Minecraft is all about building and adventure. If your new to the game, basically its about putting down blocks to build almost anything and going throughout the vast world and adventuring. The worlds are all made out of various amount of blocks from dirt, gravel, stone and so on. Fans of the original series won’t be disappointed as you have almost everything at your disposal from the building blocks to the monsters themselves. The design of the game is spot on to that of its PC counterpart. Minecraft is famous for its sort of 8-bit block styled graphics, though don’t let the looks deceive you. The randomly generated block worlds look stunning and with the update for retina support can really blow the players away. Scenery is all over the game from mountains, oceans, and so much more to be explored. Interface wise you have almost the same things you’d be used to on the desktop shrunken down. Controls are done through a D-Pad like interface on the left of the screen to move up,down,left and right. Additionally you have a jump button in the middle of the D-Pad though auto-jump is on by default in the game. The dock at the bottom of Minecraft showcases all your items at your disposal with a triple dot to represent your inventory. In the top left you have option to pause the game at any time and access the main menu for all options/settings.
You’ll need to keep alive by eating when your food bar gets low. All of this in a randomly generate world at your disposal. Minecraft worlds are so vast that they start not only at the ground level but ascend upwards into the sky and way down below into what is known as bedrock. Then you have creative mode, the mode thats more sandbox than survival. You have no life, no way to die, just plain creativity at your disposal. You get all the blocks and building materials you need to create whatever it is you want. Be it a gigantic building or some sort of base. Creative mode is great for those who just want to build and not be disturbed by the adventure aspect of the game. This mode allows you to really explore what you can build with these simple minecraft blocks.
Pros:
-Easy to use controls
-Creative Mode
-Ported nicely from PC
-World Generator
Cons:
-Some elements missing (ores, items)
Minecraft pocket edition really is a great port from the PC and console to the mobile phone. Be it iPad or iPhone you get really great gameplay in a sandbox world that many know and love.
Its survival mode alone is worth the purchase, traveling through the world and encountering the vast creatures. Its crafting system was ported perfectly to the phone. The same formulas you’d use on PC work on the iOS app. So building blocks like pick axes would require things like wooden sticks and specific material depending on the axe you want.
Speaking of mining the games main focus is that off collecting ores and using them to create other resources. Mining is done through tapping and holding on a block. The game then highlights and creates a circle representing how long it’ll take to mine the block.
Minecraft has multiple layers to the game, you start on the ground and can mine through dirt, stone, multiple ores and eventually bedrock. The world of Minecraft however has dangerous monsters that lurk in mines and in the dark. Zombies roam the grounds at night and attack you on sight. Creepers the most famous of the enemies sneak up on you and explode causing tons of damage and damaging any blocks around them. Other monsters include skeleton archers, enderman, and many others.
At the heart Minecraft is also an adventure game. The world is so vast and has many avenues to explore. Whether your mining through dark caves or crossing oceans onto islands. Whats great about the game is every time you play a new map its randomly generated giving you a whole new terrain to explore.
Maps are handled nicely in the app as well, you have the choice to save maps and cycle between them. Seeds are also included in the app. Seeds are map codes you can put in to generate certain land, for example you can put a certain seed to get a completely flat map generated and so on.
Exploring the unknown in Minecraft can be dangerous and the weapons/armor that are in the desktop version have all been ported to the pocket edition. Build armor from helmets, chest plates, gloves, and boots. Armor helps your dexterity against enemy attacks you’ll encounter throughout the game. You can choose to charge through the map and fighting off the worlds creatures or you can take the more passive route and build shelter before nightfall to avoid danger.
Beds can be created in game to pass time much more quickly. If you’re new to the series the game does a nice job of walking you through and explaining the formulas and interface of the game. Though if you even played a bit on PC or Xbox 360 you’ll find yourself right at home.
While the pocket edition misses out on some of the items it gets all the core blocks/tools integrated nicely. At its $7 price point you get Minecraft on the go which in my opinion is priceless. Be it creative or survival mode the game has endless possibilities and is always fun to pick up and play.
Mojang is also doing a great job in terms of updates, they’ve been bringing a lot of the desktop app updates over to iOS shortly after. Simply the best sandbox game on the app-store. Mojang has done a superb job of transitioning an already popular title over to the phone/tablet. The controls work smooth and the gameplay is exactly as you’d expect it. No half baked version, you get the Minecraft that everyone knows and loves. Not to mention it all can be played on the go without a need for internet connection.
If you love adventure, creativity, or just a plain fun game Minecraft doesn’t disappoint, Two thumbs up, find Minecraft in the app-store today.