Minecraft, despite being out on PC for more than a few years, only made the jump to PlayStation 3 late last year. With PS Vita and PlayStation 4 versions set to release in the coming months I thought it was about time to see what all the fuss was about.
Since it release on PS3 last December, Minecraft has continuously remained high in the PS Store charts; even topping the chart in May and June. Given the affordable price tag and volume of content on offer it’s easy to see why Minecraft is a huge success.
However, it is of course not for everyone. The pixalated presentation no doubt is unappealing for some gamers. I was skeptical at first, and whilst I have warmed to its retro appearance, I would still like to see the game given more realistic textures.
Best Bit
Minecraft lets you go wild with your imagination. The sheer scale and amount of content of the game means nothing is impossible – whether it’s creating something new or trying to rebuild famous set pieces from films and TV shows. I’ve been blown away by numerous YouTube videos where Minecraft gamers have recreated famous locations from Middle Earth and Game Of Thrones.
Although I don’t have the patience to do the same, the creation aspect is the main reason why I play Minecraft, and is something I’ve previously enjoyed in games like LittleBigPlanet. Whether you’re playing in either Survival or Creative mode the ability to mold the environment to your liking or create random structures that couldn’t be possible in real life is there, and it’s really easy to get to grips with. Minecraft only loses its fun factor once you’ve ran out of ideas.
Worst Bit
It’s difficult to pick out an outstanding flaw in Minecraft. Thanks to numerous updates, most of the bugs have been ironed out (I’m yet to encounter any issues with the PS3 version), and although the pixelated design isn’t to everyone’s liking it certainly can’t be considered a flaw.
However, as a newcomer to Minecraft I felt overwhelmed and confused upon starting a new game, and I still do. There may be a tutorial and occasional hint, but it doesn’t prepare you well enough for the full game.
The majority of the time during my initial playthrough I was left asking myself questions that I didn’t know the answer to: What does this item do? Where can I find this material? How do I make bread? What is the End Portal? Yes you could figure this out for yourself, and maybe I’m just being lazy. Saying that, I would of never of figured out how to get to the Netherworld without the help of the online wiki.
Minecraft really is a fantastic game, and I can’t wait for the PlayStation 4 version to release, especially now that I’m more experienced. It’s simplistic presentation shouldn’t deter gamers as it provides limitless hours of exploration and creation. You can let you imagination run riot, or if you’re short on ideas, have a go at completing the main fantasy quest.
Foxhound_Solid
Gonna visit YouTube to see the extent of what can be done. Is this like an advanced lego? With the obvious enhancements it being a game?
plutoniumdragon
I played Minecraft when it was first available as a beta and it was all over 4Chan and Reddit, this is about the best description I’ve heard :) :)
JakeMadge
hmmm, not sure you’ll find many minecraft videos on youtube…
PS3RULEZ890
There are loads on Youtube because that’s how the game became a huge success, people keep making MineCraft videos and more people learn about the game and buy it. How the hell do you the game sold more than 51 million copies in the 3-4 years it has been out on sale with the game ever getting any promotional deals whatsoever as far as anyone knows of.
Forrest_01
Should be a disclaimer on this game (as well as LBP & other creation based games):
“Not suitable for those with no imagination”
I can count on one hand the amount of times I have sat in LBP’s creation mode with absolutely NO inspiration to create something. The only reason I can count it on one hand is pretty much just because I don’t go back after that though.
I have to admit that I do like the look of this, but I just know that should I purchase it, I’ll get into the game, do nothing for a while & then get annoyed that I cannot think of anything to make, so turn it off never to return.
Thankfully, I am aware that my imagination slipped away with my childhood. There are probably others that haven’t realised this about themselves yet though.
bunimomike
Interesting timing with the article (for me). I’ve never, EVER been interested in it. Friends have positively nagged me to try it but it’s just not been for me mainly because I’ve wanted to crack on with other games first.
However, I’ve recently capitulated and enjoyed some time on a private server with a handful of friends. We did the usual “oooo, massive canyon/cave to mine and look for goodies” countless times but finally relaxed in Creative Mode. Sure, it was either block-based penises or Swastikas! (the usual childish stuff) but then we became a bit more ambitious. It was still childish and silly but more architectural. However, recently, I really wanted to build a Reichsadler – the little eagle emblem you see during World War II. Ignoring the Nazi connections, I liked the item itself. Seriously, historical stuff leaves me cold.
After that was sculpted I wanted balance, so made a couple of Spitfires too! Sure, they don’t actually work but look the part! :-) Oh… the Reichsadler thingie looks great when you walk around it. It’s bloody huge!
http://i.imgur.com/PvirET7.png
http://i.imgur.com/eWAgApo.png
Just as a mention. I often sing the praises of the mod community (on the PC) but the absolute clusterf**k of a mess that they’ve created on Minecraft is an abomination. Pure chaos. :-(
TSBonyman
Nice work on the spitfires bunimo!
I’ve spent most of my time exploring in survival mode, usually just building a basic starter dwelling and adding numerous unorthodox extensions onto it as i return from each expedition.
I haven’t played with anyone else on PS3 because there simply wasn’t anyone playing it on my friends list but hopefully i’ll find some people to play it when i get it again on PS4.
gazzagb
See, I have to disagree with you about the lack of tutorials. My favourite memory of Minecraft was when I first got the game, and I had no idea what I was doing. Just trying to create basic tools mostly by experimentation led to a great sense of achievement when I worked out the ‘harder’ crafting recipes on my own. Although, as I was playing it when it was in very early Beta on PC, there were far less features and therefore it didn’t feel quite so overwhelming. I went back to it more recently and found all the new features quite confusing, especially how they’d overhauled redstone and added all kinds of dispensers.
Moonpie
I was lucky to have some friends who had played it a lot on PC so when we went on together he was able to talk me through a few things.
Just finished building a tower, goes from bedrock all the way to the maps ceiling, completely pointless but so much fun to complete.
Craig Dodson
Probably my favourite game of recent years.