By: Robert Murphy
One would think that given all the materials that made the first episode of the Minecraft Story Mode so exceptional that there would be no problem building upon that with episode 2. Sadly, "Assembly Required" does little in bringing the bigger pieces of the story into the fold and coasts along with it's story and retreads upon just about everything we have already seen up until this point.
When players last left off they were left with a decision to either go recruit master red stone user Ellegaard or TNT happy Magnus, a decision which could further divide you and your friends depending on your actions up until this point. It was an interesting way to leave the ending of the story though but one that was short lived after a quick adventure on either path led to the left out friend going to retrieve the other Order of the Stone member by themselves. A rather luck luster event that further hastened the story and that was the overall downfall of this episode. Everything felt entirely too rushed and I was able to complete the entire story on either side in a matter of minutes, sure there are a few interesting bits of construction or destruction to see depending on which land you visit but little effort is made to incorporate it into what you have to do in order to progress in the story.
That being said the whimsical world of Minecraft still proves to bring a smile to my face as I look at the incredible things that can be built in this world. Sure, some of the designs presented can only be created because they serve a purpose to what is going on but most of the ingenious designs are actual creations that a skilled Minecraft player could create with a little knowledge of red stone and the games mechanics. I was especially impressed by the creations in Ellegaard's world where eager pupils waited outside with their designs hoping to be chosen as her assistant. Cow lava disco, who thinks of this stuff?
This same appeal reaches out to the overall world design that is presented throughout the story. Walking through Ellegaard's red stone fortress was my particular favorite as it was filled with all sorts of interesting mechanics I could never hope to build. Magnus' realm on the other hand was more my speed with plenty of destruction and oddly constructed buildings strewn throughout. Perhaps the most intrigue aspect came later though on the way to locating the final member of the Order of the Stone, his hidden mountain fortress was immensely built and introduced my least favorite Minecraft enemy into the story the Endermen, and somehow Telltale made them even creepier!
Once the players dig back into the story however things are relatively flat. I felt that my Jesse character was making a strong showing as a main character in the first episode, taking charge and becoming a leader that could potentially save the world from this Witherstorm attack. After meeting the rest of the Order of the Stone members it seemed like the characters bore similar traits to my team of friends too, and maybe we will end up succeeding them down the road. But, for the moment that intrigue is cut short by just how little your characters actually do in this episode. It felt as though your main character takes a back seat for the greater portion of the story and simply answers questions when they're asked of him or her. The rest of the screen time is devoted to constant bickering between Ellegaard and Magnus over issues in the past that are never revealed. It's pointless drama that never garnered my attention because I just met these characters and saw very little that made me like them overall to begin with, making me miss the characters I did like even more.
The one original piece of the story that showed some potential for later episodes came when Petra is reintroduced after finding your ancient stronghold. The brief moment of dialogue between your main character and the red headed monster slayer finally led to some screen time for your character to actually interact with someone and while Petra was rather aloof until this point, I am intrigued to see where her present dilemma will lead the story.
"Assembly Required" is sadly a disappointing follow up to the first entry of Minecraft's Story Mode as it does so little to expand on the interesting world and story it had going for it. The new members of the Order of the Stone are far less heroic than Gabriel was when we first meet him and offer little in the way of interesting characteristics. What's worse is these characters bicker so much that little time is spent on your friends or your main character's development which should never happen. While the whimsical elements and some new story elements are included here there simply isn't enough to make this episode all that satisfying.
Good:
- Wonderful Minecraft creations brought to life
- Petra's addition back into the story
Bad:
- Rehashes moments from the first episode
- Ellegaard and Magnus were unappealing
- Main character involvement felt surprisingly minimal
Scully Rating: 5.0 out of 10
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