Welcome to Week in Review! I have some exciting news. I managed to create an animated version of Week in Review this week. As most of you well know, animation takes a lot of time and effort, so I'd be grateful if you'd take some time to mosey on over to the Week in Review - Video Archive and give me your honest opinion. ;)

Other than that, you should find the blog to me more of the same in terms of format. Hope you enjoy!

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Now, I need to be really serious here for a second, for my own sake. This week, there was a map uploaded titled Napolis. Napolis is an amazing map. The terraforming is spectacular, the architecture is spectacular, and there are a few really good organic figures as well. There are a lot of exterior details and some creative concepts, including a really neat observatory. And while this is all very cool, and this is probably the favorite to win Week in Review, as you can guess, it did not win. Now, the reason I say all this is because last week, I gave the win to something that was not the favorite. That was, evidently, an unpopular choice, and it was only exacerbated when I didn’t explain why I didn’t choose it. So this week, let there be no god damn ambiguity. I will explain clearly and concisely why the gold medal goes to Ambarina - A Medieval Mediterranean City, created by Team Lyrah.



I’m going to sit you down and explain to you why this is better than Napolis. In a word: DETAIL. This is an absolutely enormous map. There are over 200 individual structures on this island, and each of them are hand tailored and filled with interior work. Yes. You heard me right. 200 structures. All filled with interior work. Do you understand the implications of that? Do you understand the work that’s required to pull something of that magnitude off? That is insane. That’s commitment right there.



And we’re not talking about shoddy, cheap interior work. We’re talking about the kind of interior work that could easily win the decor category here on Week in Review. So you’ve got the sheer enormity, combined with the level of detail you’d come to expect from a very small scale build. Add to that, the fact that this terrain isn’t exactly easy to build a city atop. It’s not exactly a flat surface.



Now, with all of this taken into account, I have to ask. Is there any surprise or discontent that this won the gold medal? No? Okay, good. Now, I can relax and not worry about dealing with a bunch of whining. :P



Let me start by saying that the architecture here is absolutely stunning. It’s a really bold, creative, and identifiable style, and it stays constant throughout the city. Every building is unique, and yet every building bears a noticeable resemblance to the others. This is the key to developing something really pure. It has to be true to itself and true to its style. It can’t be designed by commission, with loads of builders off doing their own thing.



And, to be sure, there were a lot of builders that worked on this one. As you can see in the ‘Additional Credit’ section, the list is jaw-dropping. That this massive team was able to coordinate in such an incredible way speaks to order and an ability to delegate. That’s rare to see.



What amazes me more than the architecture is the heavy applications of decor that saturates the buildings, inside and out. As I said before, this massive creation has all the detail you would expect from a small plot. That is simply unprecedented. You don’t see detail like this, ever! This is a concept that was worked and worked, over and over, until in the end it became something very special. It became a project so complete, and so whole, that I struggle to imagine what more could have been added to this.



I have nothing negative to say about this. There is nothing more I want from this. This is the best map of the year so far. This is indisputable. It is not merely my opinion. It is fact. The amount of work, the quality of work, and the level of skill demonstrated by this massive build team so outweighs everything I’ve seen up until this point. It is perfect. It is terrifying. It is the best. Ever.



I’d say more, because honestly there’s much more to analyze and sift through. But I’m not going to. You know why? Because I want to leave something to discuss in Year in Review. You have not heard the last of Ambarina.

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I feel sorry for the creator of this next build, because it always sucks to have to follow up one of the best things ever. Nevertheless, the best mega-build of the week is something special too, and deserves recognition (just not as much as Ambarina :P). That build is Temple of Blohokaya, created by erikjoel99.



This looks like something made out of bread. No, I’m being completely serious. The shades of tan and brown so remind me of a loaf of white bread. Oh my God! I should have known! This is the home of the BREAD MAN OF LEGEND!!!! Of course. It’s the bread mansion. I didn’t realize the Blackhawks were paying him this well. He must have gotten a great starting contract. Good for you, bread man! Way to go!



Just kidding (OR AM I?!?). What matters is this is a very large build with depth, detail, and a lot of symmetry. It kind of embodies the definition of the word pristine. You can tell that erikjoel99 is a perfectionist. This palace is completely devoid of errors or imperfections.



The architecture here is, well, choppy is the correct word in my opinion. There’s a hell of a lot of slabs and stairs used in this behemoth which creates an almost vibrational silhouette. It’s really something when you step back and look at it from afar.



And while this isn’t perhaps as nuanced as some of the other work I’ve featured in the past, it definitely excels in terms of opulence. This is the type of build that begs for a good render. And luckily, this one has plenty of those.

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The best terraforming of the week is a downright bipolar terrain titled Hidden Hell, by Drayman.



This is a fiery wasteland of death and destruction . . . sitting next to a tundra. You’ve got ice and snow next to what appears to be an endless valley of volcanic ruin. Ice melts you know. There are multiple states of matter, not- and why is this called ‘Hidden Hell’? It’s not exactly hidden. It’s sitting wide out in the open amidst a Himalayan mountain range. Google Earth could find that in like 5 seconds.



But, hey, good news is that it appears that hell is very easy to escape from. If you’re ever condemned to an eternity of hellfire, just walk north for about 3 miles. There’s not even a wall or anything.



Joking aside, this is an amazing terrain. I love those bright orange veinous patterns, which is something you typically find in hellish volcanic valleys like this. The mountains and ridges found in both the tundra and volcano regions are nicely developed as well.



But the thing I really love about this map is the polarity that Drayman created between the two biomes. If there is an absolute opposite to a tundra, it’s definitely whatever Hidden Hell brings to the table. Though it makes no scientific sense that two regions like this exist side by side, it’s still an awesome idea.

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And rounding off our ‘Big Four’ categories, the best organic work of the week is Blank page syndrome, created by Arcanip.



This is about- you know . . . that thing that happens when you’re trying to write something . . . and you just can’t figure out what to say . . . so you sit there for hours, just staring . . . in absolute silence . . .

. . .

It’s got a nice lamp, that’s for sure.



Seriously, though, this is a beautiful concept that Arcanip executed just about as well as possible. I love it when people use organic work to bring super-sized renditions of real-world objects to life.



But despite using Minecraft to create accurate replications of tilted books, pens, a vase full of flowers, a box of chocolates, a lamp, and a bag of candy, this project does something more. Blank page syndrome evokes an emotion; an emotion I illustrated earlier with my antics. Everybody knows what blank page syndrome means, and this map defines it perfectly.



Combine all of that with a beautiful render, and you can see the kind of effect something like this can have on a viewer. This is art; let there be no doubt. In terms of composition and style, this is an example of how Minecraft can be used as an art form of its own.

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The best land structure of the week was a rustic build titled Skyrim inspired Fort, created by Minecrafttalsi.



And I don’t even like Skyrim. What? You have a problem with that? Well, I really don’t give a damn. All I know is I had a nice suit of black Nightingale armor, and then one day the hood decided it wanted to be grey. Yes. It went rogue. HOW IN GOD’S NAME IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE!?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF, BETHESDA!



But, like I said, I don’t hold that against this build. It’s a good build, it’s got nice interior work, it’s heavily detailed, but god damn Skyrim sucks. I WANT MY HOOD BACK!



On the exterior, this build is a pretty simple fort. There’s some nice details and the architecture is pretty solid. But what truly stands out here is the interior work.



As small as this fort appears above ground, it’s actually much larger on the inside. That’s because it extends deep underground, and every inch of this treasure trove of interior work is covered in a healthy application of tables, fireplaces, stairwells, and piles of rustic flair.



This is just one of those things that you have to explore in person. The screenshots don’t even come close to doing it justice. It’s a much more atmospheric experience to walk through the rooms and explore them through a first-person perspective.

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Tired of paying for property taxes? Sick of your annoying neighbors? Well, then this next build is definitely for you! The best air structure of the week is Small abode in the sky, created by HippOut.



This is a brilliant way to avoid paying property taxes. Though, you’d have to be careful not to fly into unauthorized air space. Otherwise, you’re likely to be taken down by a government anti-air missile. That would be pretty horrific. ‘No, Mr. Obama, I’m just trying to get to New York. Don’t shoot my blimp down. NO. NOOOOOOOOO!’.



But getting back to reality, this is a boat, conveniently attached to some balloons. It’s not exactly a conventional form of flight, but I guess it could work in an insane world where people spend thousands of dollars on something like this.



The thing I really like about this build is the creativity. This isn’t just another Boeing, or a helicopter. I’ve seen way too many of those in my day. This is a fresh new take on aeronautical technology.



And apart from the creativity, this build has some really nice details as well. Take, for instance, the belt and sprocket hanging on the starboard side of the hull, the scattered materials sitting on the deck, or the inspired interior work. This is a complete, albeit quirky, idea, and it’s a very well executed one to boot.

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The best water structure of the week is a boat titled Fantasy ship, created by Kurgahn_.



This is all the rustic, Conquest style of veloticy, compressed into a boat. Now, you can take your fear of contracting tetanus onto the open seas with careless abandon! I mean, let’s take a look at the interior of this thing, which I might point out is the main reason it’s the best boat of the week . You’ve got rusty metal floor grates (tetanus), a lack of fresh fruit (scurvy), crates of food and supplies from Europe (smallpox).



WHO WOULD STEP ON BOARD THIS FLOATING DEATH TRAP?!? ‘Oh look at how beautiful it is’ said the idiot as he expired from dysentery.



In all seriousness, though, the idiot was correct; this boat is quite beautiful. The sails are well positioned, the hull is majestically curved and adorned with tons of detail, and the interior work is truly inspired.



In fact, the interior work here is more than one comes to expect from any small-scale boat. It’s exactly what one envisions when they think of an old-school wooden sailboat. And while that’s easy to picture in your head, it’s not exactly easy to translate that to Minecraft.



But Kurgahn_ makes it look easy. I suppose the Conquest texture pack deserves some of the credit, but it still requires creative instinct to utilize the texture pack the way it was here.

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When it comes to hubs, it’s always good to have a centerpiece; something that gives the players something to be mesmerized by. And what’s a more effective centerpiece than a gigantic dragon? With that in mind, the best hub of the week is Cytooxien Skyblock Lobby, created by Lakarya.



If you put a giant dragon in your hub, well, you win. You just win. I mean, it casts a shadow of pointlessness on everything else. For instance, this hub has great terraforming- doesn’t matter. There’s a dragon. Look at the beautiful castle- doesn’t matter. Dragon reigns supreme. What about the clouds and the hanging bridge- DAMN IT, MAN! Did you not hear me? Dragon.



To be sure, this is a beautifully designed hub, and one that challenges the norm of the all too familiar circular lobby. This one is asymmetrical, incorporates great architecture and terraforming, but none of that really matters. Why? Dragon.

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Speaking of dragons, the best plot of the week is Earth Dragon, created by MrAble.



Once again: DRAGON. If you want to be on Week in Review, building a dragon is a great way to increase your chances. This appears to be a dragon-tree hybrid that is emerging from an intergalactic wormhole that has opened, conveniently, within the boundaries of a plot.



I’m not entirely sure if this fusion between dragon and tree is a symbiotic relationship or a parasitic one. I mean, from my perspective the dragon seems pretty uncomfortable. He’s made a point to turn his head towards the tree and make an identifiably angry expression, which indicates to me that he’s not exactly on board with this relationship.



But regardless of whether or not the dragon has consented to this strange fusion, this is a great piece of organic work, which desperately wants us to think of it as a plot. MrAble has apparently found a loophole in the Week in Review rules and regulations, and he has exploited it for his own personal gains. Very clever.

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The best decor of the week is a small, rustic plot titled Holmwood - Druidic Lodge, created by Week in Review veteran: veloticy.



Now, this is technically a plot, but seeing as how the dragon thing messed with the system, it has been decided that this be placed in the decor category because, well, it has the best decor of anything uploaded this week. DAMN YOU, DRAGON! You’ve messed everything up!



This is a lodge, which is sort of like a hotel, except for the fact that you won’t find running water, free wifi, or those tiny bars of complementary soap in the bathroom. Also you won’t find a bathroom.



It appears that I have unintentionally gone back in time. And this is why I have a problem with going back in time. Because now I can’t charge my iPhone, and the floor is partially made of dirt. God damn it!



Veloticy, why do you hate the conveniences of the modern age? Why can’t you build me a casino or something? I need flashing lights and running water, not herbs hanging from rusty hooks in the kitchen. Also, I’m pretty sure that the kitchen featured in this build does not meet the health and safety requirements set by the FDA. I can practically see the salmonella crawling on the walls.



But regardless of the fact that you probably wouldn’t enjoy your stay at this lodge, this is some of the best interior decor you’ll find on PMC. Veloticy has the uncanny ability to cram so much detail into his interior spaces, without making it look muddled. It’s a truly amazing skill.



And as if the interior decor isn’t mind-blowing enough, it practically extends to the exterior of the building as well. The exterior has practically as many details as the interior, and that speaks to veloticy's ambition to ensure that every aspect of his builds are complete and fine tuned. That’s a mark of someone who really cares about their work.

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My favorite type of gadget is one that uses redstone to create something both functional and dynamic. Well, you won’t find anything more functional or more dynamic than Working Theatre, created by TheClowner.



This is a theater, built atop a veritable mountain of redstone. I don’t even want to know how much redstone there is here. It’s scary. This thing has synchronized lighting systems, trapdoors, moving curtains, and backdrops. It’s just nightmarishly complex.



You know how in robot apocalypse movies, some dude always builds some computer program that’s designed to do good, and then it decides ‘No, I’m not doing that’ and then it kills everybody? That’s what’s happening here. TheClowner is all like ‘Look, it has 40 different stage lights; isn’t it cool?’. Then the redstone circuit becomes self aware and launches the nukes. Bad idea, dude. You’ve just killed us all!



I guess what I’m trying to say is this: Working Theatre is Skynet. No doubt about it. But be that as it may, I have to tip my hat to TheClowner for building this. It’s not easy to cram so much functionality into such a small space, and the hundreds of rows of redstone attest to that.

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The best mini-game of the week isn’t so much a mini-game as it is a massive island adventure map, and it’s called Forgotten Island, created by Lumina.



To be sure, this is not a mini-game. That would be an oxymoron. There’s nothing miniature about this. It’s entirely too big. And, as you would imagine, there is a lot to see on this behemoth.



The island itself is host to a ton of really immersive areas including a beach with a shipwreck, dense forests, and some ancient ruins. And while all of this makes for some great gameplay, the true highlight of this map is the underground parkour course.



When it comes to parkour, the key to standing out is creating an environment around the course, and Lumina does just that. This dimly-lit gauntlet is one of the most well detailed parkour challenges I’ve seen in a long time, and it’s a fun one at that.



Even though I haven’t played this map (because it hasn’t been released yet), I feel like I have because Lumina did a great job capturing the look and feel of it in the screenshots. It looks like an absolutely stunning Minecraft experience, and I can’t wait to play it.

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And finally, the best coaster of the week is a coaster titled Force, by Steven-Lukes.



Once again, for the second week in a row, only one person uploaded a coaster this week. One of these days I’m going to have nothing to talk about in this category. Maybe I’ll talk about microbiology and put you all to sleep with a long, rambling drawl about the nuances of homologous recombination and the holliday junction. Do you want that? THEN POST MORE COASTERS, YOU GUYS!



But, luckily, Steven-Lukes knows what the hell he’s doing when it comes to coasters. This one has a lot of twists, turns, and curves. It’s difficult to do that due to the limits of mine cart rails, but he has ways of getting around that.



For instance, Steven-Lukes was able to create a rapid decline, something that shouldn’t be possible due to the fact that rails can only decline at a 45 degree angle, by simply letting the cart fall through the air. While that probably wouldn’t pass safety regulations in the real world, it’s a great idea in Minecraft.



All in all, this is a very fluid coaster. Sometimes coasters suffer from unrealistically sharp turns, but this one bears none of that. And it’s also fairly long, compared to some of Steven-Lukes’ other work, and as you all know, quantity is a much more important variable when it comes to coasters.

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Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed your time here, and I look forward to seeing you again next week. Till we meet again!