XXL’s Game Corner: Minecraft PS4 Review

Publisher:  SCEA (PS3, PS4, PS Vita) Microsoft Studios (Xbox 360, Xbox One) Mojang (PC, Mobile)

Developer: 4J Studios

Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Mobile

Release date: Out Now

Since its beginnings on the PC almost 5 years ago, Minecraft has bloomed into a gaming phenomenon. Just about every kid (and quite a few grown folks) has grown addicted to the primitive, yet creative virtual sandbox. A full launch in 2011 propelled it into the gaming stratosphere and beond and has since been ported to home consoles as well as mobile devices. So now Minecraft has come over to the PS4 and Xbox One and they are some of the best places to play it.

Minecraft‘s transfer to the current-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles have been handled by Scottish developer 4J Studios. Just like the ports to the 360 and the PS3, Minecraft on the Xbox One and the PS4 isn’t an exact replica of the original PC game but is a faithful translation. The PS4 has some slight advantage with its Remote Play support for the PlayStation Vita allowing players to free up the main TV and use the handheld to play the game. This should placate some players recently disappointed by the delay of the Vita version of the game.

While Minecraft may be simple on a conceptual level, it is very far from being simple on a gameplay level as you're only bound by how far your imagination can take you. The randomly generated worlds leap through your screen with vibrant colors that invite you to play your own game and create your own adventure. The blocky worlds are made up of various blocks, each with their own characteristics. The blocks are colorful, distinct, and memorable thanks to simple textures. What makes them great is how they enable creativity. Piece by piece you’ll rearrange and refine the pristine, primordial world into whatever you want. It could be a mountainside home, a huge tree house, a skyscraper, or any other creation you can envision. This is a power we rarely see in games, and the freedom it offers is, at first, daunting. If you’re looking for a challenge then you’ll be taking on the ‘Survival’ mode, where each of the blocks play a part in your digital life. You’ll need to smash trees to create your first tools, build your shelter and survive the first night when the sun goes down. Whoudini said it best: the freaks come out at night and that's exactly what happens in Minecraft. When the sun goes down, Minecraft’s bad guys come for you. They're dangerous and you'll need to obtain the items needed to ward them off. Once you do, they become easy to vanquish.

The XXL Endgame

Quite simply, Minecraft is one of the best games made of this generation. It taps into the limitless human imagination to fuel the game beyond your wildest dreams and it’s only going to get better with each update on the PS4 and Xbox One.—written by DJRhude (@DJRhude)

XXL Rating: XL (Excellent)

Previously: XXL’s Game Corner: The Last Of Us Remastered Review
XXL’s Game Corner: The Wolf Among Us Episode 4: In Sheep’s Clothing Review
XXL’s Game Corner: The Amazing Spiderman 2 Review: Not So Amazing