Minecraft vs. Terraria

We’ll start with this : Both games excel and are considered “top - notch” by the majority of their consumers, yet most would seem to agree that Terraria holds the upper hand in many respects. Yet this is not to say that both games are not truly awesome, each in its own way. But let’s have a look further…..

Most would agree, that in the ‘traditional’ sense of the word “game”, Minecraft just does not make the cut though it still offers open - world excellence in a popular, successful resemblance to Lego and being able to explore / create your own unique worlds. That’s great and all. But it’s missing something, perhaps, and for that, some call it a “sandbox” and not a game. A game, according to most players, is something that carries some sort of end goal you wish to achieve, or something you need to have found / accomplished by the end of it. And Minecraft, as we know, is somewhat deep - ended in this respect.

Plus, the challenges in Minecraft are solely made by their players, and Minecraft, for instance, will never, ever tell you to make certain traps for zombies or spiders….traps which will later help you drag them to perdition. Their demise should be your goal, after all, right? So instead of being a focused, directed end - goal game with a plot and a strategy, as most recognize a true RPG game to be in the first place, Minecraft instead leaves all creativity, control, and responsibility only in the hands of its players.

Even though Terraria is similar in many aspects, it holds a lot more structure behind it; you’ll see a lot of great parallels from playing for a mere matter of minutes. You’ll note the difference, hopefully, and you may not even want to go back to Minecraft ---- this is pure honesty speaking. After all, once you’ve tasted the delicious New York strip steak, would you really want to go back to the bowl of cereal? I think not. 

Plus, the more - than - malleable world of Minecraft, as amazing as it still is, only allows you to break blocks using certain kinds of picks and not much more. Terraria, on the other hand, notably incorporates a whole heck of a lot more ‘gamey elements’, as some call them, while not taking away from the open creativity that comes with exceptional freeform world play as found in traditional Minecraft. Yet it takes things to a whole new level, and I think I’m even understating how awesome it really is. And to further add, the progression of items seen in both games does bear a strikingly positive resemblance….it’s quite similar, to say the least; you get to rightfully unlock different tools, weapons and armor, throughout different tiers as you advance, yet Terraria takes its tiers and integrates more depth, adding a more thorough detailing of each tier item and what you can do with it --- so it’s a ‘step up’ from Minecraft in that area, too. 

And the importance of having high - quality armor in any RPG game ---- as only a true fan will tell you ---- is second to none, and Terraria respects that fact and makes it well - known. In fact, some kinds of armor found in the game are only crucial to your very survival as a player. Yet with Minecraft, as you know, such is not the case. It certainly helps but is not as important or highly stressed. 

Not only that, but Terraria is a lot more combat - focused and can let you do more in the field of battle while Minecraft is more for the passive player who wishes to occasionally do a few things here and there, in that respect. Yet for a true gaming warrior, who wishes to challenge himself or herself in new ways like never done before, a game like Terraria will perhaps be a better fit...especially for fantasy - action game lovers overall. It fits right in with the player’s tastes. 

In Minecraft, in fact, the player can even ‘cheat’ and turn off zombie - mode, so to speak, in order to not have to face any zombies or other monsters. He or she could even go far out of the way to avoid them altogether, never even striking one at all. And let’s be honest : As much as I love Minecraft, for what it can do (and I always will….), where is the fun in that? 

Further, all in all, Minecraft’s goal, as we can clearly see, is to simply create….but it doesn’t have enough options to fight or destroy, and that’s where Terraria greatly takes advantage. Terraria is all about action, sword - slashing fun, and so much more that will get the adrenaline pumping and the juices flowing, keeping the mind engaged and, of course, letting loose some tension from a long work day. Nothing at all can feel as good as pressing those buttons as hard and as fast as you can in order to strike down the enemies coming your way…..there’s just a ‘healthy release’ about it that’s good for people, whereas with Minecraft, things can get extremely slow, passive, dull, uneventful and all - out boring. 

Yet like I said, each game serves a different purpose. And this review is not made to attack the awesome game that Minecraft is, which I will always defend; instead, it’s merely to offer a thorough, honest analysis when comparing it with Terraria, which for all the reasons I have expressed, appears to be the greater game. But both are insanely great titles. 

So in the end, gamer, the decision rests upon your shoulders : What are you looking for in a new game? Do you seek thrilling action and adventure, with greater risk of death and failure? Do you seek a more pleasurable, light - hearted game that follows more earthly tones? Or perhaps you want something of both, a bit of each…..of which these two great games should be all you need to get started.