Minecon 2015 is currently under way in London this weekend; where all things Minecraft are being celebrated and all sorts of new features and content are being announced for the ubiquitous game.
Whilst almost all of the big announcements being made are about Minecraft on PC and its console variants, there has also been some news released on Minecraft: Story Mode, being developed by Telltale Games. Along with the first details on the game, a debut trailer has been released on YouTube.
The trailer shows off the protagonist of MineCraft: Story Mode, Jesse, and his friends fending off against Creepers and Zombies, crafting a sword and eventually travelling to The Nether. As with previous Telltale titles, there will be a big focus on player choices which then have an impact on the games outcomes. Also in classic Telltale style, Minecraft: Story Mode will be released episodically, with the first of five episodes expected to be released this year.
However, there have been few other details on what the gameplay will actually consist of. Minecraft is vastly different from any previous property Telltale have worked on, both in terms of world and gameplay. Minecraft has always been about freedom, exploration and creating whatever your mind can come up with. While Telltale’s games are linear, focused and story-driven at the cost of gameplay variety. These are two sides of a gaming coin, and it might be why the trailer isn’t receiving a lot of love on YouTube at time of writing.
Minecraft: Story Mode will feature a whole cast of characters. And a pig.
The comments section of any YouTube video is usually a mess, but they do bring up an interesting point: Who exactly is Minecraft: Story Mode for? The players who are into Minecraft for its creative opportunities and customisability may have little interest in a completely linear, controlled game. Whilst those players into Telltale’s story-telling may have no interest in the world and characters of Minecraft.
In any case, expect to see more news on Minecraft: Story Mode before its release sometime before the end of the year on PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, and Android.
Danny is a former games producer turned writer and video maker. He’s been gaming since he was 3 years old (albeit terribly) and can be found on Twitter usually whining about minor inconveniences.
