Minecraft: “Baby Game” Or Secretly The #1 Best Hardcore ARPG?
You’re probably thinking, “Seriously? Minecraft? That game my nephew not only plays but watches thousands of hours of OTHER people playing it?” Yep! That’s the one! Many are often quick to denote the game as merely a child-friendly blocky sandbox that you can make a cute wooden house in. And while that is but ONE of a million things you can do in the game, that description is very reductive. Minecraft has so much more to offer, even for the most hardcore gamers out there. Don’t believe me? Keep reading!
A Hardcore Action RPG In Disguise
Chris Wilson, you know, the co-founder of Grinding Gear Games and the legendary dark fantasy ARPG Path of Exile? Yeah, he released a video from his new personal YouTube channel going over his revelation of Minecraft being more than meets the eye. According to this industry veteran, a man who helped build one of the most punishing ARPGs ever, he deems Minecraft’s survival mode “more hardcore than even Path of Exile.” Pretty compelling, if you ask me.
Before you start typing angry comments, let’s hear him out. When you die in Minecraft and drop your precious items near lava, they’re gone forever. Poof. Incinerated. At least in Path of Exile, there’s usually some hope of recovery. In Minecraft, that diamond pickaxe you spent hours crafting becomes nothing but expensive ash. And with all the frustratingly vast ways you can meet your end. Be it finding a cave by falling from the ceiling during a routine mining operation, or not realizing the swarm of Creepers just around the corner, Minecraft can make you question your life choices.
Still Not Convinced?
Let’s not ignore the most compelling argument in favor of this opinion. Wilson goes on to say in that same video,
“I find it interesting that at 42 years of age, I’m sitting there memorizing how if you fish during a thunderstorm in Minecraft, it will give a 20% faster fishing chance, and how I want to get lure three and luck of the sea on my fishing rod. And caring so much about these very minute details of a fishing system in the game entirely to maximize the amount of enchanted books that I’m getting, so I can roll my gear better, so I can finally get through to the end and kill the Ender Dragon.”
That’s right. Since Minecraft has fishing, it’s undeniable at this point.
Breaking Down Minecraft’s Hidden ARPG DNA
When you break it down in good faith, it becomes more obvious. First, there’s the real-time element. Unlike turn-based games, Minecraft keeps the pressure on by forcing you to think on your toes. No turn-by-turn analysis to pad the time between decisions. That Creeper doesn’t care if you need a bathroom break or want to check your phone. Tsssss… BOOM! And there goes an entire wall of your mini-fortress.
Then there’s the progression system. Wilson points out that advancement in Minecraft is heavily item-focused, just like traditional ARPGs. Players are constantly hunting for better gear, upgrading their equipment, and min-maxing their loadouts. Sound familiar? If you’ve played Diablo or Path of Exile, it should. It’s basically the iconic formula wrapped in family-friendly packaging.
And with the enchantment system, that really seals the deal. Note that Minecraft’s item enchantments are essentially the same as mods in games like Diablo or Path of Exile. You apply magical properties to your equipment to make them more effective. If that’s not ARPG behavior, then I don’t know what is.
The Base Aesthetic Can Be Misleading
Sure, upon initial glance at the art style of Minecraft, many people, especially those who have no real love for video games, may handwave it as a child’s game. While true in a way, there’s an argument to be had that it being “child-friendly” shouldn’t diminish its complexity or potential for more intense experiences. I get it, it’s hard to think otherwise when every kid seems to play or watch people play it, but that’s only because it’s such a popular game. Kids are sure to get into it because of the colorful and simple style.
But the rest? When you have literal teams of people creating mods every day, adding so much more to the game than was previously possible, it starts to get crazier than you think. You have dedicated projects to further add to the life of the game, with the scale being larger than that of some entire games.
With graphical mods to really change the entire look and feel of the world and story-driven mods to give more of a focused gameplay experience, it’s truly the pinnacle of make-your-own-fun. While being a very respectable Hardcore ARPG even at its base, the modding community is ceaselessly becoming more ambitious with its ideas.
Barely Scratching The Surface
All of this isn’t even taking into account the limitless potential that is the creative mode. While some may be content with building a fine wooden house on a hill beside a babbling brook, others take it to an astronomical scale. Ever wanted to walk through Middle-earth? Wander through the halls of Hogwarts? Or perhaps marveling at the true scale of the USS Enterprise?
It’s hard to really articulate the infinite potential Minecraft has to offer. I get it, it can be annoying when it’s all the kids talk about. But be thankful that the game offers so much in terms of cultivating community, social skills, and most importantly, true creative freedom and expression. I challenge you to identify a game that has this much to offer. Whether you’re a seasoned ARPG veteran, a structural engineer looking to have fun in a virtual world of blocks, or just a kid who wants to play a fun game with friends, Minecraft has something for everyone.
