The first episode of Telltale Games' narrative-driven take on Minecraft will launch on October 13th. Minecraft: Story Mode will be the first official story told within the Minecraft universe, and it's being developed by the same team behind hit episodic games like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us.
Launching on a huge range of platforms
The debut episode, which will be the first of five, is called "The Order of the Stone." The game tells the story of a group of friends led by a character named Jesse, as they embark on a quest through the world of Minecraft in order to find The Order of the Stone and save the blocky realm from impending doom. Telltale likens the tone to that of ‘80s films like The Goonies and Ghostbusters, blending action and humor. "There was something magical about that generation of film," Telltale's Job Stauffer told The Verge.
In a first for a Telltale game, Story Mode will feature a customizable main character, that can be either male or female, voiced by Patton Oswalt and Catherine Taber, respectively.
Episode one will be available digitally on a huge range of platforms at launch, including the Xbox One, 360, PS3, PS4, and PC; a mobile version will launch on Android and iOS on October 15th, while the game will also be coming to both the PS Vita and Wii U at a later date. In addition to the downloadable version, starting October 27th you'll also be able to buy a retail edition of Story Mode that will get you access to all five episodes when they launch.
Minecraft is just one of several big licensed properties Telltale is working on in the wake of The Walking Dead's success. The first season of its Game of Thrones series is due to wrap up soon, while the studio is also working on unspecified games with Marvel. Meanwhile, the studio is also partnering with Lionsgate on its first original property, a mysterious project described as a video game / TV show hybrid.