Sure Minecraft has caught on in a big way. Sure, it's achieved insane levels of acceptance and creation among PC gamers before even receiving a full retail release. But the true potential of the game has finally come to fruition, with two user-made projects that redefine innovative game design.

We're well aware of just how much creative potential Minecraft's creators crammed into the package, naming the game our Most Innovative Game of the Year. Our guide to the recent update shows just how much room for imagination has been added, but these latest videos are a stark reminder that while some may struggle when faced with a blank canvas, others see it as a potential masterpiece.

If any of you Minecraft players have noticed that the game's servers have become less and less populated, we have the explanation.

It turns out that an alien warrior seems to have made his way into the fictional cubic world, and is hunting down the game's inhabitants one at a time.

At least, that's according to the YouTube user 'SSLithuania,' and his terrifying short film titled 'Minecraft Predator.' You should be warned, the video does follow in the footsteps of the movies, so if you have any aversions to pixellated blood or violence, look away now:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va1-JK3pu2o

Taking a popular movie monster and converting them into such a unique world is nothing short of extraordinary, not to mention the perfect camera angles, sound effects, and visual style.

But the most amazing use of any game is when it manages to capture the essence of a property that is perceived to be far more advanced in terms of graphics and sensibility. While many believed that it was the environmental detail and character modelling of Halo 2 that kept the game so popular for so many years, this next video shows that fans were craving a much flatter experience all along.

YouTube user 'SidolaTehNerd' has painstakingly recreated the Halo 2 multiplayer map 'Lockout' down to the last detail. Hopefully this will turn out to be a brand new type of multiplayer experience for Minecraft, as Sidola could definitely be onto something with 'Halocraft:'

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts8wOy_oX7w

It isn't the first time that Microsoft's software has been used for the game, but this one has to be the most promising. The Xbox servers for Halo 2 may have been shut down, but perhaps those who held off on buying a 360 now have a real alternative.

We can only hope that these videos are just the start of even more sophisticated explorations of not only the cinematic potential of Minecraft, but the chance to do bring more mainstream gamers into the fray.

One thing's for sure: LittleBigPlanet 2 better watch its back.