Minecraft Dungeons II Review - A Necessary Upgrade

Of all the Minecraft spin-offs, Dungeons is the one I’ve enjoyed most. I never really thought I’d see some of the iconic blocky characters from the sandbox games in an ARPG, but when I did, it worked surprisingly well. Still, the first game had a few obsidian slabs along the way that made the experience feel a bit rough. Fortunately, Minecraft Dungeons II is a step up in several ways, making it a much more engaging sequel with new features and a pretty interesting progression system.

Beyond the Overworld

While Minecraft Dungeons had some interesting ideas for approaching the ARPG genre, one of the things that hurt it most was its linear design. Fortunately, Minecraft Dungeons II takes a semi-open-world approach, allowing you to explore the beloved, and now invaded, Overworld, as well as some other colorful yet dangerous dimensions.

For this sequel, you start in a besieged Squid Coast and are forced to flee to greener pastures by the new Illager threat. You quickly arrive at Brave Haven, which is your first stop in this new iteration of the Overworld, which is the biggest and most beautiful we’ve seen in the Dungeons spin-offs.

As I said before, this game is all about embracing a more exploration-oriented loop. It provides a larger map that doesn’t reach open-world levels, but it is big enough to encourage you to go off the beaten path at times.

However, the biggest addition is The Sift. This new area is a realm that the Illagers have opened, which you’ll visit throughout the story. Instead of housing the same enemies we’ve seen across Minecraft, it features a few new threats that add variety to this surprisingly challenging ARPG.

One thing I loved about the level design is just how, despite its larger size, it is so tightly designed, packed with enemies, and full of rewards. This approach certainly fixed one of my biggest gripes of the predecessor. On top of that, the visual upgrade is superb, and I never thought I’d say this, but taking Minecraft Dungeons II to UE5 was probably one of the best decisions ever. Besides performing exceedingly well, it is hands down the best-looking Minecraft game I’ve played, putting many shader packs in the sandbox version to shame.

Exploration, new realms, and beautiful visuals aside, I still think the narrative is quite weak. Now, while many might not expect Minecraft Dungeons II to have a groundbreaking story, I still feel it missed an opportunity, since the new setting and enemies had plenty of potential to surpass the predecessor’s narrative. Still, it felt as straightforward and forgettable as that of Minecraft Dungeons.

Building a Hero

Where Minecraft Dungeons II truly shines is in its combat and character progression, which is fantastic in every single way. Instead of a single armor slot, you can now equip a helmet, chest piece, leg armor, and boots. All of these items come in different rarities, with varied effects and quality, pretty much like weapons.

Melee and ranged weapons also feel refreshing, as each has different traits, letting you tailor your hero however you want. Plus, the latter’s ammo now works on a cooldown, which is an excellent change.

You also have Talismans, new items that add passive effects to your characters. At first, I wasn’t getting the hang of them, but as I leveled up and the world got more dangerous with better rewards, I started experimenting with them more.

Speaking of experimenting, character-building is stellar and extremely approachable. If you’re a casual player, you can focus on equipping an item with a green arrow, which indicates a clear upgrade for your arsenal. But if you like build-crafting like me, Minecraft Dungeons II has plenty of depth in that regard.

For instance, once I reached the Overworld’s third area and unlocked better item drops, I focused on some boots that made my dodge refresh faster while also increasing my damage. I paired that with dual daggers and dual crossbows, and I just felt like a blocky ninja. To top it off, I threw in some artifacts that made my arrows add lightning and poison effects, and I had inadvertently created my own class.

While I do like a class-oriented loop in my ARPGs, the freedom Minecraft Dungeons II offers is terrific, and an excellent approach for those who played the first game and for those jumping into this spin-off for the first time. I will say, however, that despite the many more items in the game, building a hero feels much more straightforward, even with weapon enchantments and the many random traits you’ll get.

Lastly, and the one thing that this series keeps dragging: solo balance. I mainly played solo, and I do think Minecraft Dungeons II gets a bit tedious after a few runs if you’re alone, especially because of the balance. Even if I liked the challenge and it took me many hours to meet my first demise, I still think the difficulty is quite great for beginners. Like its predecessor, Minecraft Dungeons II feels more tailored toward co-op play, which is perfectly understandable. The game is certainly more fun and rewarding with others, but it might be a bit difficult for newcomers.

A Promising Sequel

Overall, Minecraft Dungeons II is a step up from its predecessor in many ways. While the first title set the baseline for what this spin-off series wanted to be, this sequel knocks many things out of the park flawlessly. Combat and character progression are much better than I expected, and they offer real depth for genre fans without becoming too daunting for new players. And while it has some balance issues, this sequel is perfect for quenching that ARPG thirst in a quick, accessible way.

Review copy provided by the publisher.