Genre: Sandbox
Developer: Mojang AB
Publisher: Independent

Minecraft looks a bit like a pixel-art focused 3d Dot Game Heroes, what with its "world of cubes". There is really nothing in gaming like standing at the top of a hill in this title and looking over a vast expanse of randomly generated rolling hills, lush forests, sandy beaches, and bright blue oceans, all of which are just waiting to be explored and tamed. The game's terrain and default textures are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, although the player models and textures leave a bit to be desired. Most every visual aspect of Minecraft can be replaced through the installation of community-based texture packs, and it is such flexibility that defines Minecraft.

Like the title itself, the relatively unknown Daniel "C418" Rosenfeld has come out of virtually nowhere to deliver greatness. In Rosenfeld's case, an outstanding piano-centric soundtrack is the outcome. If one could bottle the wondrous expansiveness of Jeremy Soule's "Elder Scrolls" soundtracks, the emotional impact of a simple yet impelling melodic piece, add a touch of jauntiness and whimsy, and set the whole thing to piano, you will get a sense of Minecraft's music. Importantly, music only plays intermittently, letting the game's world breathe a bit while allowing the collection of distinctive sound effects to fill in the aural gaps.

There haven't been many "birth of a genre" moments in video game history, and probably none since 1995 or so, until now; while it's true that the sandbox genre has seen some previous entrants, such as Dwarf Fortress and Infiniminer, Minecraft is the title that will be remembered as the first really good and complete title, similar to how Wolfenstein 3d is viewed with respect to the first-person shooter. The game's balance, control scheme, and user interface will surely become models for future such titles, as they enable the player to experience the plethora of ventures available in Minecraft, as well as its worlds which are memorable and full of potential and wonder.

When Clint Hocking and Tom Bissell and their ilk describe the potential of ludonarrative, they simply have to be imagining a game just like Minecraft. Minecraft has no explicit narrative whatsoever, yet the stories it tells are deep and enduring, especially since they are crafted according to the player's whims. The game occasionally feels like it could use a few more defined objectives, but it strikes so many pleasurable senses of accomplishment-- gathering, construction, combat, exploration, and a real sense of wonder-- that it's no surprise that the title has popularized the amazing, budding sandbox genre. This is, without a doubt, the most exciting video game of the last fifteen years.