Minecraft Dungeons II Review – Once More Into the Depths

Minecraft Dungeons II Review

Minecraft fans, this one is for you. The direct sequel to Minecraft Dungeons, the aptly named Minecraft Dungeons II, is here to satisfy your Minecraft hack & slash needs. Minecraft Dungeons II is set in the same world as the original, and features much of the same addictive gameplay. Co-op modes for up to four players make a return as well. Are you ready to be a hero of the overworld again?

Minecraft Dungeons II is a direct follow-up to the original Minecraft Dungeons. This time around, a group of illagers come across a portal to a new realm, the Sift. This new realm features new creatures and a new energy for the illagers to harness. Three illagers; the Prime Enchanter, the Grand Illusioner, and the Supreme Evoker, harness this new power to create a new breed of mobs – the “enemy” characters in Minecraft. Sift portals start appearing on the overworld, and it’s up to the heroes to fight these empowered mobs and stop this trio of powerful illagers.

More of the Same

Minecraft Dungeons II sticks very closely to the formula of the original. In fact, I honestly didn’t notice any significant changes in gameplay – but it has been a few years since I played the first game. Players create their hero and along their journey will acquire new armour, weapons, and abilities to aid them. Killing mobs and completing quests will level the players up, giving them access to new slots for abilities, while also increasing the difficulty of mobs. It’s designed to always provide a challenge, requiring players to constantly be equipping new, better weapons and armour.

Brave Haven is the new base of operations and hub. This is the non-combat area where you can take as much time as you need to plan out your journey. This is important, since you can’t pause the action when you’re out in the overworld. In Brave Haven, you can visit a variety of shops to buy new weapons, enchant existing weapons, and more.

Combat is quite simple. Players have the ability to use close-range melee attacks or long range attacks. A roll/dodge button helps evade incoming attacks. While special abilities can create more powerful attacks, or buff melee or long ranged attacks. There’s enough customization here to allow players to focus on a preferred style, but early on, you’ll really be forced to use whatever you’re provided.

Point A to Point B, and Repeat

Quests are often quite simple. Navigate from point A to point B and retrieve an item, or defeat an enemy, or talk to a specific NPC. This simplicity helps keep the gameplay flowing at a decent pace, but can make for some boring moments. Minecraft Dungeons II features a fair amount of moving around the overworld, but there are some handy fast travel locations to make traversing the vast world quicker. Load times between fast travel locations and when you descend into caves are generally quite quick.

Co-op multiplayer is a huge pillar in Minecraft Dungeons II. Players can have up to four players getting in on the action via local co-op or online co-op. If you don’t have any Minecraft Dungeons II friends, you can join a random players game, or allow random players to join your game. It’s all pretty seamless. Local co-op can create for some hectic action on screen, and sometimes it is difficult to know what the heck is going on, especially when there are huge mob battles. Still, the overall experience is much better with others.

Vibrant Visuals

Minecraft Dungeons II has a very nice bump in visuals over it’s predecessor. Colours seem to be much more rich. Lighting has been improved. Everything just pops so much more. On screen visual effects, from mob attacks to TNT explosions, all provide a more satisfying look. And the new Sift realm is such a unique visual treat featuring a pastel colour palette. The cutscenes are another huge win for the game, featuring some excellent animation, fully narrated, with bits of Minecraft humour injected throughout.

Minecraft Dungeons II is a very solid follow-up to the original game from 6 years ago. Every aspect has been improved and refined, so if you were a fan of Minecraft Dungeons, there is no doubt you’ll enjoy this sequel as well. The visuals are vibrant, the gameplay is simple, and the co-op makes for a fun adventure with friends. If you’re looking for a new hack and slash adventure in the Minecraft universe, Minecraft Dungeons II is an easy recommendation.

***Minecraft Dungeons II Xbox Series X review code is provided by the publisher for the purpose of review.***