Hogwarts Minecraft Map Download (Review)
I didn't read the Harry Potter books and saw only one of the movies, which makes me uniquely unqualified for reviewing this map. Fortunately a map with over 70,000 downloads hardly needs a review, the review, if you will, is largely in the numbers of happy fans running about the place arguing about the correct pronounciation of various spells.
Based on feedback from Potterheads, the similarity to Hogwarts is astonishing. It comes complete with Chamber of Secrets, although not the talking paintings or the stairs that rotate in a way that frankly contravenes all health and safety guidelines ever.
I did download and play the map, because that's how reviews work. These were my impressions.
Impression #1 Bonus Textures!
The Hogwarts map also comes with its very own texture pack, which is nice, because it's not quite the same in the default textures, which are decidedly non-magical (no matter how many potions Mojang crowbars in with all the grace of a Giraffe in a Grand Prix.) Unfortunately the texture pack doesn't seem to have been updated to 1.0, so the hunger bar doesn't show up properly. The detail in the texture pack adds a great deal to the game, even the beds have a fun Hogwarts theme.
Impression #2 Hugeness
This map is massive. Even if you have no idea what Hogwarts is and think it's probably some pork processing plant in outer Bulgaria, you're going to be impressed with the sheer size and scale of the build. Some of the sights you'll see whilst exploring Hogwarts will simply take your breath away. The courtyard, for instance, certainly made my heart skip a beat. Never before have I been so moved by an expanse of cobbled stone.
Impression #3 Diamonds
If a large map fills you with a sense of ennui and pointlessness, not to worry, objectives have been included. There are a hundred or so diamonds hidden around Hogwarts for you to find, meaning that your explorations will not be in vain. I have to admit however, the sheer number of chests in Hogwarts makes searching for diamonds in them something of a tedious quest, still, completionists will be satisfied with the results.
Impression #4 Lost
Hogwarts is, as has already been noted, massive. The creator of the map has not given into what was probably a very strong urge to simplify things and 'dumb them down', no, there are windy passages and twists and turns and the complex is so very convoluted that one can spy something from a window and then spend several minutes just trying to work out how to get there.
Final Impression
This is one of the very few 'must download' minecraft maps, whether you like Harry Potter or not, this is an amazing build that truly shows the potential of Minecraft. Adults and children alike are sure to be delighted by the world that has been pieced together brick by brick for their amusement. It would also make an amazing server map for anyone wanting an interesting place to base multiplayer gaming.
Download The Minecraft Hogwarts Map Here
