Minecraft is a simple idea turned into one of the most addictive gaming experiences of recent times. Despite some bugs and questionable gameplay choices, this title of pixelated charm will keep you coming back to let your mind run free. Creativity has found its definition with this indie sandbox.
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You know you have some creativity on your hands when you can punch a tree with your fist. That is how you begin your journey in Minecraft. It's one of the most simple ideas turned into one of the greatest success stories of modern videogames: Mojang, a small and independent team, create a blocky paradise that has sold in its millions. And so it should. Minecraft is an addicitve sandbox game that everyone can take something away from and, despite some recent identity crisis, has surprisingly maintained a high entertainment value.
You are placed in a virtually infinite, randomly generated world and are there to make whatever it is you feel like making. The catch here compared to other bare sandbox games is the need to gather resources from the world around you to act as your building blocks. Furthermore, these building blocks must act as a shelter to protect you from the horrors of the night, such as zombies and skeletons. Because of the lack of tools readily available to you, Minecraft truly gives you the sense of "you against the world." There is no holding of hands through some form of early levels or a tutorial - you just get thrown into the action. Some may be scared initially by the lack of guardian text or NPC, but what Minecraft does best is making you feel proud of acomplishments, such as surviving the nightly onslaught for the first time. Building a crummy, dirt hut never felt so good.
Environments in Minecraft are made up of 1 x 1 metre blocks of varying substances, from dirt through to obsidian. Each of the blocks within the world have a particular aesthetic and purpose to them. Some are located on the surface, while the more valuable blocks such as diamonds, are closer to bedrock. Getting to these means digging downwards into dangerous cave systems. But have no fear, the game rewards your risk. Seeing the toils of your travels put to use, such as that first diamond pickaxe is a marvellous feeling. It nevers ceases to confuse me how walking into a giant, hollow segment of earth lit up by a lava flow can instill such awe in myself.
Each randomly generated world contains 'biomes,' sections of earth with a particular characterisitc, like forests and tundra. Increasing the sizes and different types of these was a good move on behalf of developers Mojang, as exploration feels a little less stale and repetitive than before the full release. Massive ocean biomes have led to some fantastic, tough survival maps and the mountains biome leads to some surprisingly breathtaking, blocky vistas. Yet there still seem to be too few biome-specific minerals, something that would make me want to wander further than a hundred blocks from my spawn point. All ores, such as iron, coal and gold, can be found regardless of what biome you are currently digging through. Frankly, there aren't enough ores as well. Some will be content with the ores avaliable already, but play some of 2D counterpart Terraria and you might see the difference. To be fair, the latter game has a more complex crafting approach that requires a greater mix of materials, but that's no excuse for not giving Minecrafters their share of variety.
The same sense of copy-paste can be said for the enemies in the game, which appear in entirely random, unlit areas. Your foes, made up of things like the infamous, suicidal creeper, are also non-biome dependent for their spawning. One minute you'll fight a zombie on snow then encounter another zombie in the ocean. It can be boring after a little stretch of gameplay. These mobs do drop useful items, however. A bow and arrow cannot be made without killing a spider, and a creeper must be killed if you want to consider making TNT. The rewards are the reason and repetitive combat system can keep drawing you in. That repetition is not a gamebreaker by any means, but to keep veteran players coming back for some exploring as opposed to building, a little enemy variation in environment would work wonders, if not more enemy types.
Reading those last couple of paragraphs might make the game sound boring. It never is. The only limit to the game, to borrow the cliche, is your imagination. Build what you want. A cobblestone hut or a diamond block mansion. The choice is yours. Any repetition within the environment or the enemies is instantly washed away by the prospect of starting on a new construction project. Redstone contraptions add a whole new layer of challenges to the game, as you make your first button-activated door for example. Soon enough you'll make a fully-functioning elevator. The promise of bigger projects to come is why I was happy to grind away at the same enemies, and the reason why you will be too.
Multiplayer is where the game comes to life. Combat is given a large breath of life with another person by your side. Minecraft also has the benefit of being one of those games where the multiplayer is equally fun if you do or don't know the person beside you helping bash that zombie's head in. There's a real sense of community spirit when playing multiplayer, something that souless NPC's cannot give in single-player survival. Cities grow quicker and quicker due to strength in numbers. We see more breathtaking builds than ever before because of it. You can certainly enjoy the game without even clicking the multiplayer button, but doing so will only make the smile on your face even bigger.
The user interface is nothing spectacular, but doesn't really need to be in a game that relies so much on simplicity as a selling point. Users can scroll through a hotbar of items, within an extended inventory available through a press of a button. Recent additions such as shift-clicking to bring items immediately down to the hotbar have helped to make using your inventory even quicker.
Weird RPG elements have found their way into the game recently, such as experience points for enchanting your weapons and a dragon 'boss.' These are some of the strangest and most unnecessary additions I've seen to the game. Developer Notch has left the game in a state of identity crisis, stuck halfway between RPG and sandbox, with neither side feeling at all complete because of the other's existence. Defeating the boss must leaves a gaping pit in the heart of the player, because it's as if a bar has been set for the peak Minecraft experience. That bar was previously subjective. Your achievements were judged by the appeal, usefulness and creativity of your world. Now we have an endpoint for a sandbox game, which just seems plain wrong. But this is almost nitpicking on a game that doesn't even require this task of you.
So there is no excuse for not buying this game. It is one of the best time-wasting games you'll ever find and it has more engagement than most triple-A titles doing the rounds. Some strange game elements, bugs and repetition can easily be overlooked due to the insane amount of creativity at your fingertips. Now if you don't mind, I'm off to punch a tree.
Good:
+ Rewarding. Everything you craft is of your own doing. It's a great feeling
+ Exploration. Materials aren't available to you immediately when you start a new game. Travel is made fun.
+ Multiplayer. A whole new, fresh perspective on a great game.
Bad
- Boss. Just not necessary and gives the game a confusing image at times.
- Enemies. More needed or their appearances made biome-specific.
- Bugs. It's riddled with quite a few, but none too drastic.
SCORE:
8 out of 10