Hytale vs Minecraft: 5 Key Differences

The last 10 years have seen Minecraft establish itself as the archetypal example of the survival sandbox genre, cementing its position as a pioneer of the genre following the games simple art style, its endless and boundless creativity and modding scene, leading to significant cultural impact. However, with Hypixel Studios launching Hytale, the Minecraft inspired survival sandbox genre is attracting its first real competitors, made by former Minecraft community developers.

The first glance at the Hytale project shows a game that resembles Minecraft, but with better a better aesthetic and more detail. However, those with more experience and knowledge understand that Hytale is more than just a Minecraft reskin. Here is a list of 5 reasons that show as to why Hytale is better than Minecraft, as well as how Hytale will change the Sandbox RPG genre for the better.

1.  Combat 

In Minecraft pvp (player vs player) combat is basic, and leaves a lot to be desired. Over the years Minecraft's combat systems have been improved. New mobs have been added, pvp mechanics such as shields, combos have been introduced, and there are cooldowns for how frequently players can attack. However, the game still revolves around basic pvp mechanics and leverages the players to trade hits. So in essence while player skill is a factor, mechanical considerations are still close to non-existent.

From the outset, Hytale differs from the other Minecraft clones in that it considers combat to be a more central systemic component. Within this system is more advanced mechanics such as system actions that are based off of animation and energy. These will focus more on player movement, defensive avoidance, and offensive avoidance. Each weapon will have its own combos based on those aforementioned elements. Other players will use telegraphed attacks, to button mash and trade hits. Unlike in Minecraft, boss battles will be more complex, and will rely on the rigid mechanics of the Hytale systems.

2. Progression

Up until now players in sandbox games such as Minecraft enjoy unfiltered freedom to explore. There is little to no guidance to follow and objectives are completely self-imposed, leaving players to decide when they've "completed" the game. In hytale, sandbox games are transformed as RPG-style games are incorporated into the experience. In hytale players still have freedom to explore and progress in self-imposed ways, however, they can now do so in adventure packs, which include zones and quests. Hytale players are also able to change and customize their combat and play styles through their gear, such as weapons and armor. 

3. NPCs and World Life

In Minecraft, villagers are super simple. First, they trade. Then, they do nothing else. In hytale the world feels like it has been made with intention. NPCs with their own lore and behavior. Hytale also has different world states that can change based on the players' actions. These different states can create allies or enemies, and defend their territories. This is also true for the different factions that contain their own lore, behavior, and relationships, which can create a world that feels like it has been made with intent. 

4. World Design

Minecraft worlds are incredibly expansive as they include all the biomes in the game. However, With all the useless space also comes a ton of freedom with all the biomes and random villages that can be explored. With all that random space also comes a lot of repetitiveness. Hytale is different as it is incredibly purposeful in the way the biomes and worlds are created.

Hytale has different zones, with each one having their own theme, difficulty, and purpose. As players progress through the game, dangerous zones are unlocked so that exploration is viewed as intentional. Each zone feels like its own chapter, as opposed to just another stretch of land.

5. Modification and Creation

Minecraft has a huge community that extends their life due to huge mods, but in order to use those mods, you need to install the game to manage the version you are running in order to not run into issues.

Hytale has built mod support right into the game. Mods can be distributed through servers, and can be created for customizing assets, user interfaces, game rules, and even the core systems of the game using official tools. Players are not just able to modify a world, they can design completely new worlds, or even new games all together.

Minecraft is an unmatched sandbox that uses the players’ imaginations to thrive. Hytale has not fully replaced that legacy. Hytale pushes the genre forward by mixing the sandbox with modern RPG elements, more complex combat systems, and integrated creation tools.