So what new stuff has been added in the last few patches? Haven't played this game in years.
a stuff ton
http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Version_historyto summarize the past five years:
1.10 - Fleshed out the world and gave a bit more purpose to exploration
1.9 - Fleshed out combat and the End and gave a bit more purpose to exploration
1.8 - Fleshed out the world and gave a bit more purpose to exploration
1.7 - Fleshed out the world and overhauled terrain generation (again)
1.6 - horses
1.5 - Fleshed out redstone and made it marginally more possible to automate
1.4 - Added a few mobs and a new boss
1.3 - trading
1.2 - Fleshed out the world and overhauled terrain generation
1.1 - idk superflat worlds or something
1.0 - Exit from beta, fleshed out the world and gave a bit more purpose to exploration. also story elements
in total: 21 new mobs, dozens of new blocks, new systems for worldgen, skins, and texture packs, rpg elements