Netflix has released three out of the five planned episodes of Minecraft Story Mode and you can watch/play them right now. Episodes four and five will be available for streaming on Dec. 2. As long as you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can play them all without an additional cost.
For those who are unaware, Minecraft Story Mode is a game developed by now effectively defunct studio, Telltale Games, and was previously only available on gaming platforms such as PS4, PC, Xbox One, and mobile devices.
Now, the full game will be playable in its entirety on Netflix, with the omission of any sections that require walking around. Instead, you’ll be given options for where to navigate to. The player will interact with the game using simple controls on a game-pad or remote associated with their device.
Minecraft Story Mode takes the aesthetics and ideas of the phenomenon, Minecraft, and adds a focus on narrative and interesting characters with distinct personalities. In it, you’ll pick what to say, select which paths to take, or even tougher decisions like choosing between multiple characters to save.
Because Minecraft Story Mode has more of an emphasis on story and watching the narrative unfold, there is less of a focus on gameplay, which lends itself to the platform nicely. Games that require more player input might not work as well on Netflix, due to the various different platforms in which the streaming service is available.
Netflix also has a similar idea planned with their exclusive show, Black Mirror. Viewers will be able to make decisions and change the narrative depending on what is done.
Granted, Black Mirror is a show obviously, so it might not work exactly the same as Minecraft Story Mode. Nonetheless, the fact that more interactive experiences are being made available on Netflix is an interesting development.
