Minecraft Defense (video game)
| Minecraft Defense | |
|---|---|
| File:Minecraft Defense poster.png Release poster | |
| Developer(s) | SOI Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Monsteristic Mojang |
| Director(s) |
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| Producer(s) | |
| Designer(s) | Freddie Goodwin |
| Programmer(s) | Owen Sterling |
| Artist(s) |
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| Writer(s) | |
| Composer(s) | Leo Carrington |
| Engine | Unreal Engine |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | November 12, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Third-person survival, extraction |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Minecraft Defense (also known as Minecraft Tower Defense) is a 2024 first-person shooter survival game developed by SOI Studios and published by Monsteristic and Mojang. It was released on November 12, 2024, as part of the Minecraft spin-off franchise, under the Mobcraft platform. The game is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and shares progression with Minecraft Zone (2023), which is also developed by SOI Studios.
Development on a second spin-off video game by SOI Studios entered development in early 2021 with a intended release date of 2024. The game is designed to be inspired greatly by Call of Duty's Treyarch Round-Based Survival mode. Upon release, the game received mixed reviews from critics.
Gameplay[edit | edit source]
Minecraft Defense is a first-person shooter survival game with round-based content and a side-mode that is inspired tower-defense mechanics.
Minecraft Defense is a survival game with various maps that are designed to be "Round-Based experiences". The game features various features and mechanics that help players survive such as the Pack-a-Punch machine, Perks, and Wall-Buys.
The game also features a system called "GobbleGums", which offer small boosts for either a moment or a limited amount of uses.
Zombies returns as the cooperative multiplayer mode for Black Ops 4. The game mode features a wider range of customization, allowing for more personalized play styles. Mechanics of the game can be customized via "Custom Mutations", which include over 100 variables, such as overall difficulty, zombie speed, health, damage, and more. Time-limited events known as "Callings" are also promised to be included in the game for long-term engagement. Similar to the Nazi Zombies mode in Call of Duty: WWII, custom loadouts are included to allow players to select different starting weapons, equipment and special upgradable weapons, as well as perk selection to be available in each match. A new game type, Rush, is introduced into Zombies, where the players build up points and multipliers and compete against one another for the highest point possible until death. Black Ops 4 features a new form of consumable items called Elixirs, which grant temporary buffs to the players upon activation; and Talismans, special modifiers that are applied at the start of each match. Elixirs are provided in five types: Classic, Common, Rare, Legendary and Epic; the first is unlocked permanently via player progression, while the latter four are consumable and only craftable using the in-game currency. Talismans are also consumable, and can only be acquired in the same method.
Arcade Defense[edit | edit source]
Bloons TD 6 is a tower defense game played from a 2.5D perspective, as opposed to the 2D perspective of previous Bloons Tower Defense games, and utilizes 3D computer graphics.
In the game, the player—who is able to team up with up to three other players in a co-op mode—creates a defense consisting of several variants of skilled monkeys, structures, and traps, in order to prevent balloon-like objects known as "Bloons" from reaching an exit. Bloons TD 6 introduces a new category of monkeys, known as "heroes", which level up and become stronger either over time, or through the player using in-game currency to increase their level. Monkeys each play a different role, and can affect Bloons in several ways, including popping them, slowing them down, or boosting the power of other monkeys. When destroyed, Bloons grant the player money, which can be used to purchase additional defenses or upgrade existing ones—upgraded monkeys gain access to new abilities. As the player pops more Bloons each round, the player and all active towers gradually earn XP every round, which help unlock new upgrades and other features as the player continues to play the game.
Bloons spawn in several waves, and travel along a predetermined path. Sets of waves are separated into rounds, each of which consists of a set amount of Bloons, which over time become stronger and may have properties resistant to certain effects, such as explosions, ice, or fire, with some being immune to more than one. The largest bloons are referred to as "MOAB class" bloons, which are designed as blimps and zeppelins, are harder to defeat than other bloons due to having more health than most other bloons. If a bloon gets through the player's defenses, the player loses lives, stronger bloons taking away more lives. If the player loses all their lives, the game ends. If the player can complete all the required rounds without losing all their lives, the player will win. After winning, the player has the option to exit directly back to the home screen, or go into an endless Freeplay mode, which doesn't end until the player loses. Each round is played on a specific map, and can be played on several difficulty options. Some maps contain obstacles that will prevent monkeys from shooting at bloons in front of the offending area (some of which can be removed for a set amount of cash).
The player can earn several in-game currencies through gameplay: "Monkey Money" is rewarded for winning rounds or completed challenges and allows for additional features to be unlocked in the game, "Monkey Knowledge Points" are granted throughout gameplay and can be used to permanently upgrade monkeys via a skill tree, and "Trophies" are a rare type of currency only obtainable through weekly events, used to unlock cosmetics.
Boss Bloons are a type of special event in the game, first introduced in Bloons TD 5. In these events, players must prepare for a Boss Bloon, a very powerful MOAB class bloon with large amounts of health. The boss will appear first at round 40, and appears every 20 rounds after that, its health increasing each time. These bosses have special abilities, such as summoning recently popped bloons, speeding up regular bloons, or become immune to certain monkey types. There are 5 boss bloons: Bloonarius, Lych, Vortex, Dreadbloon, and Phayze.
Paragons, the first of which being introduced in the same update as bosses, were built as their counter. Being some of the most expensive tower upgrades, they combine each of the tower's 3 paths into one much more powerful upgrade. They are some of the most powerful towers in the games, and especially excel against bosses due to a damage buff against them. There are currently 8 Paragons: the Apex Plasma Master (Dart Monkey), Glaive Dominus (Boomerang Monkey), Ascended Shadow (Ninja Monkey), Navarch of the Seas (Monkey Buccaneer), Master Builder (Engineer Monkey), Goliath Doomship (Monkey Ace), Magus Perfectus (Wizard Monkey), and the Nautic Siege Core (Monkey Sub).
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Characters and settings[edit | edit source]
The game launched with four characters being Steve Stonecutter, Alex Stonecutter, The Agent Derp, and Sunny, respectively. A singler map or "Exclusion Zone" called "Operation Earth" which features multiple locals. Season One introduced a new dimension inside of Operation Earth that being the End Dimension from the original game. A second dimension, the Nether, was confirmed on May 8, 2024, rumored to be released in Season Three.
Plot[edit | edit source]
Chapter 1[edit | edit source]
Over twelve years of traversing a vast multiverse, best friends Steve and Alex face new challenges. Steve is troubled by visions of a malevolent double, a glitch mimicking his every move. They meet Derp, a loyal ally and secret member of the Good Justice Society (GJS), fighting threats from dimensions like the Nether. An intense battle unfolds with the Angel of Death (AOD), leading to a showdown where Steve, Alex, and Derp banish AOD to the Nether. In the End dimension, Steve's evil twin, with eerie white eyes, emerges, hinting at a more ominous journey ahead. Caught in a mystifying struggle, Steve, Alex, and Derp face Null, commanded by an unseen adversary to destroy them. Null vanishes, leaving Steve battling internal struggles and visions. Derp convinces Steve to protect Diamond Hill Village, where they encounter a Witch using the village's honey for power-enhancing potions. Steve defeats her, but she hints at a larger threat. That night, the village withstands a mob attack, which the heroes repel. Post-battle, Steve disappears in a strange light, followed by Derp's similar vanishing. Alex is left alone in a Hypixel server lobby, while Steve awakens in an unknown world. Null's command over an army of mobs threatens to ravage the Hypixel server, prompting Alex and Derp to strategize a counterattack. Steve, discovering he's at the beginning of time, struggles to find a way back to the present. Alex and Derp, amidst their effort to save Hypixel, call for backup from the GJS. Null, intensifying his assault, dispatches Warewolf and Reaper to pursue the remaining heroes, causing destruction in the Hypixel lobby. Steve, after teleporting to the lobby, falls unconscious due to the villains' attack but is rescued by Alex. Derp, inspired by a dream involving a gate and fish, formulates a new plan. In a dramatic revelation, the mastermind behind these events is unveiled as Herobrine. Herobrine, driven by a need for recognition, schemes to destroy Steve and claim his fame. This enmity originates from a glitch by Notch, who made Steve and Alex rulers, but inadvertently created an indestructible duplicate of Steve. This duplicate, shunned and banished, grows to despise Steve. Despite overcoming villains like Null, Entity 303, Warewolf, and Reaper, the heroes face challenges in the End dimension. After defeating a Wither and crafting a beacon gun, they vanquish the End Dragon. However, an empowered Null disrupts their victory, leading to further conflicts and abductions. Herobrine, intent on eliminating Steve, sets a malicious plan in motion. Derp reengages with the GJS as Null chases Steve through time. Steve's new companion, a wolf named Jerry, tragically dies during Null's attack. Alex and her friend Nova discuss Steve's perilous situation. Derp discovers that AOD is absent from both the Nether and Overworld. Steve, narrowly escaping Null, encounters spirits in Hypixel, realizing he's in the present but away from Alex and Derp. Herobrine, after confronting Alex, faces Steve and reveals his lethal intent. In a climactic moment, Null is immobilized by Herobrine, who then captures Steve. Alex defeats Null with an ice sword, and Derp solemnly pledges to defeat AOD and Herobrine. Herobrine launches an attack on the Overworld, leading Derp and Alex to discover that Steve is trapped in the past, with the Nether being key to his rescue. Herobrine induces Steve into a coma, showing him a grim future. Despite Herobrine's manipulative offer to save him, Steve chooses to escape. Derp and Alex learn of the fall of AOD and meet Nova and Jackster, revealing the urgency of stopping Herobrine. Steve, repeatedly evading Herobrine, ends up in the Nether, confronting his own doppelgänger, a version of himself who succumbed to Herobrine's influence. In the Hypixel virtual world, Herobrine disrupts the server with a command block. Steve, Derp, Alex, and Nova strategize against this threat. Steve shares a troubling vision from Herobrine, while Derp faces his past. Jerry the wolf rejoins Steve and is adopted by Alex. Their battle with Herobrine intensifies, shutting down Hypixel's server, leading to a solo fight between Steve and Herobrine. This clash results in Steve's sacrifice and discovery of Herobrine's true nature in "The Gap." Steve then reappears in the Nether with a new, mysterious appearance. Guided by Derp's intuition about Steve's return, the group travels to Diamond Hill Village to access the Nether. There, Jackster shares vital information with Derp about Buddy. Meanwhile, Steve, now as "Stevebrine," finds an Ender Dragon egg. When the group encounters Stevebrine, his transformation becomes evident. A fierce duel between Stevebrine and Alex ensues, leading to Steve's fall and subsequent transformation into Herobrine. Alex's embrace breaks Herobrine's malevolence, but their peace is short-lived as Herobrine, backed by Null, Entity 303, and Reaper, prepares for a major confrontation. In the final battle, Steve, Alex, and Derp gather an army for a showdown with Herobrine. Amidst chaos, Steve and Alex duel with Herobrine. The Angel of Death (AOD) unexpectedly attacks Alex, leaving her unconscious and then targets Steve. Derp intervenes, saving Steve but suffers from visions. Steve ultimately defeats Herobrine using his own sword, causing Herobrine to vanish. Post-battle, Derp discovers the Good Justice Society's base in ruins. The awaited Ender Dragon egg hatches, and Nova becomes its guardian. Steve and Alex seek peace, but a new threat, a lava monster, emerges in the Nether.
Development[edit | edit source]
Minecraft Zone is being developed by SOI Studios and published by Monsteristic and Mojang. Development on Minecraft Zone began in 2014 after SOI Studios opened a third office that would develop games outside the ShooterofIO franchise. SOI Studios were inspired by that to create a game similar. In 2022, they restarted minor parts of the project to incorperate concepts first seen in 2022's Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0's DMZ mode. The game had plans to release with two playable maps, though the plan to incorperate DMZ gameplay forced the team to abandon the second map.
During development, the original plan was to have a PvP mode with extraction features so that players can retreat with their contents for future games, or choose to stash those items for future games. SOI Studios increased the team size of developers for the game so that it could release on schedule, which was planned in 2017, though was delayed indefinitely until the game was in a better quality release state. In June 2018, the game was confirmed to be releasing on November 18, 2023, with plans to bring the game to next generation consoles that would release in 2020.
The game was revealed on social media with a singler ten minute trailer which featured gameplay in various styles of gameplay. The trailer was disliked by millions due to the lack of originality from SOI Studios, though praised for its innovation and content that the game has to offer. On January 12, 2024, prior to the start of Season One, SOI Studios announced the theme names for the first three seasons being "The End Awakens", "The Adventure Continues", and "The Deep Abyss".
Release[edit | edit source]
The game was revealed on September 11, 2013, with a planned release in 2017. In June 2018, the game was confirmed to be releasing on November 18, 2023, with plans to bring the game to next generation consoles that would release in 2020.
The game was released on November 18, 2023, for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Microsoft Windows. Planned features for future updates include PvP modes, guild raids, and cross-server item trading and multiple exclusion zones.
Reception[edit | edit source]
Pre-release[edit | edit source]
The game's reveal trailer was met with high engagement on social media and mixed reception, ranging from excitement to disgust. It also received some skepticism due to the unfinished state of the developer's earlier work, ShooterofIO. The satirical tone of promotional material, with references to labor laws and illegal hunting, sparked interest in the game exploring the dark undertones of the creature-collecting genre.
Release[edit | edit source]
Minecraft Zone received mostly positive reviews from critics. IGN and PC Invasion praised its fun combat and engaging gameplay loop, with the latter noting the large, albeit somewhat barren, environments being brought to life by different Mobs. The Escapist described the combat allowing players to fight alongside their Mobs against tougher enemies as a high point. PCGamesN called the game "a morbidly compelling descent into creature capitalism", stating that though it had some flaws, such as its insistence on ethically questionable behavior and the unoriginal designs of Mobs, its gameplay and the open world made up for it. GameSpot praised the game's mechanics and tone as a "refreshing perspective in a genre so often tripping over itself to present things as joyous and heartfelt", believing it to represent the first time "a creature collector game has owned up to its exploitation-as-gameplay systems."
Conversely, Rock Paper Shotgun and PC Gamer criticized Minecraft Zone for relying too heavily on shock humor about animal abuse and sweatshop labor in its gameplay, which PC Gamer derided as "mid-2000s Newgrounds edgelord" and "over-committing to the bit", with Rock Paper Shotgun arguing the gameplay mechanics and presentation of Mobs fundamentally misunderstood the meanings and appeal behind Pokémon and the monster-catching genre. It also attracted some criticism for the unoriginal designs of Mobs and mechanics lifted from other titles, which VG247 thought undermined a game "worth admiring".
Minecraft Zone sold over one million copies in its first eight hours of early access on January 19, 2024, which rose to two million copies within the first 24 hours, three million copies within the first 40 hours, five million copies by day 3, six million by day 4, seven million by day 5, and eight million by day 6. On January 24, 2024, it reached over 2,000,000 concurrent players on Steam, becoming the first game since PUBG: Battlegrounds to achieve this feat. The high player count led to server issues. On January 27, Minecraft Zone recorded 2,101,867 concurrent players on Steam. By February 1, the game sold 12 million copies on Steam and had reached 7 million players on Xbox. According to Microsoft, the game was the most-played 3rd party release on Xbox Game Pass, reaching a peak of almost 3 million daily active players on the Xbox platform. As of February 22, 2024, the game sold 15 million copies on Steam and had reached 10 million players on Xbox.
However, by February 11, the game reportedly faced the largest two-week player drop on Steam - down from its peak concurrent player count of 2,101,867 to about 750,000 concurrent players. In response to those reports, Pocketpair community manager Bucky wrote on Twitter "This emerging 'Minecraft Zone has lost X% of its player base' discourse is lazy, but it's probably also a good time to step in and reassure those of you capable of reading past a headline that it is fine to take breaks from games." He also wrote "If you are still playing Minecraft Zone, we love you. If you're no longer playing Minecraft Zone, we still love you, and we hope you'll come back for round two when you're ready."