Essential Mod

Predatory and violates Mojang ToS. Should be blacklisted.

This mod doesn't even work properly half the time, and it's riddled with microtransactions

e4mc is RIGHT THERE guys

If you can, avoid using it. The only reason people use this mod is if they don't know mods like E4MC exist, they want to be able to play with their friends in the easiest way possible and this does that. But so do plenty of other mods.

And unlike Essential the rest of them don't try and pressure the player in to paying for Microtransactions..... yes you heard that right.... Every time you open the escape menu you be presented a special offer to buy a cosmetic...

Now as much as I dislike this model is get 2 stars as it does work, you can use it, the cosmetics do look decent and looking past the microtransactions the functionality is there. And I can MAYBE understand then need for funding for the mod... but even then every other mod out there does without...

If you want to play with your friends.... use E4MC or better yet! host your own server locally.

If you want cosmetics.... download a cosmetics mod....

Reviewer's PC Specs:
Windows 11
AMD Ryzen™ 9 7900 @ 3.70GHz - RAM: 32 GB
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT - VRAM: 16 GB

Such a horrible mod. I won't talk about the microtranactions because i feel Alro did a good job talking about it in there review, so i will talk about all the other things that make Essential bad.

Installer

The Essential.jar you download is not what ends up being ran by your modloader. Instead, Essential runs a installer and can install whatever it wants! This content persists after the Essential.jar is removed

[17:24:30] [main/INFO]: Updating stage1 to version 13 from jar:file:/home/smeagle/.local/share/PrismLauncher/instances/1.19.2/minecraft/.fabric/processedMods/essential-loader-1.3.2-ee8364190873c568.jar!/gg/essential/loader/stage0/stage1.jar
[17:24:30] [main/INFO]: Updating Essential Loader (stage2) version 1.7.4 (fd9925651d7d2a7c4382209f86cf67c6) from jar:file:/home/smeagle/.local/share/PrismLauncher/instances/1.19.2/minecraft/mods/Essential_1-3-10-9_fabric_26-1-2.jar!/essential-loader-stage2-fabric-1.7.4.jar
[17:24:30] [main/INFO]: Starting Essential Loader (stage2) version 1.7.4 (fd9925651d7d2a7c4382209f86cf67c6) [stable]
[17:24:30] [main/INFO]: Downloading 52718KB of updates...

By Other Mods

Due to the installer essential has, it is possible (and encouraged) for other mods to just install essential with no warning.

Privacy Policy

Essential collects your data!

Information collected includes:

• Geolocation information
• Usage Information
• Behavioral Information
• Metadata (from screenshots or files)
• Third-Party Information (that they buy from other company to 'supplement' what they already collect)

This mod has Microtransactions!

Even if that wasn't explicitly against Minecraft's terms of service - (Which it is) - I still hate the idea. The fact that this mod has been able to get as popular as it has without triggering any form of retribution will encourage others to follow in its footsteps.
A huge part of what makes the Modded Minecraft community so special is the capacity for anyone to assemble a modpack just how they imagine, these massive experiences of mods from hundreds of creators unified under the creative vision of a single individual, or small group, and then becoming accessible to everyone. A paywall of any sort blocks that opportunity on both sides, creatives cannot create, players cannot play, and even if the paid elements here are just cosmetics, a mod with over 100 million downloads breaking ToS will invite more.

The mod works well or whatever, but you can use E4MC for a similar experience, without all the cringe, or set up Zerotier One, which is a little more difficult, but will also work for other games.

It appears that the next vanilla update will be adding a similar system, and I hope it kills this mod. Do not give them your money. Donate it to any other modder, or to charity, or buy Sea of Stars, that game's great.