Why we love Minecraft
It's become an Internet sensation, an instant classic, and one of the best-selling independent games in recent memory. And best of all, Minecraft still in alpha - Theres a lot more in this way.
There seems to be a considerable amount of confusion, though. What IS Minecraft, and what do you do in it, exactly? Those answers are readily available online, if you're willing to look. But when it comes to the web, many people aren't.
We hope that through this article, we can get you interested. You really are missing out on something magical.
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LEGO-style creation
By now, you've probably seen one of those videos showcasing some grand creation in Minecraft . There was a company-D from Star Trek, a massive waterslide, and an entire minecart interstate, Just to name a few of the latest hits.
There's a fine balance in Minecraft when it comes to resource gathering and creation. Left click on a block to break it down, right click to place it back into the environment; easy, but not too easy. I often liken it to building with LEGOs: finding the individual pieces you want might take a while, but the actual process of putting the blocks together is intuitive, and most importantly, fun.
True sandbox
When you run Minecraft for the first time, you aren't placed into a tutorial. Hell, you aren't even told anything, period. You're presented with a vast, open world, and that's it. It's up to you to explore, to make up your own "rules," and in a way, cater Minecraft to how you want to play it.
For some players, that's a major turnoff. To an extent, they need to be told what to do in their videogames -- otherwise, boredom will quickly strike -- and cannot handle ultimate freedom. For others, the true sandbox-style game has finally been realized, and they couldn't be more enthusiastic about it.
That's the beauty of two modes. In the creative mode, anything goes, if you want to install the game in this style. Survival, on the other hand, is very intentional elements that push you to the game a certain way. This leads me to my next two points.
Chance development
Levels - or the worlds, more precisely - in Minecraft are procedurally generated. In a game where your enjoyment is directly dependent on how imaginative a person you are, this is a big deal. I see those aforementioned videos and think to myself, "Man, I'll never be able to create anything that impressive."
But you know what I can do? The bridge connecting the two nearby mountains, or man-made island, or even a secret base for the waterfall that inexplicably surrounded by lava moat. I can create these things because the game presents me with the foundation to do so through his encouraging, non-linear maps.
Oh GOD turn around!
As I said earlier, Minecraft pushes you to do certain tasks, even if you don't immediately realize it. Another way the game accomplishes this is by way of a day-and-night cycle. During the sunny hours, you had best collect resources and stock up while it's safe outside, especially during your first few days. During the night, well -- that's when the monsters come out.
Yes, Minecraft has monsters, and they will kill your face off. Building a shelter -- whether it's a castle, a box, or a coffin-esque hole in the wall -- is necessary to live through the night. So while you are technically free to do whatever you want, it's ideal to work on dungeons or above-ground buildings during this time. It's a clever limit on your in-game freedom. As they say, a complete lack of restraint greatly hinders creativity.
Theres also a thrill to be had from roaming the world, where the skeleton archers, spiders and zombies on the prowl. I think almost everyone who played Minecraft felt that one moment of horror when they hear the noise, turn around and look, the creature looked into their eyes.
Collective building
The Future
As mentioned in the introduction - and the ugly shows in my paintings - Minecraft is still in alpha. Anyone who has coughed up the thirteen bucks or whatever it is for the full game will receive all future updates for free. It's crazy to think that this Game of the Year contender is only going to improve from here on out.
Personally, I'm desperately hoping for the Survival mode to expand. The potential is there for Minecraft to be the best game of survival of the island ever made, if the creator Markus Persson and co. can make demands for sustainable living deeper.
That said, there are a million directions he could take this game in, and I'll be happy with whatever he decides to do. He's already proven himself to be a brilliant designer.
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