“We had a plan at the beginning, when we started the 360 version, that we would look at what the community were doing and add some significant additions to the gameplay,” says Paddy Burns, director of 4J Studios.
When a bout ends, every participant gets to see their stats as well as an award for the session, you might be considered the best marksman or deadliest melee combatant, or just the most effective at hiding. At first, the fishing rod looks like a useless piece of loot, but you can use it to hook other players and yank them off walkways to their doom. When three or more players meet, it’s a hilarious riot of chopping swords and flying potion bottles. Chests refill at stages during each bout so there’s a tactical benefit in knowing where they all are, and every character’s health gradually depletes so its actually possible to starve to death if you hide out for too long.įights are fast and fun, with the bow and arrow coming out as a vital way of getting easier distance kills. The flow will be familiar to fans it’s all about keeping an eye out for other players while searching for goodies, and navigating the landscape without accidentally dropping off a high walkway.
The Lair is one of the arena-like maps that will come with Minecraft’s Battle pack Photograph: Microsoft
