Minecraft | Shum's Shenanigans

I’m sure everyone by now has heard of this blocky, low resolution 3D open world game. Released on November 18, 2011, this pixelated sandbox video game made by Mojang Studios has grown to become one of the most played and relevant games, with a player count of over 141 million! (Wow I did not think it was this much, that's like 30 times of Singapore’s population!)

Though some “haters” may argue that an open world sandbox gets boring and repetitive after a while, advocating MMORPGs like World of Warcraft or Genshin Impact, here are some reasons why I believe Minecraft is still, and will remain, the best video game ever.

Why is it so great?

1. Creativity and imagination

Being the first of its kind, minecraft is an open world sandbox that lets the player do quite literally anything they want to with their generated world. Features such as “creative mode” allow players to let their creativity and imagination run wild, creating some of the most breathtaking landscapes I have ever seen in video games.

( I mean come on just look at this, if that isn’t like the 8th wonder of the world that I don’t know what is!)
Creations like the one on the left where the player simply builds whatever they are able to imagine is one of the biggest appeals of minecraft in my opinion. In many ways, Minecraft can be said to be like an art style as many different techniques such as colour palettes, block textures and building angles have to be considered when building structures. Personally, I'm not a very good artist, in fact my highest score for art class in Secondary 2 was actually A2 from drawing an apple, but I am very proud of some of the builds I managed to create in my own minecraft world!

(This took a cumulative time of 57 hours to build in survival mode in minecraft, yikes!)

2. Anyone can play!

Minecraft suits quite literally players of all categories! From speedrunners who try and finish the game as fast as possible, to hardcore gamers who play the game on hardcore difficult and beginner “noobs” who just want to enjoy the game for the first time, there is a gamemode and difficulty level that suits everyone. Not only that, but its family friendly too! From children and Gen Z kids to parents and “boomers'', there is no age limit for minecraft!
Anecdotally, I've even played Minecraft with my classmates and teachers in a multiplayer survival game over the circuit breaker! The amount of chaotic energy and just down right laughter we got from dying to silly accidents and random creepers was something I'll always remember! All in all, it's just an inclusive game for players of all shapes and sizes, providing a common platform for people to bond!

3. There is so much variety! (like seriously)

Kind of a tangent from the first and second points, but I still feel its a point worthy of being made :P
The huge player base of 141million and the wide diversity of players means there is also no end of ideas. Players are able to create unique servers such as “hypixel” (my favourite) and “badlion” with different mini games and play styles. For example badlion is a well known player-versus-player (PVP) server where players test their keyboard and clicking prowess with games like Hunger Games and skywars. Conversely, in additional to the traditional PVP game modes that badlion and other servers provide, hypixel takes inspiration from games like world of warcraft, creating "skyblock" which is a competitive MMORPG-esque game where players explore a unique custom built world and compete for resources.
Hence the unlimited playing potential of minecraft, with its numerous Mods and custom servers make the game distinct from other types of games.

4. Axolotls

Like seriously come on look at them. You can't seriously tell me with a straight face that minecraft isn't the beat game ever after looking at these little guys! The fact that they even come in different color combinations, with light blue being the rarest species of axolotl in minecraft, just makes it even better. Personally I just love their little tiny legs and that little fin at the top of their heads and their single pixel squishy noses and their disproportionately large head and… yea you get the point.

What are the downsides?

Sad to say but yes there are indeed some downsides to this otherwise amazing game.

But to keep a 100% objective review, and as painful as it may be for me, I'm going to run through some of the possible negatives of playing minecraft.

1. Money

Ok let's get this one over with, yes it does cost money to play this game. I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, nothing in life is free, and minecraft is certainly no exception. Costing 26.95 USD or approximately 36.83 SGD, minecraft is certainly one of the more expensive games on the market currently. However the good thing is it's a one time purchase, meaning you get excess to all the great things listed above with just a single purchase. Which in my opinion, is a small price to pay for endless amounts of fun!

2. Time

This may be taken both as a positive and negative, but minecraft is certainly one of those games where it shucks up your time like a blackhole. Anecdotally during my post O level school holiday, I would put in close to 8 hours a day (yikes)at staring at my computer screen, mining for diamonds or building a temple with my friends. Looking back at it, my gaming habits were probably not the healthiest and my legs muscles probably atrophied during that 3 month break, but I did get some great memories so I guess it was worth it? But yes getting back to the point, the insane fun and adaptability of minecraft is not only its greatest strength but also its hamartia, as once you get started you don't want to stop! So probably don't start playing if you've got an exam coming up, or an internship or anything important that may need you to devote your time and efforts to.

3. Phantoms

Meet the phantom. The single worst addition to minecraft and arguably the most annoying animal in the game. Added in patch 1.6 of the game, phantoms spawn around the player during the night if the player does not go to bed. Not only are these flying devils incredibly hard to kill since they fly around at mach 3 speeds and hit you, but they also sound like a trex when through puberty and had a voice crack during its roar. Safe to say these airborne creatures were the bane of my existence since the moment they first came out, and it's probably going to cause you more than a few annoyances in the future if you choose to play!

Conclusion

So yea that was my totally objective and not at all biased review of minecraft. I mean, the statistics don't lie, there has to be a reason why 141 million people from across the world took to this game for more than a decade. Reason: Minecraft is the best and no I will not be open to any counter arguments.

References

Minecraft logos: Gaming logo maker. Placeit. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2022, from https://placeit.net/logo-maker?industry=Minecraft&industryId=Minecraft
Phantom. Minecraft Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved January 16, 2022, from https://minecraft-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Phantom
Stella, M. V. (2021, November 3). Minecraft axolotl - how to find, Tame, or breed the new mob. gamesradar. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from https://www.gamesradar.com/minecraft-117-axolotl-find-tame/
Watts, R. (2021, November 19). The best minecraft builds. pcgamer. Retrieved January 16, 2022, from https://www.pcgamer.com/uk/best-minecraft-builds/