Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4 takes players where they’ve always wanted to go, “Below the Bedrock”. This series didn’t really delve into the finer details and lore behind the Minecraft universe, mostly because none of it is known. The universe exists, the characters act as if everything is normal, and we go from there. But this journey into the inner womb of the world that’s featured in this series offers a fun adventure throughout, even if it doesn’t significantly surpass its predecessors. It serves its purpose well, setting up what looks to be a solid finale for one of Telltale’s greatest series.
Jesse and his friends have escaped from prison at The Admin, The Sunshine Institute. However, not all have made it and players will definitely have to face their decision in this regard. But first, you have to know where they are. Beneath the bedrock believed to mark the bottom of the world, Jesse’s group discovers an ancient and dilapidated world. There they will have to work together to find a way back, while determining if there is a possible way to fight a near omniscient enemy.
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4 is another solid entry in this series that exceeded expectations throughout. While it’s certainly not Telltale’s best franchise, considering what it could have ended up being, the series did pretty well. Season 2 upped the ante, while delving deeper into the characters players loved the most from the first season. This penultimate episode serves to highlight the stakes at play, while giving players plenty to think about in terms of the characters and the world they inhabit.
Overall, the story of Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 4 is enjoyable throughout
That said, there’s not a ton here that stands out. The rhythms of the story are especially expected. The surprises are few and not so significant. There are some intriguing choices to be made, but nothing that seems to have long-lasting effects, even with the lowest player expectations of these types of games. One mission in particular felt rather lackluster, as Jesse entered a new town and was presented with the most contrived and cliched set of tasks. It felt like something that could have been avoided entirely, as it added little to the game aside from the extra runtime.
Still, overall the story of Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 4 is enjoyable throughout, it just doesn’t exceed what you’d expect from this series. When it achieves its goal, it does it well, and this penultimate episode does more to solidify this season’s overall theme. Some of the moments between Jesse and Petra, especially as they dig into The Admin’s past, are truly touching.
The series, however, continues its rough relationship with humor, offering some juvenile jokes that don’t really go down well. Of course, this is primarily a series aimed at younger players, so that’s understandable. It’s likely that kids will find plenty to laugh about here. But if you’re older or a more experienced player, you’ll probably roll your eyes more often than laugh out loud.
What Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4 excels in is its environmental design. Telltale has mostly placed this series in typical Minecraft settings, but these last two installments have really gone deep into that world. The dystopian environments that Jesse and his friends find beneath the base of the world are always interesting to watch. Small civilization dots are even cooler, with Minecraft structures and elements players would surely love to see added to games.
The music is also stellar, which hasn’t been mentioned enough about this series. It’s not really the kind of music you listen to once you finish the game, but it’s so soothing and melodic that it’s a lot of fun during. Sure, it all sounds like typical Minecraft music, but that’s a huge compliment, considering how popular the game and its soundtrack have been over the years.
And once again, Telltale has shown that they have truly ironed out the technical issues that have plagued their games in the past. Throughout my time with Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4, I haven’t encountered any crashes, bugs, or hiccups. Audio was in sync with lip movements and animations worked well, although still a little stiff compared to non-Telltale games.
The verdict
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4 “Below the Bedrock” is another great installment in this long-running series. There’s not much that stands out here, and some of the missions you’re given are pretty boring, but for those who’ve held out that long, it’s finer content to explore. It also serves as an excellent penultimate episode, setting things up for an epic showdown in the finale.