Minecraft: Story Mode - Episode 8: A Journey's End? (Xbox One) Review

In Episode 8 - A Journey's End?, the team is still lost in that dreaded Portal Corridor and slowly, but surely, making their way out. After stumbling through every world imaginable, they seemingly have one truly deadly dimension ahead. This entirely new land revolves around The Games, a series of player-vs-player tournaments where everyone fights to the death and the winner gets their freedom back after a hefty life-gaming bed, but how will it end? You would never guess it... (which, in a way, almost adds to the disappointment, since it's just that predictable).

While action sequences have been a bit lacklustre in this episodic series, they are more enjoyable in this episode due to the situations Jesse et al find themselves in. Typically, everyone is outnumbered and outgunned (out sworded…?), the overall length of this episode comes in at a little under 90 minutes, and, pacing wise, it is absolutely spot on. There isn't a moment where players will be thinking, "This has to be over soon, surely?"

This has normally been a recurring complaint throughout the series, and something still true to this day, with it narrowed down to two key areas. Firstly, the game's engine is drastically showing its age (which has been an issue with the rest of TellTale's series of storytelling adventures) and, secondly, the general lack of Minecraft-y goodness is completely lacking. The section that revolves around mining and fort building totally lacks that feature. If there was more 'do it yourself, but here's the end game,' there is a strong chance this would be a much better experience.

Now for the big question… Should the second season of Telltale's Minecraft: Story Mode have seen the light of day? Yes, the first seasons had some glaring issues, several of which lay with the painfully ageing game engine (graphically) and a few lore hiccups, but it's still been a reasonably enjoyable experience throughout. Consistently "average to above-average" would be a fair definition of the series in a nutshell, yet the whole Portal Corridor area could lead to literally anything and everything happening, and be easily explained because of this wacky world.