Minecraft Legends Review
When I think of Minecraft, I always envision childhood, freedom of exploration, creativity, and endless crafting. However, I know that Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, doesn't want the game to remain stagnant in that regard. They've even had some different ventures, like Minecraft Dungeons, three years ago. This time, with Minecraft Legends, it seems that the studio understands there's still plenty of uncharted territory for them to explore.
First and foremost, it's worth noting that this game isn't a real-time strategy (RTS) game like Starcraft or Age of Empires. It falls under a more niche genre known as Action Strategy, a genre that's perhaps more common on mobile devices than on PC and consoles.
Instead of the traditional top-down view to observe the entire world, Minecraft Legends allows you to view the world from a third-person perspective through the main character. In this case, the main character is referred to as the Legend, who leads armies in the game.
I can understand why Mojang chose this approach. Making an RTS game for consoles is undoubtedly a challenge and could potentially lead to failure. Opting for an Action Strategy genre is a much wiser move.
However, before delving into the gameplay, I must mention that the game's story doesn't leave a strong impression. Honestly, I still remember what I felt when reviewing Minecraft Dungeons three years ago.
What We Said About Minecraft Dungeons
“In terms of the storyline, it’s refreshingly straightforward. The central antagonist in the plot is the malevolent Arch-Illager, who stumbles upon a potent artifact known as the “Orb of Dominance.” Empowered by this artifact, he harnesses newfound strength and harbors a burning desire for revenge against those who once wronged him. Arch-Illager assembles an army in the world of Minecraft with the aim of asserting his dominance, and it falls upon the player’s shoulders to thwart his nefarious plans. This narrative might seem somewhat familiar, but it’s important to remember that intricate storytelling isn’t what you typically associate with the Minecraft universe.
– Hoang Phong, May 30, 2020”
Yeah, similar to Minecraft Dungeons, the story in Legends is genuinely simple and aims for a whimsical and child-friendly tone. It's a world invaded by a group of villains who sit at a command table and activate space portals to send their piglet army for invasion. At this point, three representatives of the land, representing Knowledge, Action, and Prediction, come to you and claim that you are THE CHOSEN ONE, destined to help free the land. It's a straightforward and heroically comic book-like story that's perfectly suited for kids. So, I believe this is a very fitting direction for Mojang, as they know precisely which audience this game is targeting.
With a storyline like that, the graphics in the game are quite impressive. The environmental spaces look better than I expected. However, there's something missing compared to Minecraft Dungeons; they don't convey the same sense of grandeur or sparkle as the other spin-off version. This time, Minecraft Legends creates a more whimsical and fun open-world feeling, but the color palette and environmental layout are just sufficient, nothing overwhelmingly impressive. I really didn't find any locations that truly left me awestruck as I did in Minecraft Dungeons. But that's fair because these two games are entirely different, and the camera perspective is quite distinct, leading to significant differences in environmental landscape arrangements.
Therefore, I believe that the gameplay of the game will be the most critical aspect, and fortunately, it's more enjoyable than I initially thought. Essentially, instead of controlling a variety of troops from a top-down view like in RTS games, this time, you'll use a conductor's baton to control your mob army to attack enemy structures or defend fortresses for villages. At the beginning of the game, you'll be equipped with two different types of golems, and as you progress through the story, the game will expand with additional types of golems for you to build.
Building your army is similar to RTS games; you'll need to gather resources, such as wood, stone, and metal, and then use them to construct military buildings to recruit units.
Managing your troops isn't overly difficult as Mojang has done a good job making the experience on the controller as straightforward as possible. However, I admit it's not always smooth, especially during extended battles when you need to redeploy units. It takes some time to become proficient in controlling them efficiently with a gamepad. The game itself allows you to have up to 20 units, so in the early stages, you won't have many troops to command, which results in relatively small-scale battles.
It's challenging for me to definitively conclude whether controlling units and resource management from an action perspective is better than the classic top-down RTS perspective. However, after spending 10 hours with the game, I feel more emotionally connected to my troops in this action-oriented approach. Perhaps it's because this perspective allows me to see the battles more clearly compared to the small top-down view. However, I was somewhat disappointed that there aren't many interactive actions I can perform with my units. I can't even celebrate with them; all I can do is heal or purchase troops at the barracks. While the ability for the main character to play music during battles sounds heroic and morale-boosting, it's mostly a minor element in the gameplay.
In addition to the troops you can purchase at the barracks to take with you, as a legend in this land, you also have combat abilities with your sword. These combat moves are quite basic and don't have any upgrades, but they deal decent damage to enemies. As a result, you remain a formidable leader, which makes your NPC troops feel loyal to you.
Of course, I must mention the AI of the enemy forces, which is quite intelligent, and the game offers four difficulty levels in campaign mode, ensuring that there's something suitable for players of all skill levels. Specifically, the enemy's strongholds are always strategically placed, making it challenging to plan troop deployments. The variety of enemy units keeps the gameplay engaging, requiring tactical thinking rather than casual assumptions. I often tried to destroy enemy barracks to prevent them from spawning more units quickly, but sometimes some strongholds have unique commanders, making it difficult for me to approach, forcing me to change my tactics. As a result, battles in the game often don't follow a fixed script, and this diversity is commendable.
Aside from combat and troop management, the upgrade system in Minecraft Legends isn't based on experience points or progressing through new levels. As the game is called Minecraft, it's evident that crafting is needed to introduce new elements. In this version, you need to build structures and upgrade them using resources you collect along the way or from special ore blocks by defeating piglins. Upgrading structures allows you to build different types of houses, from barracks to defensive towers, including archer towers, cannons, or resource-gathering structures.
It's fair to say that the gameplay of Minecraft Legends is creative and diverse. It's not overly complex and is very suitable for casual gamers who don't want a hardcore experience. Coupled with optimized console controls, the game provides a seamless experience.
VERDICT
Overall, Minecraft Legends has successfully added a new, vibrant dimension to the Minecraft universe. It's clear that Mojang hasn't stopped being creative with elements in the Minecraft universe. While it might be somewhat similar to Minecraft Dungeons in being more casual and kid-friendly rather than hardcore, this doesn't detract from its appeal. The game combines casual and addictive elements, making it worth giving it a chance to become a leader and lead your troops to defeat the Piglin horde with joy.
