The Craze That is Minecraft

Minecraft is an independant game with a cult following, and to those who haven’t played it, these accolades seem entirely undeserved. What is it about this game that makes it so good? All you do is cut and place blocks, right? Well, technically yes. But elements like open game play, creativity, and the intuitive crafting system make this a game that truly must be experienced to be understood.

The game has no structure to it. That’s the glory. There are no queivsts, no goals, and nothing is mandatory. If rpg is your style, craft gear, hunt down dungeons, and slay evil monsters. If building is your thing, flip it to creative and build to your heart’s content. There are no limits: Farming, breeding, enchanting, cooking, wiring electric doors and other electric creations, setting it to the hardest difficulty and building a fortress… The world is yours, and you can do whatever it is you do best. Some gamers don’t like this, but how could you not? If you need a goal, then set one. Go to the End and destroy the Ender Dragon, or quest for materials in the Nether, hunt down different biomes and link them together… The possibilities are truly endless.

Creativity makes the game what it is; an addictive, self motivating game with truly infinite gameplay. If the massive amount of preprogrammed content isn’t enough for you, the modding community is large and active. If you can dream of content you’d like, it probably exists. The game inspires creativity beyond the universe you play in. It’s truly, truly endless and as fun as one’s imagination allows. (Provided you scavange/cook food regularly )

The final selling point to the game is crafting. While newer inductees into the minecraft universe would like to use a guide for a while, the crafting system is intuitive and memorable. It’s something that makes the game shine; if you want to make a pick, then make the pick in your crafting box. It’s that simple. Make the shape, make the object. This becomes more difficult with odd objects like a repeater, but guides are plentiful. It’s much more interesting than picking an option from a list and having it auto-prepared.

Truly, Minecraft is a unique experience that should be experienced even by the most skeptical. In the first two days I had it, I put in over twenty hours of play. During a full time school schedule. It’s almost unhealthy how addictive this game is. With the addition of a dedicated, active server, I don’t know how I would peel myself off of my keyboard.