I come across a lot of games similar to “Minecraft”, but they usually turn out to be unique and different in their own special way. “Block Story” introduced a lot of mechanics that I felt were missing from “Minecraft”, just to name an example. “Vox” is an upcoming game with a lot of potential, bringing customization and in-depth RPG elements to the sandbox genre in ways I hadn’t seen before. Before we take a quick look at this game in further detail, I’d like to thank Steve Ball from AlwaysGeeky for providing me with a free copy. It’s worth noting that the game is still in the early Alpha stages, meaning that the game isn’t done yet and the content shown below is subject to change.
Vox (PC)
I normally don’t delve into the menu options in a preview since features are usually changing on a regular basis, but it’s worth noting that there’s a single and multiplayer option available. Multiplayer seems to be disabled at the moment, but those of you who are social butterflies will be pleased to know that plans are in the works that allow you to play with (and /or possibly troll) others. An item library is also present, allowing players to organize and customize items as they see fit. I think that’s a great idea personally, as it allows you to edit all of the items in one place without having to worry about finding and organizing things in your inventory.
One of the things I liked immediately was the ability to create multiple characters. If the kids ever wanted to play this game, they’d be able to jump right into their character without me having to take the time to set up anything special. Players will also be able to edit their character to some degree, namely the character’s head, body, legs, hands, and feet. Painting and scaling on these individual parts is possible, allowing you to invent creations that the average person wouldn’t want to touch with a ten foot pole. The characters you create are persistent from world to world. What’s more, you’ll be able to create your own world and customize it the way you like, from size to biome types. The world I created was medium-sized and very scarce…whether that was me doing something wrong during setup or the Alpha bugs at work, I’m not sure.
Gah!!!
So you’ve created a character, that’s great…but what is “Vox” exactly and what can you expect from this sandbox? “Vox” is a mix of a lot of different things, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d describe it as a free-roaming RPG with crafting and item customization mechanics in a blocky “Minecraft-esque” environment. (whew!) “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” comes to mind (quests, crafting, etc), even if there are obvious differences between the two games. While it is similar to “Minecraft”, it certainly is no clone.
What will you be able to do in this sandbox, you ask? A great deal, which says a lot considering the game is still in the Alpha state. You can mine and smelt ore, equip items on various body slots, manage an inventory, fight enemy mobs with a variety of different weapons, accept and complete NPC quests, craft items, carry and place torches, loot item chests, use magic, gain experience, customize certain weapons and objects, and more. There’s a persistent day and night cycle to give the environment life, making torches a necessity for survival. I was really shocked to learn that I could customize my weapon, block by block, and re-design it the way I wanted it to look. I was also able to name it and even give it a distinctive color. How cool is that?
You can assign weapons and items hotkeys by dragging them to the hot bar along the bottom of the interface.
As I indicated above, this game has a lot of potential. When multiplayer becomes available for example, players will be able to make use of different weapons and magic to form different roles in groups / parties. I obviously can’t comment much further than that since the multiplayer functionality isn’t there yet, but it’s something I’d be interested in seeing. To that end, I’m hoping to see character classes come into play at some point. My character seems to think that it is a “warrior” per the label on the character selection screen…perhaps there are more classes in the works? At any rate, “Vox” has been a joy to play thus far and I’m looking forward to playing with more features as they become available. You can purchase into the Alpha on Desura and play the game for yourself, and/or follow me as I record my adventures (and blunders) via the links below. The full price is $9.99, though the current Alpha price is $4.99. If you like this kind of genre, then you may want to consider buying into it while the price is cheaper.
—
You can learn more about and purchase “Vox” by visiting the following websites:
http://www.desura.com/games/vox
https://www.facebook.com/VoxGame
You can help bring the game to Steam by voting for it on its Greenlight page, here:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=92967555
You can check out video play sessions here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxY4Ij66DQ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQUyHh7g1dE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nQrQ2eqQoQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHZebwRPJdo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt-pCSdtS8U
—