Survivalcraft Review

It can be very easy to shout “clone!” and refuse to play a game based on the fact that its screenshots and general outline appear to be copied directly from another video game. Sometimes, however, a game heavily inspired by another can bring some great, unique ideas to the surface that really make us question the original concept.

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Can you say “blatant Minecraft clone”?

It can be very easy to shout “clone!” and refuse to play a game based on the fact that its screenshots and general outline appear to be copied directly from another video game. Sometimes, however, a game heavily inspired by another can bring some great, unique ideas to the surface that really make us question the original concept.

So make no mistake when I tell you that, despite the fact that Survivalcraft is currently selling better than its inspiration Minecraft – Pocket Edition on the App Store, it’s totally not worth bothering with. Survivalcraft is close to a carbon copy, with only a smattering of additional ideas here and there.

In the game, you’ve been abandoned on a remote desert island by your crew and left to fend for yourself. By gathering resources and crafting together tools, your goal is to stay alive, explore the world, build a palace, dig deep into earth, or whatever else you feel like doing.

Survivalcraft

If this all sounds extremely familiar, that’s because it is. Survivalcraft is a nigh-on exact replica of Minecraft, with the exact same visuals and gameplay mechanics. If I handed you an iPhone running Survivalcraft, it may well take you several minutes to realize you’re not playing Minecraft – and most likely it would be the interface alone that would give it away.

In fact, if you go ahead and read my previous review of Minecraft or Minecraft Pocket Edition, you’ll come away with a clear indication of what to expect when playing Survivalcraft. That’s how similar these two games are.

It would be a little more acceptable if Survivalcraft added tons of additional elements to the base concept, but this simply isn’t the case. Wildlife is the obvious difference. Whereas Minecraft goes a little fantasy with its creatures, Survivalcraft focuses on wolves, horses, sharks and the like.

Survivalcraft

There’s also the solid community aspect, where players can create and upload their own texture packs and maps for other players to grab. The system works really smoothly, such that it isn’t a hassle to grab new elements and create your own.

But while Survivalcraft may well provide some slight differences here and there, it’s also missing plenty of the features that Minecraft has. You could argue that Survivalcraft is being constantly built upon, and will end up with all the same features as Minecraft one day, but then again, so is Minecraft! So that isn’t really a valid argument. The fact of the matter is that Survivalcraft is a blatant clone of Minecraft, and barely offers anything that Minecraft doesn’t already.

There are no doubt people out there who have been playing Minecraft for a very long time now, and are looking for their next Minecraft-like fix. To them I say: Do not bother with Survivalcraft. It’s an insult to the original creator, and does not add one iota of additional, interesting content over its “inspiration.”

The good

    The bad

      50 out of 100