Minecraft- Be there or be square!
Written by Aaron Bressler | 
Released on PC and Mac
Minecraft is an interesting game in that it has sold more than 3 million copies despite being incomplete. Minecraft is still in the beta stage and yet it is one of the most popular games available, and for good reason. Minecraft has the building blocks of an absolutely amazing game with only its lack of polish to hold it back.
Graphics 7/10
The first thing you notice when you boot up the game is its signature style. The game is very colorful, varied and interesting yet incredibly simple. Everything, from the landscape to your character, is made of various colored blocks. This simple approach makes it easy to produce massive landscapes on the simplest computer. However, this also means the game is somewhat limited. Nothing is round and the landscape can be a bit awkward. Since the world is randomly generated each time you start a new game you will never see the same mountain or desert twice. This also means you occasionally find unusual formations, such as a lake two squares wide and twenty deep.
Mechanics and design 9/10
The best feature of Minecraft is the mechanics. Everything works well with almost no glitches or bugs. The game’s creative mode allows the player to build anything and everything imaginable, from massive replicas of skyscrapers to working roller coasters. The survival mode makes the player think on their feet, and struggle against the environment to survive and thrive. In this mode you feel a real sense of accomplishment because you had to work for your accomplishments and survive night after night of vicious monsters. Minecraft gives the player total freedom. Free of the restrictions of a story or plot this game is the essence of the sandbox game. The only disadvantage is that some players will feel lost without the usual direction provided in games. Unfortunately, Minecraft lacks a tutorial to show new players how to survive or use the complex crafting system.
Music and Sound effects 6/10
The game’s weakest links are its music and audio. The music, while pretty, lacks any sort of drive or emotion and really seems to be glorified elevator music. The music also seems to be unreliable; one can go an hour before a new song will play, leaving the player in total silence. Minecraft’s sound effects are much better. Each action has a unique and instantly recognizable sound. However, it can be difficult to tell the difference between some things because they use the same sound for two different actions. Overall the sound is effective in its simplicity but also limited by it.
Multiplayer 7/10
Minecraft’s multiplayer function is effectively the same as the rest of the game. The only difference is the ability to modify the settings, such as the ability to fly or whether or not TNT blocks explode. The biggest problems the game faces are the lag from too many players on the same server, and players who destroy other people’s creations for their own amusement. These players can ruin weeks of effort and everyone’s fun.
Replay Value 10/10
Due to the completely random nature of the game and the endless number of modifications available Minecraft is a game you can play for months before you get tired of it. The game is a whole new experience each time you start with the environment providing new challenges. Because the game is an open source work, the entire community can create modifications to change the game. Some are simple visual upgrades while others turn Minecraft into an entirely different game. While some are obviously better made than others, the community has produced a surprisingly large number of excellent mods.
Overall 8.5/10
Minecraft is very close to being a flawless experience, but is held back by its simplicity and lack of polish. With a relatively small price tag of about $20 it is well worth the money and getting it now will get you a lot of perks when the game is completed. Get this game now and see what everyone else has been talking about.
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