MINECRAFT FOR MOBILE APK
Minecraft Pocket Edition takes the creative playground and pixelated aesthetics of the popular toolbox game and shrinks it down to suit the needs of mobile players. And while Pocket Edition can't quite hold its own with the console or PC versions in terms of the size of its setting and the scope of options available to players, it's still a well made sandbox game that can get the job done for gamers on the go.
The core fundamentals of the Minecraft experience are all in place here. You wander through an open world made up of charmingly pixelated blocks, mining for materials and then using them to construct whatever your heart desires. It's like a virtual LEGO set that promises endless potential, but the natural limitations of mobile devices means that Pocket Edition isn't quite able to build on its bold promises. The most obvious downgrade comes in the size of the world, which is notably smaller than the practically unlimited setting that is available in other versions of the game, but there's also significantly less creatures in the world. The results are a game that limit your potential for building and also decrease the challenge and variety for players who like to focus on the survival aspects of the game more than the sandbox building.
That latter problem has a big effect on the Survival mode. Survival offers a more structured vehicle for exploring the world of Minecraft. While there's little in the way of narrative here, there are objectives, and building has a more distinct purpose. Monsters come out in droves at night, and it's up to you to outfit yourself with weapons and build up defenses that can protect you against the roving hordes. Days is spent scavenging as much as you can in the window provided, and venturing further and further out as resources become scarce, while night is spent holding out desperately until dawn comes. While the fundamentals here are still strong in the mobile version, the lack of variety in terms of monsters means that this mode itself isn't quite as engaging as it otherwise could be.
In terms of the actual building process, Minecraft PE can't really hold a candle to the original version either. While the developers have done about as well as they could be expected with the mobile control options, it doesn't quite get there. The simple fact is that placing items and navigating through menus is far more finicky with a finger than it is with a mouse and keyboard. That said, it's hard to imagine how these limitations could be reasonably overcome given the medium. And while Pocket Edition isn't quite as great as it is on other platforms, it still captures the core magic of the game.
Pros:
- Translates the core Minecraft experience to mobile devices to an impressive degree
- Offers creative options that could keep imaginative players entertained for years
Cons:
- Controls can't match the organic feel of the PC and console experiences
- World is smaller and menagerie of monsters is less diverse
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