This game is brilliantly addictive and can support one of the largest player bases available to an independent game publishing company, but the actual replay-ability of the game tends to lack in a serious way.
To begin I'd like to get all of the Con's out of the way.
-Lack of replay-ability.
-Little or no guide to starting.
This game shines in it's ability to amaze players from the first time that they open the game window to their first chance to mine diamonds. discovering all of this on ones own can be great fun and allows for people to experience a side of gaming which was previously not obtained by a single title out there. Unfortunately for most people, like me, the chance to replay that same enjoyment runs dry. digging for diamonds gets annoying and repetitive. Survival is a joke, as once you can make your fortress impenetrable there is no reason to go outside. On top of all of this, it is hard to find something to do without resorting to mods. This has caused me to stop playing the game for several months in order to make it fun again.
Another aspect that doesn't particularly shine, although it has been updated, is it's guiding system. The way in which players find how to survive is creative and unique. It provides a learning process which anyone who plays any type of game can appreciate. This however is sometimes way too difficult. Without the YouTube videos to show me how to find coal and make torches, I would have dropped the game no less than ten minutes after logging in.
And now that the bashing has been completed, the Pro's:
-Unique and original gameplay.
-Customization.
-Constantly coming out with new content.
-Simplicity.
I won't touch on all of the points listed above as they were also mentioned in the Con's to some extent. Anyways, customization! The sheer amount of texture packs alone allows for the most personalized experience that any game has ever brought forth. WoW and other MMO's can let you change your UI, but it doesn't allow for you to change the world. The static gameplay brought forth with many other games is what makes them run dry quicker than others. Modding also adds to this experience in a more annoying kind of way. The chances of a mod working is not one hundred percent, and the chances of crashes and bugs ruins some of the gameplay, but in the end it only matters that you can do things not intended by the creators to express personal style.
Content! There is no limit to what Notch will think of next. There are many things which can be implemented, and eventually this game will become a perfect creation, but until then we must just live with the patch system and Notch's personal blog.
Simplicity is key when creating an open world game. Providing the sense of 'you can do whatever you want' and making it easy to do so is video game gold. Minecraft achieves this. Not only does the interface and how to use it reek simple, the whole concept of a world made from 1x1 cubes makes many games who strive on 3D graphics and complex models look over done and pathetic.
Overall, I believe that Minecraft should and always will be on the gaming wall of fame. on a one to ten scale, I would be happy to give this game a 9.5.
Feel free to disagree and comment!
Thanks for Reading!
(Here are some pics from my original world)
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