Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 1 Review Roundup

Telltale Games, the go-to studio for episodic games based on big third-party properties, has kicked off its Minecraft: Story Mode series with the first episode, titled The Order of the Stone.

How does it fare in bringing canonical story to a game that has, until now, thrived off giving players the freedom to craft their own? We've adventured across the Internet to bring you word of the critical reception.

Below, you'll find score as well a a sample of the review text from a variety of publications. Take a look and, by the time you're done, you'll have a good idea of how it's being received.

• Game: Minecraft: Story Mode - The Order of the Stone
• Developer: Telltale Games
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One
• Release Date: October 13
• Price: $4.99/£4.99

GameSpot -- 7/10

"It's [the] flavor that helps propel this first episode of Minecraft: Story Mode along, even when the story itself only begins to hint at the scope of the adventure ahead. It's a pleasant start, packed with individual events but featuring little in the way of narrative propulsion. When I reached the end of this episode, I wanted more. I'm hoping that, like most outstanding Minecraft creations, Minecraft: Story Mode just needs a little more time to build." -- Randolph Ramsay [Full review]

Forbes -- 8/10

"Overall Minecraft Story Mode is a great start to a new series. Although the child-like visuals will put some Telltale fans off this is to miss the huge investment and achievement so far. If the series continues in this vein it’s set to be warmly welcomed by both Minecraft fans and families." -- Gil Press [Full review]

IGN -- 7.3/10

"Minecraft: Story Mode is a pleasant, family-friendly adventure that very quickly won me over and kept me invested in its twists and turns. The drama might not be as heightened as something like The Walking Dead, but I still found myself surprisingly invested in the choices I had to make about my companions, undeveloped as they may be, and smiling at the Minecrafty in-jokes. Sparse interactivity and a lack of commitment to explaining this world and its inhabitants hold Episode 1 back, but I'm still absorbed in my story, and eager to find out what happens next." -- Justin Davis [Full review]

Destructoid -- 5/10

"There is some hope for this series to be great in the future, but The Order of the Stone is just okay. The Minecraft-specific gameplay is a nice way to shake up the usual formula. The blank slate of the universe allows the tale to go wherever it wants. The voice cast is full of actors who can do great work. But the writing needs to be more engaging if Story Mode wants to be taken seriously among Telltale canon." -- Darren Nakamura [Full review]

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VideoGamer -- 8/10

"Perhaps the reason why the marriage of Minecraft and story works so well is that Telltale has kept things simple. It's the most basic of hero's journey plots. A band of young adventurers tasked with saving the world by an old mentor, the sort of story that's been told so many times in so many ways that you could conceivably fit it anywhere. But there's plenty of spectacle here, and such clever use of the license that I can't help but think of all the post-Walking Dead series to come out of the studio, this may well turn out to be the best." -- Jamie Trinca [Full review]

Digital Spy -- 4/5

"Minecraft: Story Mode is off to a good start, and despite a story-less canvas and only in-game references to draw from, developer Telltale has crafted something promising." -- Matthew Reynolds [Full review]

GameInformer -- 8.25/10

"Minecraft fans should enjoy the references to the game, while Telltale fans will enjoy the traditional storytelling elements they've come to expect from the studio. The Order of the Stone grabs your attention at a number of points and sets you down the path of actually caring about what's going on in a story set in the player-driven Minecraft universe." -- Brian Shea [Full review]