MCAlliance Reviews: Herobrine's Mansion
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Reviewed by DaltronForce
Custom maps were never an intended feature of Minecraft, but it's not surprising that a game about creation would spark the ambition of its players. Mojang caught on to the trend, and between their recent updates and the support of YouTube, the adventure map scene has become a massive part of the game. A whole sub-community of mapmakers has emerged, using Minecraft not as a game, but more as a tool for the creation of games.
Herobrine’s Mansion, an adventure map by Hypixel was probably one of the entrepreneurs of the genre, bringing the meaning of “adventure map” to a whole new level. Straight off the bat, Herobrine’s mansion does not lack a single attribute from the 1.4 update, possibly the update which altered the future for all adventure maps. Using features from command blocks to custom mobs, it strongly displayed Hypixel’s brave and daring step into the new era.
The adventure map is centred around your character venturing deep into the horrors of Herobrine’s mansion on the quest to stop Herobrine from releasing The Wither into the Overworld, battling various boss mobs along the way.
It’s difficulty was a key asset throughout the game. Right from the start, Herobrine’s Mansion proved to be a major challenge, with waves of mobs immediately coming after me. With its fast paced gameplay and never ending clashes, this adventure map would definitely push any player to the edge of their seats and keep their heart pumping.
Another feature I loved about the combat was that every mob never seemed the same. Every mob I encountered seemed special with their own attributes, weapons and armor. I felt like I wasn’t battling the same mob over and over again, which is a major strength in Herobrine’s Mansion. Battling another mob made me feel like I was going against a totally different challenge. Variety was especially well used in the boss fights. Like before, every two bosses never seemed the same. They all had their different strengths and weaknesses.
Another good asset is that Herobrine’s Mansion is all about strategizing. In every confrontation, whether its mobs or bosses, I found myself thinking as fast as I could to adapt to the different fights. The way mobs attacked forced me to look through my options and strategize how I could approach them. I couldn’t charge into a pack of mobs guns blazing without retreating or dying. Almost always I had to back out in fear of getting killed again. Don’t think that having a large group of friends playing with you will help blast your way through the map. Even as a team, you have to work together to overcome every situation.
However, this overpowering difficulty also posed a disadvantage. With battles getting harder and harder, I constantly had red flashing across my screen. At one point it became incredibly frustrating, respawning and repeating the entire process. Eventually it was like trial and error, and combat became monotonous after a very long time. Another issue was that after every boss fight I would respawn back outside the mansion, which ruined the consistent pace of the game.
But these things did not majorly affect the intensity of the game, and I still had loads of fun in its one and a half hours’ worth of gameplay.
Presentation:
Although Herobrine’s Mansion is now a year old, the magic which lingers in its atmosphere will forever be immortalized in the history of legendary adventure maps. Its astounding and jaw-dropping architectural design made me feel like I had been transported to the medieval era. The beautiful combination of everything made the entire setting feel so vibrant and real. Most importantly, it made me feel like diving right into the mansion and exploring its hidden mysteries. The amazing set pieces and exquisitely decorated rooms seemed to beg for me to venture in and look around. Every corner spelled either opportunity or death. And its texture pack is most definitely a must if you want that feel of a lost, ancient world.
All this is fantastic in a perfect combination to make a great map, but what I think lacked the most is a good story plot. Most custom adventure maps don’t focus on a good story and become unbalanced. Unfortunately, Herobrine’s Mansion is no exception.
I actually saw a lot of potential for a good storyline in this adventure map. With Herobrine having the internet folklore of being Notch’s brother, a lot of backstory could have been developed to enhance the experience. But instead, none of this is produced and sometimes I just don’t get the quests or objectives. In fact, it mostly relies on its unrealistic dialogue to keep players on track to what they are actually doing.
All of these problems brought up a lot of questions in my mind. Why would a bunch of villagers live near Herobrine’s Mansion? Why does Herobrine unexplainably want to bring the Wither into the Overworld? How does Victor travel all the way from his house to the mansion? Why do I need to travel to the Nether to fight something which hasn’t even entered the Overworld yet? Add all these up and you’ll start to think, what is going on?
But then again, Herobrine’s mansion is still about its amazing gameplay mechanics, and that is what this adventure map is mainly for: To have fun.
The Verdict:
Despite the problems it has, Herobrine’s Mansion is a hell of an enjoyable adventure map, especially in multiplayer. That’s what makes it even more impressive. Not only does it join the ranks of other amazing adventure maps, but it sets the bar for current adventure maps and for those to come. In short, Hypixel has crafted a true masterpiece. Though not perfect, Herobrine’s Mansion is a true feat.
+Great gameplay mechanics
+Challenging and fun gameplay
+Huge variety
+Amazing set pieces
-Inconsistent and anticlimactic pace
-Lack of a good story plot
Do you agree with our verdict? What adventure map do you want us to review next? Be sure to post your suggestions in the comments below. For more on adventure maps and news, keep up to date with the MCAlliance.
8.8
Amazing