minus a few QoL improvements, 1.0.0 is superior in basically every way to modern minecraft. the atmosphere, the cave generation, the pace of progression. rather than being a checklist to end game and a dash between structures, the shortcut-less empty world is a true sandbox.

it's very possible i'm just boomer-posting and i wouldn't have such a glowing review if i wasn't revisiting an important era of my childhood, but these aren't exactly unique observations either. the game is incredibly more rudimentary, and yet has unbelievably more depth. performs nice too lol.

the scarce food options make you actually focus on it instead of picking up a few village hay bales or shipwreck cod. the danger feels more significant because you're undergeared. my most delusional take is that double w sprint is best because it's unwieldy enough to make encounters non-trivial,

but still keeps sprint in the game so its not as inconvenient. lack of travel in general is important - you're limited and will likely stick close to spawn, slowly exploring the world and appreciating its uniqueness. biomes aren't just the space in between loot chests, the environment is the point.