated page available for the Adventure Pass, which will be available as downloadable content and will encompass episodes 6, 7, and 8 of Minecraft: Story Mode, continuing the story from the cliffhanger at the end of episode 5.  Episode 6 will be available Summer 2016, and the other two episodes will follow shortly afterward.

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 3

After a short episode that felt like it was just the build-up to future episodes, the third episode of Minecraft: Story Mode delivers with an excellent episode that lives up to, and in many ways, exceeds expectations.

In this episode, the Order of the Stone is reunited, and the Wither Storm threat is ready to be dealt with.  However, things aren't as simple as they seem.  The story really begins to take form here. The setup for the story was interesting, but it did seem like a standard wish fulfillment story.  It still is that, of course, as it is inspired by family films of the 1980's such as Goonies and Back to the Future. However, this episode has taken that formula, and twisted it a bit.  Our would be heroes are given a lot more to work towards to achieve that dream. In addition, the choices made in the previous episodes affect the story more here than before, and there are finally some real consequences to the choices.

The characterizations here are great.  Both the reunited Order of the Stone and our young heroes are given time to shine.  It's really fun to see these two factions finally get to spend time together.  Our heroes are big fans of the Order, and that still shows.  But, in their conversations with the Order, they've shown that already grown up a lot since the first episode.  The two factions converse largely as equals, and that makes for a really enjoyable moment.  The voice work of the cast, of course, has a lot to do with that enjoyment.  Everyone here delivers some of their best work of the season.  Both Patton Oswalt and Catherine Tabor deliver great lines as Jesse, and, as always, and the supporting cast is great as well.  Depending on your choice in the first episode, you will either have a full Order of the Stone, or a complete set of people in Jesse's group.  These optional people are among the highlights of the voice cast in this episode.  It's worth playing through both just to see the different interactions between the two factions depending on who you have on your team.

I've enjoyed this season a lot as it's been bringing classic puzzles back in Telltale games, and combining them with choices and consequences gameplay quite nicely.  As I alluded to before, the choices and consequences system here is finally starting to pay off with some real consequences to your choices.  The puzzles also shine here.  This episode has one of my favorite puzzles so far, in the scene where the group searches for the remaining member of the Order, Soren the Architect.  The puzzle is also accompanied by a fun little song that is presented in the style of a 1920's recording. The entire sequence reminds me of one of Telltale's Sam & Max episodes, which is definitely a good thing.

On the subject of music, Anadel continues to deliver here.  The entire game has a retro feel to it, from the story, to the blocky graphics of the Minecraft world, to the choice of 1980's stars as the supporting voice cast. The soundtrack fits that just as well.  As we're getting farther into the story, and our heroes are getting into more danger, the tone of the music is adjusted to suit that as well, but still manages to continue the synthesized music style that worked so well in previous episodes.

The third episode of Minecraft: Story Mode really shows that this series has staying power.  The second episode felt just like a build up to a bigger story, but now that we're knee deep in it, that setup was worth it.  The story gets a major twist here, and the characters are fleshed out more than ever. The voice actors deliver their best performances of the season.  Plus, the art and music continue to work well, conveying the retro feel which the story is striving towards.  The choices and consequences are finally starting to have a meaningful impact, and the puzzles are among the best of the season so far.  The game is a great merger of classic Telltale, with puzzles, and modern Telltale, with choices and consequences.  If the season continues on the track it is now, it can very well end up being among Telltale's best games.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Minecraft: Story Mode DLC and The Walking Dead Season 3 Coming In 2016

Telltale updated their blog with Minecraft: Story Mode news. Episode 5 will be releasing on February 29th. Then three new episodes will be released as downloadable content that can be purchased on the platforms supported by the game. The DLC episodes will be released over the course of this year.

Also, Mashable revealed, in an article with Telltale's CEO Kevin Bruner, that The Walking Dead: Season Three will begin releasing some time this year. More news will be revealed about Telltale's third season of The Walking Dead when Comic Con International occurs between July 21st and July 24th.

Telltale Is Making Monthly Releases Again

It turns out that the quick release schedule of Minecraft: Story Mode isn't a fluke after all. Their three episode Walking Dead: Michonne miniseries will be released on a monthly schedule. The first episode is coming out for computer platforms (no Linux yet though, but hopefully their Linux testing period yields results soon) and consoles (except for Wii U) on the 23rd of February, and the iOS and Android versions will be following, two days later, on the 25th.

Beyond that, they've already announced the release months for episodes two and three. Episode two will be releasing in March, followed by episode three in April. Hopefully this is a sign that their future releases, from Batman and beyond, will be released on a similar schedule.

Telltale Is Making An Episodic Batman Series

Telltale and Warner Brothers just announced a Batman episodic series, coming to PC, Mac, consoles, and handheld devices next year. It was just announced at the Game Awards 2015 in Los Angeles a few minutes ago. No name has yet been revealed, but it certainly is a major franchise for Telltale to tackle.

The only thing known about the story is a small tidbit from the press release: "“This iteration of Batman will give fans a first-hand opportunity to dive deeper into the complex life and mind of Bruce Wayne, the duality of his own identity, and the struggle of responsibility in saving a city overcome with corruption and villainy.”

This also means that we'll be seeing Telltale's take on games from both of the major comic universes, as Telltale has already announced a Marvel game, that will be premiering in 2017.

From Minecraft Story Mode, to The Walking Dead: Michonne, to Batman, to their Marvel game, and their first season based on an original intellectual property that will be both a television show and a video game series, Telltale certainly has a lot lined up in the next few years.

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 3 Is Out Now

The third episode of Minecraft: Story Mode releases for all platforms that have already received the game today, worldwide.

In other Telltale news, Game of Thrones will be getting a second season.  This was assumed from the moment of the announcement, as Telltale signed a multi-year, multi-platform contract, but now it's official.  No release window has been announced for Game of Thrones: Season Two, but Telltale has a pretty full plate from their already announced projects.  Because of this, it's likely the game won't be released until late 2016 or 2017 at the earliest.

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 2

The second episode of Minecraft: Story Mode doesn't quite match the high standards set by it's predecessor.  Episode two is quite short, but it's wide amount of differences in the choices offers a lot of options for replay.

The first episode ended with a choice on locations, similar to Telltale's previous series, The Wolf Among Us.  This time however, the two different events will each take place in this episode rather than the previous, making the two choices feel like they have more impact otherwise.  The two locations really do play out very differently, and offer widely different gameplay throughout them. There are also a number of ways to go about your task to meet the member of the Order of the Stone that you have chosen, which not only offers up a different experience, but leaves room open for those actions to have consequences in future episodes.

The new locations are both really interesting, and widely different.  They both reflect the personality of the two members of the Order.  The architect's land is full of wonderous and wild buildings and inventions, whereas the bomb expert's land is full of crazy people known as griefers, who attempt to blow you up the moment you set foot on their soil.  These moments should be fun to people who are veterans of Minecraft, as they emulate and poke good natured fun at the experience of the game. However, they're also fun to people who aren't fans, as both paths are really fun to play as they are so vastly different from each other.

There are a few moments of adventure game puzzles here, which are optional, as there are multiple ways to solve a task.   The optional puzzles in The Walking Dead: Season One were nice to have, but as they weren't actually used to further the plot, they felt like added weight.  Thankfully, that's not the case here.  The way they are handled here works really well.  It's a trend that I hope Telltale continues in their future series, as it's a nice way to bridge their classic puzzle games with their modern choice based adventures. 

The other major choice, between who to save in the former episode, hasn't had much of a difference on the impact of the story so far.  The interaction with the characters will change depending on the choice,  however, there is a major plot point that is introduced with the return of your chosen character to the group. The problem is the same no matter which character you chose.  

The presentation continues to shine here.  The graphics continue to mimic the world of Minecraft, and all of the fancy invention has been designed to fit within the rules of the universe.  They all could be built in the original game, which helps make the game feel rooted in its source material, and is a nice touch.  The voice work continues to shine, as does the digital music, which continues to fit the world well.  The Tales from the Borderlands style opening credits also continue here, and continue to work well with the style of humor that this series has presented so far.

Minecraft: Story Mode episode two doesn't quite live up to the standards set by the premiere, but it comes close.  It's a much shorter experience, but the vastly different routes mean that gamers would get a lot out of a replay session.  The optional puzzles are handled much better than in The Walking Dead: Season One, as they are actually integral to the plot.  The music and voice work are excellent, as is always the case in Telltale's games.  In addition, the music and voice work are excellent, as is always the case in Telltale's games.The art style mimics Minecraft well, and the team went to great lengths to make sure that the outlandish inventions could actually be created in Minecraft, which should please fans of the original game.  The main drawback to the episode is that the short length makes the episode feel mostly like a setup for the episodes yet to come.

Final Verdict:

4 out of 5

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 2 Is Out Now

In a very surprise release, the second episode of Minecraft: Story Mode is out already for most platforms. It will be released for Android and iOS devices on Thursday.

The season pass disc, a retail disc for consoles that includes the first episode on the disc and the ability to download the other episodes as DLC as they're released, is also in stores today.

Choices-and-Consequences Game Review: Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1

Minecraft: Story Mode seemed like a really odd choice for a franchise for Telltale to tackle.  The original Minecraft game was a sandbox construction game, without a story of its own, and little lore outside of the characters and enemies from the game.  Surprisingly, Telltale manages to deliver a great experience with the license, even going as far as adding in elements that their other choices and consequences games lack.

It continues the modern Telltale formula in a good way. It has an interesting story about a beast that is unleashed, and the game's group has to track down people who can help stop it. It has choices in the dialog, with consequences that come in the form of characters changing their opinion on you based on what you choose. Plus, there are choices to make on which character to save. It expands on the idea introduced in The Wolf Among Us of choosing one path, and the other one plays out whether you are there or not. Except this time, it feels like the choice matters more, as it extends into the next episode rather than being contained in a single chapter.

The new mechanics are where the game really shines. This is Telltale's first game to have customizable characters, including gender. Male and female Jesse have the same lines, but the actors read the lines really differently, so going through for a second playthrough really is worthwhile to hear those subtle differences.  The rest of the voice cast is excellent as well, delivering performances to equal the great standard set by the voice actors for the main character.  The music is excellent as well, with an electronic style of soundtrack that really fits the tone of the game.

There's two areas of exploration here where you can just stop and look around and interact with objects and characters. The first one doesn't have a lot of character interaction though, but it's definitely good to see more areas that allow you to explore, without being led on rails through cutscenes and quick time events. Speaking of quick time events, there aren't as many of them here, which is my absolute favorite part of the game. The direct controlled action with a hit counter really shines. It's miles better than quick time events, and I really hope it becomes the standard for Telltale's action scenes from here on out.

The Minecraft art style is mimicked, but not duplicated.  The characters are still blocky, but they are presented in a style that is much more pleasing aesthetic that fits the high resolution cinematic presentation that are the cornerstone of Telltale's modern games. The game also mimics the Minecraft style of gameplay through the crafting table, which lets you collect items to craft. These items are sometimes used to craft weapons, as expected, but they can also be used to craft items for use in getting out of situations (and the item you can craft depends on the items you collect in your inventory). I was also pleasantly surprised to see the return of real puzzles, in the form of a switch puzzle at the end of the episode.

Minecraft: Story Mode succeeds in spades in melding the Telltale style with the Minecraft universe.  The Minecraft style is mimicked, albeit in a more visually pleasing fashion.  The crafting table is used to great extent as well, making good use of the inventory system.   The voice acting and music is top notch, and the choices and consequences style of gameplay is integrated into the Minecraft universe well.  Best of all, Telltale is finally evolving their gameplay here, with direct control combat rather than relying on quick time events for action scenes.  This is the most adventure style of game that Telltale has created in a long time, as there is also a switch puzzle near the end of the game. Minecraft: Story Mode is a nice blend of old Telltale with new Telltale, mixed in with mechanics that never have been in a Telltale game before.

Final Verdict:

4½ out of 5

Minecraft Episode 1 and Back to the Future Remaster Out Now

The first episode of Telltale's Minecraft: Story Mode is available today.  On top of that, Back to the Future: The Game - 30th Anniversary Edition, the remaster of the game with improved textures and Tom Wilson as Biff, has been released as well.

Clearing up a few misconceptions about the game from early press about the remaster, Tom Wilson only plays Biff Tannen.  Owen Thomas still plays Kid Tannen and Beauregard Tannen, and Andrew Chaikin still plays Cliff and Riff.

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode One Trailer

Telltale has released the launch trailer for the first episode of Minecraft Story Mode, which is set to debut on the 13th of this month. You can view the trailer embedded above, or directly here, if you'd prefer.

Minecraft Story Mode Trailer

Happy Independence Day to those of you in the United States. Over in England, Minecraft fans are celebrating today at MineCon. Telltale is over there to show off their five part episodic choices and consequences game based on Minecraft, and they have revealed the trailer and the first details about the plot of the game.

The game follows Jesse and his group of friends who revere the legendary Order of the Stone, four adventurers who slayed an Ender Dragon. The Order are the very best at what they do: Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect. While at EnderCon, Jesse and his friends discover that something is wrong. Terror is unleashed, and they must set out on a journey to find The Order of the Stone if they are to save their world from oblivion.

 The first episode will be released later this year for PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, iOS, and Android platforms.

Telltale Is Making A Minecraft Episodic Cinematic Adventure

Well this news certainly came as a surprise. Telltale has revealed their next big license acquisition, and it is Minecraft.

Minecraft: Story Mode will be an episodic cinematic adventure that is choice and consequence based, like their other episodic series since the release of The Walking Dead.  The developer of the block based sandbox game, Mojang, is working with Telltale to make sure the game feels like Minecraft, but they're not going to be establishing any Minecraft lore with this.  They stated that they're "not intending on creating an “official” story for Steve (the player character in Minecraft), or explaining the world of Minecraft in detail".

No other details have been revealed yet, other than the platforms and general release date. The first episode will be released some time in 2015, and will be available on Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles, PC, Mac, iOS, and Android-based devices.