Game Review: Minecraft - Pocket Edition

Minecraft has been a hugeÂ independentÂ successÂ on computers and while it’sÂ criticized by many as not being a game because of its lack of any objectives, it is exactly this open ended and sandbox nature that’s made the game such a success. Minecraft – Pocket Edition is a highly scaled down release of the Java version available on computers, but the core elements of what makes Minecraft what it is are still here.

If you’ve not seen Minecraft before then it’d be worth checking out the free version available on Java enabled computers called Minecraft ClassicÂ or to download the free Android release called Minecraft – Pocket Edition. Demo. In these versions you’ll find that you’re given a large randomly generated 3D open world and a set of blocks to build with. The free Android version limits your block selection as well as preventing saving your worlds, so all your progress will be lost when quitting, but it gives a good idea of what is possible if you’re feeling a little creative and want to go about building a castle in the sky, a series of dimly lit caves or even just a simple wooden house.

A large part of the fun of Minecraft is creating unique things and showing Â them off to others andÂ fortunatelyÂ Minecraft – Pocket Edition has local wi-fi play for both the free and the paid version, meaning that even if your friends haven’tÂ purchasedÂ the full game, they are still able to jump in and look around your world. Should you jump into another players world with a paid version, you also have the option of making a copy of their world onto your device. While the multiplayer is a fantastic feature it is a little unfortunate that there’s no online play across the internet rather than just local wi-fi.

For the MinecraftÂ veteransÂ wonderingÂ what’s absent in the pocket release, let me just run down some of the missing features:

Only 36 blocks (18 in the demo), including no redstone, doors, buckets
No crafting
No day/night (also no monsters)
No crouching
No tools
No caves
No death
No music
And none of the newer additions such as food, achievements, maps and running

Be sure to temper your expectations from the computer release and you’ll find that, while the controls are a little unwieldyÂ and the $7 is a might steep, you are still getting a decent version of Minecraft on your phone in all the ways that matter.