Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 3 - The Last Place you Look

By: Robert Murphy

If the opening sequences to the third episode of Minecraft's: Story Mode told me anything it was that this would be a much stronger addition than its predecessor. Minutes into "The Last Place You Look" players are thrust into a giant monster crusher with thousands of everyone's least favorite Minecraft mobs coming at you in every direction. It's the kind of thing that puts the excitement right into the story immediately and had me dispell any thoughts of disappointment going into this new chapter.

"The Last Place You Look" continues the ideas and new interpretations that the first episode of the series had going for it and makes players think differently about the world that millions have become familiar with over the past few years. This includes thrusting it's players into a giant flume ride of enemies, witnessing massive Iron Golems completely clobbering said enemies as well as a new look at perhaps one of the most hated enemy in Minecraft, Endermen. This is all thanks to the final member of the Order of the Stone Soren who has not only been hiding out in a massive mountain fortress but it goes even deeper when you discover an End Portal. Turns out Soren has been studying Endermen for years, watching them, learning from them and needless to say it's left him a little off. Despite this Soren gave me new hope for the Order as he offers great comic relief throughout the episode. The amazing world he created in The End is also fun to explore as he's created his own slice of sunshine there through some clever wool use, among other things.

Tracking down Soren though does involve some rudimentary puzzles that really anyone could solve in an instant. I chose to look over this fact because the audience for Minecraft reaches out to so many young ages that it's understandable to have easy puzzles. They're all very unique regardless and I was far more impressed by Soren's redstone skills than the teams resident expert Ellegaard. 

There was also some improvements made upon the two lack luster members of the Order Ellegaard and Magnus. It seems with Soren at the helm things become much more evened out with the two's bickering and even when it does come bubbling out Jesse has plenty of chance to show off his new leadership skills. There was also room for your friends to grow here as well, but what I took most notice in was the budding rivalry between Jesse and Lukas. It seems he doesn't much care for the leadership role that you have found yourself in and how quickly everyone rushes to you for guidance. It's a nice little touch of drama to underline the tension and excitement happening all around you right up until the episodes final climactic battle. 

What's more is the budding issues with Petra leave you to make some difficult choices among your friends. Not many of the problems presented to myself during my playthrough of the game have left me grieving over what horror I have unleashed by a particular choice. That's the point though, Minecraft's: Story Mode is an all around forgiving experience in terms of the choices players have to make or even the possibility of you actually dying. Nevertheless it is good to have dilemmas pop up and with Petra getting worse by the day it adds a solid level of intrigue to keep you guessing.

"The Last Place You Look" gets things back on track by giving a much more solid story than players had seen last time. Action, comedy and drama were all here and the continued efforts to incorporate everything that makes Minecraft awesome gives this episode extra brownie points to be sure. The new interpretation on Endermen and the addition of Soren to the team leaves plenty more to be excited for and I cannot wait to see what's building up in the next time.

Good:

- Plenty of laughs especially thanks to Soren

- Action packed from start to finish

- Solid story developments

Bad:

- Puzzle difficulty is extremely low

Scully Rating: 8.2 out of 10 

Tales from the Borderlands: Episode 3 - Catch a Ride

By: Robert Murphy

Gary, no! Leave it to a game like Borderlands to make me feel sorry for a background character whose face I didn’t even see before it was crushed underneath an Atlas robot’s chassis. We make our way back to the ever chaotic and desolate world of Pandora again as Rhys and Fiona attempt to escape the tight spot in which they found themselves in the last episode. Things do not improve any with this latest episode however as new enemies and familiar faces join the fray to complicate the already tense situation. It would seem our team’s goal of opening a vault for all of its many riches is turning into a suicide mission to say the least.

A good portion of what happens in this latest chapter is focused on separate but still connected stories for Rhys and Fiona. Fiona discovers that the assassin that was trying to kill her and her sister last episode is actually a vault hunter that was hired by Felix to protect and guide them. She looks at Athena as somewhat of a cool older sister who can do all of these amazing things and travels the world in search of riches. This makes her question what she wants for her own future, could she possibly be this amazing vault hunter one day and fight monsters with her wits and handy sidearm? At the same time Rhys has his hands full with a budding romance that I did not see coming but it was an awkwardly enjoyable aspect to the story. Rhys has always had a heart of gold underneath all of the bravado that he spouts off from time to time and it’s nice to see that aspect come out as you spend more time separate from the main group.

The overarching story however proves to be just as compelling if for no other reason than the group’s newest member Gortys. This sweet and naïve little robot turns out to be the key to finding the vault but needs more pieces to become fully functional. Within moments of awakening she grabs the leg of a dead body and excitedly scolds it to hurry up so they can begin their journey. She is essentially a child at heart and doesn’t understand the concepts of mortality or the fact that every moment spent on Pandora is a like sitting next to a ticking time bomb waiting to explode which makes all of her interactions hysterical. Her relationship with Loader Bot was also a top notch aspect for the developers to include as the always helpful robot develops a protective bond with her.

There is also a refreshing change of pace for the story as the group moves to an unknown Atlas location in search of a part for Gortys. This takes players out of the horrible sand and monster filled landscape and sends them to a new bio-dome location that is filled with crazy plant life and yes more monsters but they’re mostly cute, sort of. It is hard not to appreciate as you walk through the different parts of the luminescent landscape and find some peace in this chaotic world, if only for a moment or two. The whole scene is really a rather enjoyable one as the color pallet changes up significantly and it also plays into some of the more intimate moments I mentioned earlier with Rhys.

What is unfortunate is what comes after all the romance and character development as the action starts to pick up. Both the beginning and the ending for Catch a Ride have some chaotic moments of action as you face off with Hyperion, hired goons and even some famous vault hunters. All of the scenes fit perfectly with the style of madness that you can experience when you play any Borderlands game but it seems that Telltale’s gaming engine has some trouble handling it. Scenes were jumping all over the place as I switched between the action that was taking place and frame rates dropped significantly to the point where it was hard to understand or enjoy what was going on in the story. There are fantastic moments hidden throughout these scenes such as Fiona furthering her new found skills and some classic Borderlands comedy but it’s hard to appreciate if the game cannot handle what it is trying to show you.

Tales from the Borderlands continues to be a worthy adaptation of the Borderlands universe in Catch a Ride. The comedy and quick witted dialogue for all the character is spot on and the story manages to mix both serious decision making situations with off the collar humor as well. Things are heating up rather quickly by the end of episode three however and it has me eagerly waiting for what’s around the corner with the final revealing moment for the story leading to new unexplored territory. As a bit of closing advice, countless articles and reviews have pointed out that the story for Catch a Ride plays out drastically different depending on who you chose to trust at the end of episode two so it is something to keep in mind for a second playthrough. It will for mine.

Good:

- Further development for Rhys and Fiona

- Gortys is adorable and the perfect missing piece for the group

- Spot on hilarious jokes and moments throughout the story

Bad:

- The frame rate and sputtering issues with the action scenes  

Scully Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Life is Strange: Episode 3 - Chaos Theory

By: Robert Murphy

I knew that one day Max Caulfield’s rewind ability would fall short but never in a million years would I have expected it to be in such a tragic way. Episode 3 of Life is Strange begins on a very somber note after the events of the last and luckily the game has a wonderful way of immersing you into the world and letting you know that things have not only affected you but everyone around you. People show their support and positivity with you in a game like this whether it is a kind gesture or a simple text message you feel that people have your back. Much of the beginning of episode 3 gives you plenty of time to breathe and some much needed time with your friends to sort out all that is going on in your life. Whether that involves your new found powers, the possible incoming storm that threatens all of Arcadia Bay or just your regular day to day life, things definitely start to feel less stressful. Right up until the end that is.

One of the most enjoyable aspects to “Chaos Theory” is Max finally feels more at peace with her abilities this time around. In previous episodes Max has struggled to understand her gifts and what the extent of her powers might be and even spent a good portion of episode two testing them out to see what she can do. Now though she appears to be a seasoned pro with the abilities that she currently knows about. The puzzles and problems that you’re presented with this time around appear to less stressful for Max and you to deal with because you now know what exactly you can pull off. Having a conversation with a character you need to get information from and learning a piece of information about them to rewind and use against them is basically child’s play at this point. That isn’t to say that it is any less fun or interesting. Characters in Life is Strange are proving to become more compelling as time goes on and I find myself wanting to talk to just about everyone I see just because the world has become so rich. Some of the unfortunate slang still gets in the way of it from time to time but I’ve come to embrace that it’s not going away any time soon.

Your relationship with Chloe is honestly what shines the most for episode 3. Max and Chloe have gradually begun to get closer again with one another despite Chloe’s attitude about you leaving and her nasty habit of going off on people. There is more tender moment between the two though as you both decide to break into Blackwell Academy after dark to get information on what exactly the principal is hiding about the goings on at the school. This is a fun endeavor for a number of reasons besides the obvious joy I had in making my very own pipe bomb with the help of Warren, but there was also the time you get to spend reconnecting with Chloe in the schools pool. The two finally feel like good friends again and their relationship is one that I deeply enjoy experiencing as I play.

By the end of things though it felt fitting that all this should happen once Max finally starts to feel some relief and get a handle on her powers which unknown to her are about to take a huge leap forward.

The big reveal for “Chaos Theory” comes at the end of the episode once again as Max reverses time further than she ever has before and in affect goes backwards in time to a point she never thought possible. There had already been quite a phenomenal bombshell at the end of the last episode and yet somehow the developers have managed to outdo themselves once again. Max goes back with the intent of effectively changing things for the better as so many people have often done before but I’ve learned anything from time travel show and movies it’s that you have to constantly worry about the ripple effect that your actions will create. Max awakes from this experience in an entirely different world which was shaped by what she had done and now she is more lost than ever before. The whole experience of a new world to explore and whether or not my abilities can have any effect anymore in the world I’ve created has me insanely enthralled for the beginning of the next episode.

Episode 3 of Life is Strange starts out with a relaxed sense to it after the events of the previous episode but it does not falter in its ability to create new and interesting aspects for the story. Max’s new power was a big step forward and makes me wonder what exactly she will be able to do with this new ability and what issues they’ve already created for her next time. The characters we see are also becoming deeply engaging as things progressed this time around, I learned new facts about people I never thought I’d like and things about those I did like that I was better off not ever knowing. One thing is certain though and that’s that I am exceedingly excited for what lies around the corner for our main heroine Max. I certainly hope she is prepared.

Good:

- New time travel ability

- The bond between Max and Chloe

- Enjoyable puzzles and problems for the episode

- The big story altering decision

Bad:

- Usual dialogue issues

Scully Rating: 8.2 out of 10

*TFS* Hellsing Abrided Episode 3

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Hellsing Abridged Episode 3 Trailer

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