.webp?width=660)
Ever since Minecraft hit the public eye in 2009, the blocky open world has been ruled by a Low Fantasy setting. This subgenre lets players manipulate a relatively human protagonist to explore and adventure in a habitat full of fantastical creatures, such as human skeletons, undead zombies, and explosive creepers, all forever encouraged to be slain by the swing of a sword.
Man vs. Nature was a common theme in the early days for miners and crafters alike, with a strong push to quest the wild nature with courage while building friendships and camaraderie outside the gaming world. The truest, simplest form of Fantasy fiction.
Then, soon before its official 2011 release, MC leaned harder into these themes with its shift to High Fantasy, adding hints of its own lore, timeline, and world, and using magical elements more heavily, including tool-enchanting, potion-brewing, and dragon-slaying.
Since then, Minecraft Snapshots have added elements horizontally. The Warden, The Creaking, The Phantom, all new mobs that add fantastical new situations within the same unspoken rules of the game: a human fighting a fantasy world for its own survival.
It feels natural for players to be wary of invading an unknown biome or turning their back against a tree-like creature, even lacking sleep for several days, only to be vultured by insomnia predators. All of these specific moments are understood by everyone within Minecraft’s current theme.
Developers are very careful not to stray from the core player expectations about the game's look and feel. That’s why fan-made mods that add guns, rockets, or smartphones feel out of place. Minecraft has been intended to live in a fantasy, not in reality.
Respecting this same principle, it feels almost inevitable to see the subgenre needle moved in either direction. It might not be today or tomorrow, but Mojang’s and Microsoft’s best interests lie in Minecraft reinventing itself enough to avoid a second depression like the one experienced between 2014 and 2019.
-(1).webp?width=700)
The shift could be to an Epic Fantasy setting with a grander story, a sophisticated structure, and a legendary feel, something games like Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Legends have explored beyond the sandbox setting where villagers are turned into citi halls and bigger towns. Or, what I think will truly happen: Minecraft will slowly make the jump into Urban Fantasy.
The more world-building that gets added to the game, the easier it is to connect the dots between generated structures, and while it’s not the brightest idea to turn the majority of the world into populated areas, there’s a missing link that could benefit all parties once added: a community in-game feeling.
Dungeons and Legends thrive on the hero’s journey, where your slaying is justified as you’re saving the townspeople. In good ol’ Minecraft, Raids are the most comparable to this mechanic, but the Villagers’ lack of popularity hasn’t done their saving any favors.
Urban Fantasy would start by including more villages and a wider range of villagers. Mermaids for underwater bases. Hikers for the snow and forest biomes. Heck, you could even populate The End and fill it with friendly End-tities from the Stronghold all the way to the island after slaying the revamped Ender Dragon.
This would give players a purpose to fight beyond looting, a reason to travel besides materials, and a knack for adventure that leads to a tangible reward. It also opens a world of possibilities to fill in the larger gaps in the lore it will ultimately create. Is the hero ever recognized? Who rules the land? Who do mobs even serve? What village does the hero belong to? All of these enrich the experience, making the gameplay all the more immersive.
This Urban Fantasy switch-up would not come in a single update, however, but a long series of deliberate tweaks to spawn rates, biome changes, and player metas. Minecraft will never not be a kids' game first and foremost. If you appeal to an always current demographic, you keep bringing in new eyes to the product while creating and retaining loyalty through nostalgia and comfort.
But at one point in the next decade, developers and publishers will have to start making some big decisions regarding the unaddressed yet understood themes of Minecraft. Me? I just want a darker, grittier gameplay experience. That’s my Dark Fantasy wish. Skeleton banging on his shield-styles.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming features and opinions.