Minecraft, one game that has had my attention for a good part of this year.
There would be hundreds of blogs and reviews out there about Minecraft, and there are so many players of the game as well, over 12million people have bought Minecraft, it is fast-tracking it's way to being the best selling game of all time, only 'The Sims' franchise stands in it's way. If you didn't already know Minecraft is a game for Android/IOS, PC/MAC and XBOX 360 (PS3 title on the way) all about building. So what makes such a basic concept so successful?
Breaking it down, Minecraft really has so much to offer, for such a wide audience. It's blocky visuals are not there to be glorified, but its simplicity and originality is second to none. There are a variety of ways in which the game can be played as well, it can be played from a purely creative approach ('Creative Mode') where any block is accessible and the player can 'fly' through the world. In this mode, the monsters mentioned earlier post no real threat. Alternatively, it can be played with a 'Survival' approach, where the player has to collect, and mine resources to build whatever structures and tools they want or need, whilst surviving onslaughts of Zombies, Skeletons and of course, Creepers! This survival mode is where I believe the real immersion of the game comes into play. The 'Survival Mode' mode incorporates 'health' and 'hunger' which play off one another. If the players character is hungry, they will lose health, and if the players health runs out, they will die. The player can engage in farming of animals or crops for food, or rely on potions in the 'later stages' of the game to survive. This balance of creativity and survival pair up well together and make quite an enjoyable game where it can be quite easy to lose track of time! The game also has various multiplayer aspects which adds more to the fun, and also lets you show off your creations to your friends, or the public.
If Minecraft had to be compared to something in real life, I would say 'Lego', but with unlimited building blocks. The game also incorporates the classic range of monsters: Zombies, Skeletons, Spiders, all your usual mix, but there is one monster that is perhaps the most evil of them all, the 'Creeper'. These terrors are quite possibly the worst and best part about the game in one little green 'package'... The 'Creeper', will creep up behind an unsuspecting player, and suddenly explode destroying any blocks surrounding it, and possibly the player as well! The only warning a player gets is a short lived hissing sound that the Creeper makes just before it leaves a lovely dent in the side of whatever it is you may be building at the time. Why do I say its the best and worst part of the game in one? Put simply, it is the worst because some things in Minecraft can take a LONG time to build, and when they are taken away from you by these green baddies in a mere blink of an eye, it can leave one rather frustrated, and quite possibly in need of a new set of pants. These Creepers are also the best part of the game though, because if they did not exist, there would be no real fear in the game. Believe me, after spending hours on your statue or building, and turning around only to see a creeper hissing at you, your heart will never jump so much in your life!
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| Minecraft 'Creepers' |
Minecraft does have it's limitations however, after some time the game will start to feel a bit stale and repetitive. By this stage you will most likely have gathered virtually unlimited amounts of resources, and built everything you can think of building. It is by no means a game made to be played for extended periods of time. However, when you consider how accessible and basic the game is, you realise that the entertainment it offers is real and lengthy enough. It is also the kind of game that you can come back to on the odd occasion when you suddenly have a great idea of something to build! There are also a great range of unofficial Mods and texture packs for the game that can be downloaded. 'Feed the Beast' is probably one of the most notable of these Mods that adds many extra features and items to the game which can extend playability by many hours! Texture packs on the other hand add detail to the visuals of the game which can be a nice change up from the standard blocky graphics.
Overall there isn't much that can be faulted in Minecraft the game is so excellently made, and just so brilliantly simple, the creator has really tapped in on a great idea here and deserves to reap the rewards! Below I have attached some screenshots of some of my most prized creations including a statue of 'Bender' from the TV show Futurama, and a eerie graveyard that I created, somewhat inspired by the cartoon 'Scooby Doo'. Enjoy and feel free to comment.
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| 'Bender Statue' Minecraft + Texture Pack 'Sphax' |
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| 'The Graveyard' Minecraft + Texture Pack 'Photo Realism' |
Overall Rating: 4.5 CookeRS
Detailed Ratings:
Gameplay: 4/5
Multiplayer: 2/5 (can be complex to setup)
Value: 4/5 - $25 AUD
Graphics: 1/5 - low detail & basic graphics, but it matches the game style and can be improved on with Texture Packs
Sound: 4/5 - actually has some nice accompanying music and classic sound effects.
P.S: In the near future on my YouTube Channel I will be posting some Minecraft 'Let's Play' and World Tour videos!
CookeRS Logging off.
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