I know next to nothing about ‘Minecraft’. I’ve been told (many times) that until you’ve played the game yourself it can be really hard to understand just what it is that kids find so fascinating about this world of blocks. After putting on the headset, grabbing the controller at Pax Prime 2015 and started the obviously abridged demo, I got a lego movie vibe from the Telltales story mode and that is a good thing. Some might think, turning ‘Minecraft’ into a narrative driven tale would be like turning chess into a first person shooter. The whole thing feels and works better than I thought it would.
My hands-on experience with the game did everything that you love in a Telltale series, including the addition of Minecraft-specific elements like item construction on a crafting table and wooden swords breaking with excessive use. Combat is varied for the first time ever in a Telltale title, allowing you to completely dodge environmental hazards, or if you don’t, you’ll be presented with the familiar quick-time-event style we’ve come to know and love.
Best of all, ‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ preserves the sandbox game’s block-based aesthetic. While the cinematic camera angles certainly give the world a unique look and feel, longtime Minecraft fans don’t need to worry about Telltale taking any liberties with the game’s presentation. And Telltale’s decision to recruit well-known actors for the project (Patton Oswalt & Catherine Teber) should make it easier for parents, who may not necessarily be big gamers themselves, enjoy ‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ alongside their children.
‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ is being developed for PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Mac, certain iOS devices, Android and Amazon Fire TV. The first episode, ‘Order Of the Stone’, launches on October 13th.
Mark Dago & co. got a chance to sit down and chat with creative director of ‘Minecraft: Story Mode’, Dennis Lenart. Another Pax Prime 2015 exclusive:
https://soundcloud.com/poppundits/minecraft-story-mode-hands-oninterview-pax-prime-2015