Now here is a project that should have by no means failed. After the tremendous Tales from the Borderlands, you’d think that Telltale would have learned a thing or two about how to make an enjoyable game. Turns out all they learned was that videogame series weren’t off limits. And so they took Minecraft, one of the most beloved games of this generation, and set it up as a “blank canvas” upon which to craft their next game. If you were anything like me after having finished Tales from the Borderlands, then you were half expecting them to deliver something along the lines of a The Lego Movie quality Telltale adventure, full of everything that made TftB so great, but without all the late-night cartoon comedy writing.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. There’s nothing to enjoy here. Is the setting to blame? That’s hard to believe considering Telltale’s recent treatment of Borderlands, and the success of last year’s The Lego Movie, which proved that a master storyteller can flourish despite having only blocks at his disposal.
I tried as hard as I could to make it through the first episode, and I simply couldn’t. Shockingly enough, it actually started to make me dislike Patton Oswalt’s voice! No Telltale game has ever left such a strong negative impression on me before. None of the characters are likable, and the adventure feels more like an errand than anything else. Assemble the four heroes you say? I’ll fall asleep before I find the first! There is no charm to any of it, and nothing feels alive. Where is the blood? The spirit? I suspect it comes from the serious mistake that TftB wisely avoided — becoming fanservice. It’s a game for people who like Minecraft, want to see more Minecraft, and want to play something Minecraft, without it actually being Minecraft. Well, congratulations, Telltale. You did it. You made a Minecraft game. Now how about that TftB season two?
