Title: Blackvoxel Developer: Blackvoxel Platforms: PC, Linux Price: ~$20 ---
Minecraft took the world by storm when it released in 2009. Since then the voxel graphics, exploration genre has erupted, with everything from no-budget clones and ripoffs to unique takes such as Terraria and Cube World. Blackvoxel adds its own spin on the genre, with an abstract style and a focus on robotics.
When you start a new world in Blackvoxel, you find yourself in an expansive black cubed plain. The world spreads out in every direction, leading to towering trees, canyons, lava pits, and more. The game's minimalist style allows a sharp contrast between the world's different elements such as lava and water and the stark clean environment. However the focus of Blackvoxel isn't on survival or lasting the night; it's on building and programming. Through a wide range of robotic devices and blocks, you can create elaborate autonomous machines such as conveyor belts and traps. You're not only in the world of Blackvoxel; although it's still sparsely populated, you'll encounter at least one enemy, who has the ability to spread lava across the world and melt entire areas to nothingness.
While some of these elements were fun and the robotic/creation mechanics certainly seemed promising, I felt the game seemed quite barren and empty. The game is still in beta so new content and features are being added and tweaked, but in my opinion Blackvoxel still needs to progress more before becoming a well-rounded experience. You can purchase the beta from the developer's site and vote for the game on Greenlight.
No comments:
Post a Comment