Sky Tomb Survival, Minecraft Survival Map (Download + Review)
A neat little addition to the sky survival genre, Sky Tomb Survival pits the player against the deadliest element in the minecraft universe: lava, and lots of it.
Sky Tomb Survival is a variation on other sky survival maps, which typically involve teetering on the brink of a chunk of dirt and waiting for trees to grow. It involves a great deal more exploration and crafting than most of them, not to mention lava traversing expertise. The premise of the map is simple, you're on a dirt and clay (and sandstone) island in the sky. There are no trees or grass or animals to succor you, but there is lava and some water, and a bunch of tombs scattered around the map, each containing items vital for your success.
An interesting twist (without being too much of a spoiler I think) is that some tombs are more useful than others and some tombs can only be opened once you've visited other tombs. You don't know which is which of course, which is where luck and persistence come into play.
PRO TIP: You're going to need to know how to make a cobblestone generator if you want to survive in this map, it's as simple as that. I still didn't have the art down properly, so I managed to make two blocks of accidental obsidian (not ideal if you don't have a diamond pickaxe.) For those making similar mistakes, the lava has to go above the water, otherwise you'll just flood your lava source block and look pretty silly. On the bright side, this map has a lot of lava to play with.
For those of you similarly behind the curve, here's a video that teaches you how to make a simple and compact cobblestone generator for Minecraft. If you intend on playing a lot of sky survival maps you're eventually going to need to know how to make one.
Conclusion
It is safe to say that this map is hard work. It's not going to hand your survival to you on a platter. I think many players will enjoy that aspect of the map. If the tombs were expanded upon, this might make quite a nice adventure style map, but as it is their simplicity keeps Sky Tomb Survival firmly in the survival genre, and there's nothing wrong with that. The map is sparse enough that expanding your holdings will probably be quite a satisfying experience, though the limited amount of dirt means that you'll be limited in what you can do.