When Minecraft began to hit PC platforms, as well as the Xbox and Sony consoles, it was and still is a huge hit. The idea of a sandbox game where you build structures with 1x1 blocks swept the world, and the community it grew was quite substantial, especially for younger players. It was no surprise that Lego began to release sets of it based on Minecraft, but now Lego is releasing a similar digital game known as Lego Worlds. The release date of Lego Worlds will be sometime next year, but an Early Access is available now, and here's how to download it. I wouldn't be surprised if the next Minecraft Title Update steals a page from Lego Worlds.
According to Engadget, there were a lot of rumors that Lego was building a direct competitor to Minecraft. It looks like the goal of the Lego Worlds is essentially the same as Minecraft. That is, you are in a world with blocks, and it is even the same green color. It looks like you are even trying to fight off enemies like skeletons, so perhaps there is both a Survival Mode and Creative Mode.
BBC News reports that the game is expected to be fully launched in 2016. I don't have any more of a specific release date than that, but users can actually download the game now with an Early Access on Steam. The purpose of this type of release is to evaluate how the players feel about this open-world sandbox Lego game. Lego, along with Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, plan to make a lot of changes based on user feedback. It is actually how Mojang's Minecraft started out as an Alpha, and all of its users made it an hit.
The developer of this game is Traveler's Tales, who make all of the other Lego games. The plan is to have many more Lego digital sets arrive on this platform so the user can play in a digital world as well as purchase its real plastic counterparts.
Lego Worlds seems to have a few features that its competitor does not have. Its promo video reveals that the user can alter the landscape on a large scale, which is something that Minecraft users would have to do block by block. It is also possible to access ready-made drivable vehicles that include dragons, which really makes the horses in Minecraft pale in comparison. It looks like the character creation will be more detailed than that of Minecraft as the player custom creates their own minifigure. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the current version of Lego Worlds has a multiplayer option, but I am curious if it is easier to create than the block by block method of Minecraft.
In the meantime, I believe that Minecraft is on Update 1.9, and we last reported that it had no release date back in April. Personally, it looks like Minecraft could take a few lessons from Lego Worlds, and it is funny to see how each one sort of borrows from the other.
