Minecraft vs. Terraria vs. Guncrafter is not about which one “kills” the others, it’s more about finding the best building game for you. These games take some time to master and are huge time sinks. I remember staying up all night to play Minecraft back when it was first released. Now the developers have released that game on virtually every platform available. Same goes for Terraria, which I purchased on my PC during the Steam sale. Guncrafter is perhaps the only game I hadn’t played in this comparison before and it also gunned me away. So without further ado, let’s dive in the comparison and find the best game for you.
Our Ratings:
Minecraft: 4.8 out of 5 Terraria: 4.6 out of 5 Guncrafter: 4.5 out of 5
Google Play Ratings and Links:
Minecraft: 4.5 out of 5
Terraria: 4.0 out of 5
Guncrafter: 4.2 out of 5
The Good
All three games in the Minecraft vs. Terraria vs. Guncrafter are amazing. If you are a creative person, getting these games is a must for you. The level of freedom these games provide is unparalleled. I like games that treat me like a person and not just a simple-minded player. For example, I despise quick time events that reduce gameplay to the press of a single button. These games allow you to make things other games can only dream of. If you are clever and creative, you will have the time of your life playing these games.
The Bad
Sometimes the games can feel a bit aimless. It’s not that big of a problem, but those gamers who like a controlled and targeted experience will find themselves wondering what to do next. The open nature of the games, while amazing for some, can just be as daunting for others. I have seen players who question open world games as a whole and prefer corridor experiences over open ones. Minecraft, Terraria, and Guncrafter all suffer from this minor, but prominent problem.
The Bottom Line
If you want a handcrafted experience, you will feel right at home with the best adventure games. These games are not meant to be played in a hurry. The worlds these games provide are almost gigantic and should be enjoyed at your own pace; you just won’t be able to rush through them. The bottom line is if you are a creative person who loves to spread their creative wings, all three of these games are going to feel amazing.
Graphics – Minecraft
This comparison between Minecraft vs. Terraria vs. Guncrafter was meticulous. On one hand we have two games with great 3D landscape and on the other there is a crisp looking 2D game. I’ll be honest here, none of the game feature stellar graphics. You won’t find the best looking games on Android here in this comparison. The games feature retro styled yet blocky graphics, whether they are in 2D or 3D.
I chose Minecraft because it is in 3D and features one of the best draw distances I have ever seen on an Android game. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, draw distance means how far you can see in a game. Much like your eyesight is limited to a certain area, the game engines are also able to render a certain area at a time. Minecraft impressed me with its astounding draw distance. Sure, my gaming PC can surpass it easily, but to be fair; it features a graphics card that costs the same as a flagship smartphone.
World Setting – Minecraft
There is a reason Minecraft is a global phenomenon. I would have loved to give this win to Terraria, but it would have been unfair. Minecraft features a 3D world that can be fully explored by you. The game uses procedural generation to make the map and it works well. So if you start running in one direction, it will take you a very long time to reach the end of the map. This allows you to explore without the fear of running out of map space.
Terraria is very linear regarding exploration because it’s a 2D game. Guncrafter also suffers from the same fate as it also has limited space in maps. However, Guncrafter does have many maps to play around, so I guess they count towards a better world setting.
Controls – Tie
Each game in the Minecraft vs. Terraria vs. Guncrafter comparison comes with some unique controls. I really like how Minecraft handles the controls and makes everything accessible.
However, Terraria goes beyond the call of duty to deliver, what feels like, the best combination of touch controls and virtual buttons. The controls are responsive and work well under any circumstance. However, it would be wrong to call them perfect. The item selection is usually a bit harder on touch screens, but that is the norm here. The games were designed to be played with a keyboard, and some traces of adaptation are still visible.
Guncrafter nails down the touch interface really well. The game puts a lot of thought behind making the best control scheme for a touch screen device. The only downside I could find was the gyroscope based aiming here.
Freedom – Minecraft
There is no doubt here, Minecraft gives the players a ton of freedom. Not only there is complete freedom in exploration, but also in gameplay. You will be able to build anything you want and when you want in this game. The fact that the game is only around 17MB simply blows my mind away. There is a lot of content in there for you to enjoy.
I’m not saying that Terraria or Guncrafter lack freedom because they do have freedom, but not as much as Minecraft. Minecraft is the America of these games.
Uniqueness – Guncrafter
This is the only place where Guncrafter excels while you can make a ton of stuff in Minecraft and Terraria, you just cannot make guns. This is a game made for gun enthusiasts who just want to make epic new guns and improve them as they play. The game allows you not only to build epic looking weapons but also use them in real matches. This right here is what makes this experience unique in my books. We have all seen building games a million times over; we have seen crafting and whatnot. But we have not seen a game that takes all of that crafting and creative potential and crams it into making a gun.
Conclusion
The comparison between these three amazing games might have helped you in selecting the game that is best for you. I would highly recommend all three of the games here as they all are pretty epic. However, if you have never played Minecraft before for some reason, I would say go for that one first. It has a little steep learning curve, but once you get a hold of the game, it won’t let you go for a very long time.
What do you think about the comparisons? Were they bang on the spot or something was missing? Do build a conversation in the comments below and beware of creepers, not only in Minecraft but also real life. Feature Image Credits
