Minecraft Dungeons II review

Unsurprising, Minecraft Dungeons II revisits many of the enjoyable actions of its 2020 predecessor. Swinging a hammer through a horde of enemies remains satisfying, as does a last minute roll from a Creeper’s imminent blast. And yes, firing a firework into a crowded corridor and watching a chain reaction of pure chaos unfold remains gratifying, especially with a group of online, or better yet, couch-based partners. Yes, Mojang and Double Eleven have ensures that movement remains responsive while targeting is still reliable. This might be a simplified action RPG, but it conveys a sense of polish that few of it’s peers can muster.

The sequel opens after the defeat of the Arch-Illager in the first game. Now, the Illager High Council has begun to draw power from the Sift, a strange dimension filled with soul energy. As such, Brave Haven becomes your new base, but the game’s structure has changed considerably. Whereas Dungeons sent you around the map, tackling discrete missions, this time the Overworld is connected. The result is unabashedly borrowed from the Diablo franchise, as you wander through villages, caves and dungeons, occasionally taking the fast-travel minecarts to cross large distances. It might look like an open-world but it’s not quite a true sandbox. Moments of stepping off the guided trail result in chests, ambushes, the the rare hidden route.

Still No Mining and No Crafting…

Dungeons II’s combat still shirks traditional classes, with equipment defining your role. The good news is that a single new sword or bow can feel like a move build, injecting variety across the 10-hour or so trek. Artifacts provide abilities such as explosive arrows, defensive boosts, or crowd-clearing magic, adding a bit of customization. Last time out, armor was a single piece. But now, it’s broken into helmet, chestplate, leggings, and boots, letting you mix and match different defensive items.

These system is bolstered by talismans that add passive perks, and enchantments which lets you tailor your gear to your liking, Yes, there’s more to compare than before. But the near-constant emplacement of items means you’ll spend more time performing inventory management and less time slashing at those pesky skeleton archers.

…But There’s Now Leaping and Downward Slashes

Fortunately, Dungeons II’s fundamentals all feel dialed in. The addition of a jump button is overdue, and it changes traversal and combat. Now, you can hop across gaps, reach elevated rewards, vault over projectiles, or some crashing down on a mob with powerful strike. It also gives the environments some verticality, so everything doesn’t just look like a footpath. But not every ledge is as accessible as it looks, however. I managed to get my character into the scenery while jumping and bad to reset to start over. It was a rare incident (2x across 12 hours), but not one you’d expect for the sequel’s most notable new move.

Ranged combat has changed as well. Rather than collecting bundles from defeated enemies, arrows now refill on a cooldown. This helps make bows a viable weapon against basic enemies. Previously, I hoarded all of mine for the next boss fight. There’s a pause when your quiver runs out, but the approach means that you’ll reply on both parts of your arsenal a lot more. I’m didn’t miss scavenging for arrows and you probably won’t either.

Boss Battles Goad You to Playing the Buddies

The campaign delivers a good amount visual variety, especially once the otherworldly Sift begins invading the familiar forest and stone-line walkways. Here, enemies are easy to parse and prioritize while spell effects add just a bit of chunky spectacle. The game supports solo play, but co-op remains the best way to play. For individuals, boss battles are a bit tedious with one one adventurer wearing down a health bar. For groups, local and online players can now share a session with cross-platform support making four-person parties more feasible. And I like how adults can weight over enchantments while younger players mash through mobs.

After the story, Soul Storms provide the game’s toughest test. These timed events drop in randomized areas. They strengthen the local mobs and tasking you with destroying a trio of Storm Generators. Defeated bosses can join the fracas, turning a ordinary patch of ground into a chaotic fight. Storms provide a reason to re-spec your characters but they also reveal an issue with the endgame. Once you’ve cleared any lingering side quests and weathered a few storms, you’re in for a season of repetition.

The Product Behind the Adventure

Any small blemishes might be easier to shrug off if Minecraft Dungeons II wasn’t so concerned with the content rollout. The standard edition of the game sell for an agreeable $29.99, and a main-story run takes roughly ten hours, with exploration and side quests boasting the number, depending on your patience. Yet ads for DLC occupies a space on the main screen and receives an entire tab in the menu. A Deluxe upgrade already sells access to two of the future expansions. Instead of letting the game feel like a complete adventure and providing closure, there’s the reoccurring reminder of things to buy later. I know that’s big publisher™ gaming in 2026, but that’s a irksome nag in an otherwise enjoyable experience. And while I’m at it, can we drop the optional sign-in. My nieces wanted to play, not see sign-up nags.

If that kind of marketing doesn’t bother you, Minecraft Dungeons II offers a lot of fun, especially in small groups. Best of all, it controls responsively and deepens builds without burdening newcomers. More importantly, there aren’t many family-friendly, non-Nintendo games games that can entertain adults while challenging but not overwhelming younger players. The sequel might feel engineered to sell you another adventure, but the one here is still an energetic, good time.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 was played on PlayStation 5
with physical review code provided by the publisher.