Software:Minecraft Legends

From HandWiki
Short description: 2023 video game
Minecraft Legends
Minecraft Legends Cover Art.jpg
Official cover art
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)Xbox Game Studios
SeriesMinecraft
Platform(s)
ReleaseApril 18, 2023
Genre(s)Action, strategy
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Minecraft Legends is a 2023 real-time action-strategy[1][2][3] video game developed by Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive, published by Xbox Game Studios. Serving as a spin-off of the 2011 sandbox game Minecraft, the title was released on the platform Windows, as well as on consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on April 18, 2023.

The goal of the game is to defend the Overworld from an invasion of piglins, pig-like humanoid creatures from the Nether dimension.

Since release, the game has received a mixed array of reviews from critics.

Gameplay

Minecraft Legends is set in the Minecraft Overworld, an earth-like dimension filled with various biomes and natural resources that is currently under attack from the piglin hordes from the Nether dimension.[4] The Overworld contains friendly villages, hostile piglin outposts, and the Well of Fate (the player spawnpoint and fast-travel hub).[4] Similarly to Minecraft, the Overworld is procedurally generated, resulting in a unique world for each playthrough of the game.[5]

Players collect resources to construct defenses, upgrade buildings, and summon troops.[5] Players collect basic resources such as wood and stone by assigning friendly Allays to harvest them from deposits found in the Overworld.[5] Other resources, such as redstone and lapis lazuli are used to build advanced structures and summon stronger troops but are locked behind Well of Fate upgrades.[5] Prismarine, which is needed to construct some buildings, can only be collected by defeating piglin structures.[5] The player can use resources they've collected to construct buildings and upgrade the Well of Fate. Defensive fortifications such as walls and turrets protect friendly villages and player outposts.[5] Spawners summon friendly troops the players can recruit into their army.[5] Offensive structures such as the redstone cannon, hurl explosive shells at targets from long range.[5] Upgrading the Well of Fate unlocks more advanced buildings and troops.[5]

The primary goal of combat is to destroy piglin outposts and defend friendly villages from periodic piglin raids.[6] Players use their summoned troops to assault and destroy piglin outposts. Players travel around the Overworld on their mount, from which they can issue various orders command their army on the battlefield.[5] These commands include orders to rally, halt, and charge.[7] Players can also use their sword to attack enemies directly.[5] Players build their army by constructing spawner buildings that summon troops or recruiting troops from camps found throughout the Overworld.[5]

Minecraft Legends incorporates the same Minecoins currency as Minecraft Bedrock Edition. This currency is used to purchase additional skins and mounts within the game.[8] The game is sold with an optional “Deluxe Skin Pack”,[4] which contains six additional in-game skins: one hero skin and five mount skins.

Game modes

The campaign is the single-player story mode of Minecraft Legends. It serves as a tutorial for the multiplayer game mode. Players must defeat the three piglin hordes, each with its own boss.[9] Defeating the hordes unlocks the final boss, The Great Hog.[9] Upon defeating the boss, the player wins the campaign.[9] "Lost Legends" is a monthly challenge event that pits the player against difficult enemies.[9] Completing the challenge rewards players with a special cosmetic item.[9]

Minecraft Legends also features both co-op and competitive multiplayer PvP mode that allows players to compete with each other.[10] In co-op, players work together to defeat strong AI bosses. In PVP mode, the players' goal is to work together in teams of 3-4 players to destroy the opposing team's Well of Fate while protecting their own.[5] The first team to destroy the opposing team’s Well of Fate is the victor.[5]

Plot

Premise

Minecraft Legends is set in the Minecraft Overworld, which has been invaded by piglins from the Nether. Canonically, the events of the game are framed as a legend that has been passed down through generations of villagers. In response to the invasion, a great hero rises and repels the piglins by uniting the mobs of the Overworld, saving it from destruction.[11]

Story

The game begins with the player mining in a cave when they are greeted by three beings: Action, Knowledge, and Foresight. These beings are called Hosts, caretakers of the Overworld.[9] These three persuade the player to help them save their world, where a war has broken out between the Nether and the Overworld. The player is then transported to that world. After completing a tutorial, the player must save a few villages from being invaded by piglins from the Nether.[9] Then, the player destroys three nether outposts that are preparing to invade villages. Subsequently, the player destroys nine Nether portals from three different world areas. In each of these three areas, the player has to defeat a piglin boss: “the Devourer," "the Beast," and "the Unbreakable”.[9] Once the player destroys all of the portals and defeats all of the bosses, the player fights the final boss: "the Great Hog."

Just as the player defeats the Great Hog, it makes a last attempt at destroying the Well of Fate. This backfires and his army is swallowed by a portal that sends them back to the Nether. Then, the Great Hog finally dies. After the battle, there is a grand celebration in the Overworld of their win over the piglins. Not all is well, however. The warrior villagers, who fought alongside the hero, resent the pacifistic villagers who did not, which causes a rift between the two groups. In addition to this, the Hosts have left the world to the Hero’s responsibility and moved on.[9]

Development

Minecraft Legends began development in 2018. The game was announced during the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12, 2022.[12] After the show, a trailer on the Minecraft YouTube channel confirmed additional platforms.[13] It is developed by series creators Mojang Studios in collaboration with Blackbird Interactive, a team founded by former Relic Entertainment employees, who are best known for developing the real-time strategy video game series Homeworld.[14]

After the success of Minecraft Dungeons,[15] which is another spinoff of Minecraft, Minecraft Legends was released on April 18, 2023.[16] It was made available to play on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5|4, Steam, Windows 11|10, PC Game Pass, Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.[17]On January 10, 2024, Mojang announced that Minecraft Legends will no longer receive updates.[18]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 65/100[19]
(XSXS) 71/100[20]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Destructoid7/10[21]
Game Informer7/10[23]
GameRevolution7/10[24]
GameSpot6/10[26]
GamesRadar+2.5/5 stars[25]
IGN7/10[27]
PC Gamer (US)50/100[29]
PCGamesN7/10[30]
Shacknews8/10[32]
VG2473/5 stars[33]
VideoGamer.com7/10[34]

Minecraft Legends received "mixed or average" reviews, according to the review aggregator Metacritic.[19][20] The game received “Mixed” Reviews on Steam from an average of over 2,000 users.[35] Critics generally found this game fun but repetitive and lacking in depth.[36][37][38] Critics praised the game for its Minecraft-themed art style,[39][37] resource gathering mechanics, and base-building gameplay.[40][36] Critics also liked the multiplayer co-op and PvP modes.[39][40][37] Some reviewers criticized the game’s lack of strategic depth, poor AI,[40][36][38] and tedious gameplay.[41][37][42] IGN called it “an engaging strategy game that does a great job streamlining a notoriously complex genre without sacrificing the ever-important element of choice and consequence.” According to PCMag, "[Minecraft Legend’s] attempt to make a complicated genre palpable … screws up the basics, bungles the complicated, and ends up feeling like an unformed experience.”[41]

Minecraft Legends reached 3 million players in the two weeks after its release in May 2023.[43]

References

  1. Boddy, Zachary; Brown, Matt (2022-10-15). "Minecraft Legends coming spring 2023, gameplay debuts at Minecraft Live" (in en). https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/minecraft/minecraft-legends-coming-spring-2023-gameplay-shown-during-minecraft-live-2022. 
  2. Phillips, Tom (June 12, 2022). "Minecraft Legends is a new action strategy game spin-off". https://www.eurogamer.net/minecraft-legends-is-a-new-action-strategy-game-spin-off. 
  3. Moon, Mariella (June 12, 2022). "'Minecraft Legends' is a new action-strategy game coming 2023". https://www.engadget.com/minecraft-legends-action-strategy-game-coming-2023-180317728.html. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Minecraft Legends Official Site". 2023-10-30. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/about-legends. 
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 Koreis, Justin (2023-04-14). "Minecraft Legends Review" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/minecraft-legends-review. 
  6. "Minecraft Legends Steam Main Page". 2023-11-01. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1928870/Minecraft_Legends/?curator_clanid=42411130. 
  7. West, Josh (2023-04-14). "Minecraft Legends review: "Point, click, and hope for the best"" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/minecraft-legends-review/. 
  8. "Review: Minecraft Legends" (in en-US). https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/minecraft-legends-review/. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Gutierrez, Luis Joshua; Santiago, Eddie De; Harvey, Angie. "Walkthrough - Minecraft Legends Guide" (in en). https://www.ign.com/wikis/minecraft-legends/Walkthrough. 
  10. "Minecraft Legends" (in en). https://www.metacritic.com/game/minecraft-legends/. 
  11. D'Angelo, William (2023-05-01). "Minecraft Legends Tops 3 Million Players in Less Than 2 Weeks" (in en-US). https://www.vgchartz.com/article/457040/minecraft-legends-tops-3-million-players-in-less-than-2-weeks/. 
  12. Carpenter, Nicole (June 12, 2022). "Minecraft gets a strategy spinoff, Minecraft Legends" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/23164672/microsoft-rts-real-time-strategy-game-announcement. 
  13. (in en) Minecraft Legends – Announce Trailer, Minecraft Channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JSjZqV-YK8, retrieved June 12, 2022 
  14. Middler, Jordan (June 12, 2022). "Strategy game Minecraft Legends announced for release in 2023" (in en-GB). https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/strategy-game-minecraft-legends-has-been-announced-for-release-in-2023/. 
  15. Carpenter, Nicole (June 12, 2022). "Minecraft gets a strategy spinoff, Minecraft Legends" (in en-US). https://www.polygon.com/23164672/microsoft-rts-real-time-strategy-game-announcement. 
  16. Morton, Lauren (June 14, 2022). "Minecraft Legends: everything we know about the new strategy spinoff". https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-legends-trailer-gameplay-release-date/. 
  17. "Minecraft Legends Official Site". 2023-10-30. https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/about-legends. 
  18. "Lost Legends: Snow vs Snouts" (in en). https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/lost-legends-snow-vs-snouts. 
  19. 19.0 19.1 "Minecraft Legends for PC Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/minecraft-legends/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved July 5, 2023. 
  20. 20.0 20.1 "Minecraft Legends for Xbox Series X Reviews". https://www.metacritic.com/game/minecraft-legends/critic-reviews/?platform=xbox-series-x. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  21. Monbleau, Timothy (April 14, 2023). "Review: Minecraft Legends". https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/minecraft-legends-review/. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  22. Franzese, Tomas (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review: Age of Empires meets Pikmin in this approachable strategy game". https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/minecraft-legends-review-xbox-series-x/. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  23. Thwaites, Sarah (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends Review - A Strategic Retreat". Game Informer. https://www.gameinformer.com/review/minecraft-legends/a-strategic-retreat. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  24. Gilbert, John (April 17, 2023). "Minecraft Legends Review". https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/938660-minecraft-legends-review-pc-ps5-ps4-xbox-series-x-s-nintendo-switch-worth-buying-playing-2023. Retrieved April 17, 2023. 
  25. West, Josh (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review: "Point, click, and hope for the best"". https://www.gamesradar.com/minecraft-legends-review/. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  26. Ramee, Jordan (April 19, 2023). "Minecraft Legends Review - Tides Of War". https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/minecraft-legends-review-tides-of-war/1900-6418057/. Retrieved April 19, 2023. 
  27. Koreis, Justin (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends Review". https://www.ign.com/articles/minecraft-legends-review. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  28. Allen, Jen (April 14, 2023). "'Minecraft Legends' review: charming if not always gripping". https://www.nme.com/reviews/game-reviews/minecraft-legends-review-3429887. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  29. Morton, Lauren (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review". https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-legends-review/. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  30. Farrell, Andrew (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review – a bridge mostly far enough". https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft-legends/review. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  31. Cuevas, Zackery (April 26, 2023). "Minecraft Legends - A surprising miss for the legendary series". https://uk.pcmag.com/pc-games/146615/minecraft-legends. Retrieved April 26, 2023. 
  32. Erskine, Donovan (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review: War for the Overworld". https://www.shacknews.com/article/135055/minecraft-legends-review-score. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  33. Donaldson, Alex (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review: a cute kid-friendly strategy adventure, but missing the series' magic". https://www.vg247.com/minecraft-legends-review. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  34. Valantina, Marloes (April 14, 2023). "Minecraft Legends review – kid-friendly real-time strategy". https://www.videogamer.com/reviews/minecraft-legends-review/. Retrieved April 14, 2023. 
  35. "Minecraft Legends Steam Main Page". 2023-11-01. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1928870/Minecraft_Legends/?curator_clanid=42411130. 
  36. 36.0 36.1 36.2 "Minecraft Legends Review - Tides Of War" (in en-US). https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/minecraft-legends-review-tides-of-war/1900-6418057/. 
  37. 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 "Minecraft Legends Review" (in en-US). 2023-04-17. https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/938660-minecraft-legends-review-pc-ps5-ps4-xbox-series-x-s-nintendo-switch-worth-buying-playing-2023. 
  38. 38.0 38.1 West, Josh (2023-04-14). "Minecraft Legends review: "Point, click, and hope for the best"" (in en). https://www.gamesradar.com/minecraft-legends-review/. 
  39. 39.0 39.1 Koreis, Justin (2023-04-14). "Minecraft Legends Review" (in en). https://www.ign.com/articles/minecraft-legends-review. 
  40. 40.0 40.1 40.2 "Review: Minecraft Legends" (in en-US). https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/minecraft-legends-review/. 
  41. 41.0 41.1 "Minecraft Legends Review" (in en). https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/minecraft-legends. 
  42. Morton, Lauren (2023-04-14). "Minecraft Legends review" (in en). https://www.pcgamer.com/minecraft-legends-review/. 
  43. D'Angelo, William (2023-05-01). "Minecraft Legends Tops 3 Million Players in Less Than 2 Weeks" (in en-US). https://www.vgchartz.com/article/457040/minecraft-legends-tops-3-million-players-in-less-than-2-weeks/. 

External links