Sometimes, the seemingly most simple things end up being much deeper than you might expect. A great example of this would be Minecraft, the recent PC game developed by Mojang. This game is far deeper and involved than it appears because of its graphics, gameplay, and the different dimensions it takes you to.

The graphics in Minecraft are usually the first things people notice about the game. Its simple, blocky style makes the game seem like a game from the 80s, but once you start to play it, you realize how genius the graphics actually are because of how perfectly they fit the kind of game Minecraft is. The environments in Minecraft are randomly generated, so when you explore these open worlds you discover huge mountain ranges, sprawling forests, treacherous ravines and massive cave systems. The blocky nature of these environments just make them feel real. Travelling through these breathtaking worlds, you feel like an explorer discovering untouched wilderness and unclaimed territories. Also, the worlds you are exploring are practically infinite, so you could spend hours exploring and never find the end of a world. However, exploring the world isn’t all you do in Minecraft. The simple design makes building in this game possible and really fun.

Minecraft is definitely as much about modifying the world around you as it is exploring it.
The terrain in Minecraft is fully destructible, meaning any block you see, you can break, and you can place your own blocks anywhere you want. This full customization of the world around you is where minecraft really stands out from the crowd of Independent PC games, and it’s why so many people have started to show off their true creativity. All this may seem like just a casual building/exploration game, but when you create a new world under the “Survival” game mode, everything changes. In Survival mode, you start off with literally nothing, and you are forced to gather resources and build shelter against the terrible monsters that come out at night. At night, the magical scenery becomes a living nightmare, crawling with giant spiders, exploding “Creepers”, walking skeleton archers and hordes of the undead. This actually adds a kind of Horror element to the game, which is very surprising. Of course, it’s not quite as scary as “Slender” or “Amnesia”, but if you decide to wander through a dark cave in the middle of the night, prepare to be scared. The world of Minecraft and the knowledge of unknown horrors creeping in the depths of this seemingly perfect world are so prevalent that there are even rumors of a ghostly figure that watches your every move and exists in the distant fog, waiting for the perfect time to strike. They call him “Herobrine”. Some believe he is just a hoax, others swear that they have seen him lurking in the shadows, and I think that the fact that such a huge mythology survives in an Independent PC game is amazing. The gameplay in the world isn’t just contained to one place, either; it stretches across three dimensions.

The majority of your time spent in Minecraft will be in the Overworld, which is full of trees, plants, animals, and life. However, if you build a 4 by 5 structure out of obsidian and light the center with flint and steel, you create what’s called a Nether portal. Step into it, and you will be transported into Minecraft’s second dimension, the Nether, which is basically Minecraft’s version of hell. The Nether is a giant cave filled with lakes of lava, horribly disfigured Zombie Pigmen, floating monstrosities that shoot fireballs, and huge fortresses guarded by Skeletons with swords. This dimension is generally very dangerous, but it contains several important resources that can help you in your quests. The third dimension, however, is by far the most dangerous. In the Overworld, underground structures called Strongholds are randomly generated, and in them, you will find a frame for a portal. Activate it, and prepare to face The End. The End is a floating island in a black, eternal void. It is completely devoid of life other than the Endermen that roam its surface and of course, the fearsome Ender Dragon. I won’t go too much into detail of the final dimension, as some may find it spoiler-ish, but I’ll just say making it out of The End alive will be very tricky.

Minecraft’s graphics, gameplay, and dimensions are just a few of the reasons why I would highly recommend playing it. It is definitely my favorite downloadable game on the PC, and it proves that not everything is as simple as it appears. I give it 5/5 stars.