Minecraftis now 15 years old and will soon reach a whole new audience when its live action film releases in April 2025. WithMinecraft’s millions of players sure to make the movie a financial success, it’s now the perfect time for Mojang Studios to return to an old spinoff to capitalize on the film:Minecraft: Story Mode.
A Telltale Minecraft Story
Minecrafthas never been a story-focused game. Rather, it’s more of a sandbox for players to make their stories in. There are teases of lore hinted at with setting storytelling through the Nether and strongholds, but that was allthe storyMinecrafthad to tellfor most of its lifespan. That was until Telltale released one of the firstMinecraftspinoff games,Minecraft: Story ModeSeason 1, in 2015.
An episodic, point-and-click game,Minecraft: Story Modetold an original story about a group of friends as they struggle to save the world from a rampaging Wither Storm monster and eventually become heroes of their very own. The game received moderate reviews and was successful enough to get a second season released in 2017. However, a lot of elements featured inStory Modedidn’t actually appear in the mainMinecraftgame and never returned.
The Minecraft Movie and its Potential Impact
WiththeMinecraftmovie on the horizon, Mojang has the potential to make an improvedStory Modebased on the film’s plot. Little is known of the movie’s plot currently, but in 2019 Mojang released a brief story snippet for the movie. The film would have focused on a girl and a group of adventurers as they attempt to save their world from the destructive Ender Dragon. This version of the movie was originally slated for release in 2022. Over the years, the movie’s directors and writers changed frequently, so it’s possible that the plot may go in a different direction from the 2019 version.
One thing that’s for certain is that the movie will tell a story involving the game’s original mascot, Steve.Jack Black will play Stevein the film. Based on this concept, the movie could be used as a prequel of sorts to the originalMinecraft: Story Modeseasons, although it’s more likely that a video game adaptation of the movie would stick to its own canon.
Jack Black’s co-stars in the Minecraft movie include Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Jennifer Coolidge, Kate McKinnon, Jemaine Clement in unknown roles and Danielle Brooks as a character named Dawn and Sebastian Eugene Hansen as a character named Henry.
Minecraft the Movie the Game
In terms of gameplay, aStory Mode-style adaptation of the movie could keep the point-and-click nature of the Telltale games when in dialogue or exploring areas, but allow players to have more control in action sequences rather than simple quick time events. Oftentimes, inthe originalStory Modegames, the only action seen was watching Jesse dodge arrows and wield a sword, while the player themselves would only click or mash a button. A more elaborate gameplay system could help the player have more authority in the game and keep people playing.
While details of the movie are still slim, the movie and the newStory Modegame could feature elements not seen in the Telltale games.Minecrafthas had several updates sinceStory Modefirst released in 2015, adding several new mobs, biomes, and items such as the Warden and End cities. Both the movie and the game could highlight these elements or simply include them as background Easter eggs. They could even add elements from otherspinoffs likeMinecraft DungeonsandMinecraft Legendssuch as regal tigers or whisperers.
The Minecraft Movie Must Keep The Ball of Great Game Adaptations Rolling
With recent video game adaptation success stories, fromAmazon Prime’sFalloutshow toThe Super Mario Bros. Movie,Mojang has the opportunity to continue this trend with a greatMinecraftmovie. It could help ensureMinecraft’s longevity and lead to the return ofMinecraft: Story Modein a new, more polished form.
If both are successful,Minecraftmay finally receive a storyworthy of its millions of fans. It may even continue for several sequels and expand the world ofMinecraftfor years to come and in new ways never seen before.
Minecraft
WHERE TO PLAY
Minecraft is a game made up of blocks, creatures, and community. You can survive the night or build a work of art – the choice is all yours. But if the thought of exploring a vast new world all on your own feels overwhelming, then fear not!Minecraft has no set goal and can be played however you’d like! This is why it’s sometimes called a “sandbox game” – there are lots of things for you to do, and lots of ways that you can play. If you like being creative, then you can use the blocks to build things from your imagination. If you’re feeling brave, you can explore the world and face daring challenges. Blocks can be broken, crafted, placed to reshape the landscape, or used to build fantastical creations.Creatures can be battled or befriended, depending on how you play. The world of Minecraft allows for epic adventures, quiet meditations, and everything in between. You can even share your creations with other players, or play in community worlds!
