It’s hard nowadays in the world of gaming to find new releases that have a story you can actually follow. Many get swallowed up in the detail of the bells and whistles while the actual narrative – the backbone of the game – gets lost and becomes secondary to visual fireworks. Thankfully, there is Telltale Games, a developer that has brought back the spirit of gaming with its take on titles like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us. The back-to-basics approach has now been added to the world of Minecraft, and the results are fun and heartening. Minecraft is already an established entity in gaming, but with Episode 1 of the Minecraft Story Mode series, titled “The Order of the Stone,” the 8-bit charm of this familiar place gets a new spin.

The core of Minecraft and its building roots are still included in this Telltale take, as well as other staples like crafting. This time, however, there’s a specific story in which you take part and are tasked to follow. Telltale adds its trademark choice-based gameplay, allowing you to decide how your character, Jesse, interacts and talks to other characters. As with other Telltale games, how you decide to have your playable character act influences the rest of the story, potentially making each time playing a unique go-round. As Jesse in “The Order of the Stone,” you’ll find yourself in the midst of something far bigger than you ever expected. Having gone to the Endercon building competition with your friends Olivia and Axel – and your adorably cute pet pig, Reuben – you inadvertently start out on an adventure that harkens back to the mythology of the Minecraft universe and will have you laughing out loud.

What makes this episode (and, potentially, other episodes) relatable for all gamers is its humor. If you’re unfamiliar with Minecraft, you’ll likely begin playing by scratching your head and trying to make sense of it. You may ask yourself why all of the characters look like blocks or why there’s a pig, but you’ll ease right into the story and become comfortable with the awkward humor. When Reuben dresses up like a dragon and gets lost, you might even start to worry about the little fella; he might even become your new favorite pig, after Babe, of course.

There is a level of patience that is tested with “The Order of the Stone.” It gets off to a slow start, but it doesn’t take long before things start to pick up. The off-kilter humor and playfulness definitely saves the episode and helps set up future ones, which will continue to be released throughout this summer. As if Minecraft wasn’t already popular enough, this series of episodes will only add to the buzz by offering fans a new way into a world they already love. If more games had the storytelling chops and positive and upbeat approach as Minecraft: Story Mode, gaming would experience a much needed boost of joy.

For more information, visit: telltalegames.com/minecraftstorymode

By Jason Savio