I Played The Successor To Minecraft, And It's Almost Everything I Hoped For

I can best describe it as Minecraft 2. From its block-by-block world interaction to its procedurally generated environments, the game feels like a complete do-over of the 2009 classic.

Developed by Hypixel Studios, which includes former Minecraft modders, the game launched successfully, quickly becoming the most viewed game on Twitch. While its lawyers might not appreciate the comparison, being a cover of a legendary song isn't a bad thing, especially when the cover is this good, even in Early Access.

The gameplay loop is immediately familiar to anyone who has played Minecraft, but it has been streamlined. I didn't have to start by punching trees. Basic tools are crafted from sticks and rubble found on the ground. A major improvement is that breaking the trunk of a tree causes all the blocks above it to collapse and drop their resources. This alone almost won me over, as I still dislike having to chop my way up a tree trunk in Minecraft. Movement feels modern and fluid. I could jump up to three blocks high and pull myself up onto a ledge, a significant quality-of-life upgrade from the one-block jump limit I was used to. I could even take a running leap at a ledge, hit the side, and vault over it. The addition of proper parkour is something I would not want to give up. The game also runs exceptionally well on my system, maintaining a steady frame rate above 60 even with the draw distance turned all the way up.

Combat is fine. I tested several weapon types, from fast double daggers to a traditional sword and shield, each with its own charge attack and a special meter for executing a finisher. The enemy variety impressed me. I fought goblin bomb-throwers and terrifying lava toads that could catch me with their tongues and pull me in for a painful bite. The experience feels like a wishlist of features that Minecraft will likely never implement due to its legacy technology.

Building can be a little bit fiddly. We have more pieces to pick from, like proper roofs that make Minecraft's classic stair tricks redundant. But sometimes I had to do silly stuff like building a dirt "mold" to make sure all the pieces were facing the right way. Still, once I got the hang of its quirks, I was able to start making some pretty neat-looking stuff.— Leana Hafer from IGN

This Early Access version provides very little direction. The main hub area, the Forgotten Temple, is filled with literal "Under Construction" signs. I explored dungeons out in the world only to find the same disappointing barriers at their entrances. It is not clear what the overarching goal is supposed to be. For now, I am content to build structures and seek out new ores for better tools, but I am not sure if a story or major bosses will be added later. I have not encountered them yet if they already exist. Overall, I am enjoying my time with Hytale. It is an enjoyable version of a familiar formula, enhanced with thoughtful tweaks and additions that make a significant difference.

Read also, with the release of Hytale, the community has wasted no time in establishing its own folklore, directly inspired by one of gaming’s most persistent legends. Players have begun circulating images of a new mysterious figure, a spiritual successor to Minecraft's Herobrine. This new entity, appropriately nicknamed ‘Hyrobrine,’ has appeared in a recreation of the very screenshot that started the original myth.