Here's first footage of Minecraft Earth's Pokémon-Go-like location-based gameplay

To date, Microsoft has largely been content focussing on Minecraft Earth impressive augmented reality elements. Now though, as part of the upcoming mobile title's closed beta reveal, we've finally been given a taste of its Pokémon-Go-esque location-based gameplay.

As in Pokémon Go (and, indeed, Niantic's recently released Harry Potter: Wizards Unite), the core of Minecraft Earth unfolds via a stylised map reflecting players' real-world surroundings - in this case, appealingly, if abstractly, rendered using Minecraft's iconic block aesthetic.

As players roam around the world, nearby items, known on as Tappables, appear on the map. By interacting with them, players can uncover their true nature - chests need to be tapped to reveal building materials inside, for instance, while mobs can be poked until they transform into distinctly skinned variations. All of which can be seen in the video below.

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