It might seem hard to believe, but…I’ve never played Minecraft before. I know, Minecraft has got to be one of the most popular games of all time, but…nope. Never played it. Seeing as I had recently tried out the demo for a similar game called Terraria, however, I decided it was time I gave Minecraft a chance, as well…in demo format, at least.
Minecraft needs no introduction. But the Duck certainly needed an introduction to Minecraft. It seems the world is procedurally-generated, so I guess I was blindly running around in confusion in a world that was entirely my own. Oh yes, I say confusion because I have no idea how this game works. It doesn’t seem to have as many menus to switch between as Terraria did, and even though there was a nifty search feature that helped in my endeavors, I still struggled far more than I should have trying to craft a wooden pickaxe. Perhaps a more detailed tutorial would have helped, as Terraria guided me all the way through building myself a house, while Minecraft dubbed me fit for duty as soon as the wooden pickaxe was in my possession.
The game’s optimism in my abilities was ill-placed, as I certainly didn’t feel prepared. By now, night had fallen, and the world becomes positively infested with monsters at this hour. I had heard rumors that enemies come out after dark, and it was advised that one build shelter in which to…shelter until daylight had returned. Well, seeing as it took me an entire day just to make a silly pickaxe, there was no way I was going to be building an entire structure any time soon. So I ran around for a bit, getting killed and losing my pickaxe along the way, and eventually, the sun returned, alongside all the random animals that seem to roam the landscape during daylight hours.
While my time with Minecraft was certainly short-lived, I think I know enough about the game’s general concept to know that it’s probably not my thing. It’s really nothing against the game itself, but like I said with my Terraria review, I don’t do so well with games that lack clear goals. The most freedom I can handle are in games like Animal Crossing, where I still feel like I have something I’m working towards. Upgrade my house as much as possible. Decorate it to my liking. Make my town look nice. Fill my town with cute villagers. This is exactly what I did in New Horizons, and I am satisfied. Maybe it’s just me, but Minecraft, on the other hand, just feels too overwhelming. Where do I even begin?! Someone give me clear instructions!
Ahem, in the end, this isn’t so much a proper review because, well, people know what Minecraft is. And it’s not like I did much in the demo, though I am pleased to be able to say that I at least tried Minecraft once…for 15 minutes. I can certainly see why such a game would appeal to so many people. I actually had fun despite the fact that I accomplished next to nothing. But moving forward, my association with Minecraft will consist solely of me enjoying what other people have made possible rather than creating anything myself. Seriously, has anyone else here seen the Minecraft replica of Disneyland? I just don’t think I’ll ever be that creative!
The Duck of Indeed 