We’ve reached a point of oversaturation. Since this Minecraft fascination hasn’t dwindled yet, we’re stuck facing a monumental level of games all attempting to be like the block-based builder. Worse, we’ve reached a point where even major developers and publishers are trying to cash in on its glory.
I mean, these aren’t the expected clones, like Block Story . No, the latest wave of Minecraft -alikes are coming from companies that should know better. These are games that probably didn’t have to have these building elements shoved into them, but the developers saw how Mojang did and had to try and copy that success.
Take Lego Worlds , for example, the only recent, Minecraft -inspired release that makes sense. A world building game works here, because these are Legos. The toy is all about creating. Sure, it looks a little close to Minecraft , but it’s the one forgiveable clone in a legion of ones that shouldn’t be.
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley is a good example. One look and right away, you can see its “terraforming” is inspired by Minecraft . That’s what people mention, when they attempt to “sell” the game to friends. “It’s Harvest Moon meets Minecraft !” And yes, the idea that different elevations determine crop variations is cool. But there’s no real way to truly customize the in-game world in the same way as the inspiring title, and the result is something that feels like a shadow of the real game.
But the best, most recent example is Dragon Quest Builders . Square Enix is taking the Dragon Quest name and slapping it onto a Minecraft -alike game. A Dragonlord destroyed a world, and people playing it on the PS3, PS4, or Vita have to rebuild it. Notice how it’s on every Sony platform? As you can see from the screenshot below, it looks a lot like both Minecraft and the aforementioned Block Story clone. You know a point of no return has been passed when even Square Enix is getting in on a trend.
Not every building game has to be like Minecraft . There are others that have stood on their own over time. Look at SimCity ! It allowed people the opportunity to create their own worlds. Sure, more recent installments have faltered, but Cities: Skylines has kept that legacy alive. Terraria has an idea similar to Minecraft , but remains distinct due to its fantasy and RPG elements and 2D presentation.
Yes, Minecraft is a huge success. So much so that everyone wants to be like it. It’s understandable, but now that big name companies are starting to copycat the title, we need to move on. We can’t remain stagnant and content with a single sort of game. Let’s be creative again and stop playing with blocks.