A sequel worth digging into
By Paul Hunter
I’ve spent a ton of time with Minecraft over the years, so I was pretty happy when Minecraft Dungeons came along in 2020. Dugeon Crawlers RPGs are a favourite genre of mine, so mixing that with a franchise I already enjoyed was a recipe for success. I had a great time with the original, especially when family members joined in, and once the sequel got announced I knew I had to check it out.
Well, the time has finally arrived. Minecraft Dungeons II has come to Xbox Series X, developed once again by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now, and checking out a new game in the Minecraft universe is always a thrilling moment. So, has this sequel struck gold? Let’s find out!
Much of the trouble centres around The Sift, a mysterious dimension whose inhabitants originally wanted to make peaceful contact with the Overworld. Unfortunately, their first encounter with the Illagers didn’t exactly go as planned, as the evil council sees the dimension’s Soul Power and portal technology as something it can harness to take control of the Overworld. It's a neat direction for the story, especially how the council’s ambitions take us to a new dimension never before seen in the Dungeons series.
Your Hero begins the adventure in a village across the sea, where the locals have their own problems to deal with. It was fun that the story spends some time on these smaller concerns as well, as some of these little stories were entertaining to follow, and I enjoyed finding out more about the people living in the Overworld.
As the story grows larger so does the sense of adventure. I was particularly interested in learning more about the council and its conquest of The Sift, and it's all told through straightforward storytelling anyone to follow, with the usual quirky Minecraft personality to make this another enjoyable adventure.
There’s also a jump button this time, and oh boy does it make traversal and combat better and more fluid. You can jump to reach higher paths or for some light platforming, and jumping also lets you unleash new melee and ranged attacks. I found myself taking little detours whenever I spotted an interesting route upwards, which made exploring a lot of fun.
As for combat, the familiar Minecraft hack-and-slash action is still satisfying. You’ll be fighting everything from Zombies and Skeletons to Creepers, along with some tougher enemies like Endermen that can reward you with valuable gear. You carry a melee weapon for fighting up close and a ranged weapon for attacking from a distance, plus three Artifact slots let you equip additional abilities, including buffs or new ways to deal with groups of enemies. Using artifact powers requires filling your Soul meter, done through damaging or killing mobs. You also have a healing potion that needs time to recharge after each use.
Equipment also gets a big upgrade this time. The original game treated armour as a single item, while now it's divided it into separate slots for helmets, chest plates, greaves (leggings) and boots. Each piece can provide its own bonuses, and you can spend Enchantment Points to add even more special abilities to your gear. There’s so many different combinations to experiment with, and I enjoyed figuring out which bonuses stacked best together.
The new Talismans are another welcome addition, providing extra stat bonuses that grow alongside your character. Shopkeepers are more useful, too. You can spend in-game currency to upgrade equipment you’ve already collected, with your character’s current level determining how far those upgrades can go. I really appreciated being able to keep my favourite weapons instead of having to replace it whenever higher-level gear appeared. You can also improve shopkeeper levels to unlock rarer equipment and additional services.
Of course, Minecraft Dungeons II is even more entertaining with family and friends. Up to four people can team up, whether you’re playing locally or online. Matchmaking, cross-platform play and mixed local-online co-op give you plenty of options for getting everyone together. Enemies adjust to your group’s levels, and everyone receives their own loot, which means nobody has to fight over rewards.
The Sift is easily one of my favourite additions from a visual standpoint. Its unusual vegetation and strange creatures make the dimension feel unlike anything we've experienced in the Minecraft world before. There are also dangerous pools of ichor, along with altered versions of recognizable mobs that have been affected by Soul Power.
The cinematic scenes are another nice touch, giving the characters and environments some extra attention that really brings them to life. That said, much of the story is still communicated through text, with occasional narration helping things along. I actually liked that approach, as it reminded me of classic 16-bit RPG adventures that I have fond memories of.
Sound-wise, Minecraft Dungeons II does a good job making combat entertaining. I enjoyed hearing groups of mobs approaching, especially when their groans started mixing with weapon attacks and magical effects. The larger boss fight tunes get pretty hectic, too, and their sounds are epic and menacing as you'd hope for. The chill Overworld music also suits the laidback adventure, though the tempo does ramp up during dungeon crawls to give them that extra sense of adventure.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Mojang Studios, Double Eleven
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Dungeon Crawler, Action
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
By Paul Hunter
I’ve spent a ton of time with Minecraft over the years, so I was pretty happy when Minecraft Dungeons came along in 2020. Dugeon Crawlers RPGs are a favourite genre of mine, so mixing that with a franchise I already enjoyed was a recipe for success. I had a great time with the original, especially when family members joined in, and once the sequel got announced I knew I had to check it out.
Well, the time has finally arrived. Minecraft Dungeons II has come to Xbox Series X, developed once again by Mojang Studios and Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while now, and checking out a new game in the Minecraft universe is always a thrilling moment. So, has this sequel struck gold? Let’s find out!
Story and Narrative
Story-wise, Minecraft Dungeons II begins after the events of the original game. The Arch-Illager has been defeated, though the Illagers are still determined to cause trouble across the Overworld. This time, three powerful villains have joined forces to form the Illager High Council. They’re known as the Prime Enchanter, Supreme Evoker and Grand Illusioner, and their machinations give your Hero another major threat to deal with.Much of the trouble centres around The Sift, a mysterious dimension whose inhabitants originally wanted to make peaceful contact with the Overworld. Unfortunately, their first encounter with the Illagers didn’t exactly go as planned, as the evil council sees the dimension’s Soul Power and portal technology as something it can harness to take control of the Overworld. It's a neat direction for the story, especially how the council’s ambitions take us to a new dimension never before seen in the Dungeons series.
Your Hero begins the adventure in a village across the sea, where the locals have their own problems to deal with. It was fun that the story spends some time on these smaller concerns as well, as some of these little stories were entertaining to follow, and I enjoyed finding out more about the people living in the Overworld.
As the story grows larger so does the sense of adventure. I was particularly interested in learning more about the council and its conquest of The Sift, and it's all told through straightforward storytelling anyone to follow, with the usual quirky Minecraft personality to make this another enjoyable adventure.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Compared to the first game, the biggest change I noticed in Minecraft Dungeons II is how seamless it is to explore. Instead of choosing individual missions, you now have a connected Overworld filled with places to visit. There are still traditional dungeons to explore, although I loved being able to wander across the Overworld to take out enemies and check out whatever caught my attention. Minecart fast travel points are scattered around the world, too, so getting back to somewhere you’ve already visited is a snap.There’s also a jump button this time, and oh boy does it make traversal and combat better and more fluid. You can jump to reach higher paths or for some light platforming, and jumping also lets you unleash new melee and ranged attacks. I found myself taking little detours whenever I spotted an interesting route upwards, which made exploring a lot of fun.
As for combat, the familiar Minecraft hack-and-slash action is still satisfying. You’ll be fighting everything from Zombies and Skeletons to Creepers, along with some tougher enemies like Endermen that can reward you with valuable gear. You carry a melee weapon for fighting up close and a ranged weapon for attacking from a distance, plus three Artifact slots let you equip additional abilities, including buffs or new ways to deal with groups of enemies. Using artifact powers requires filling your Soul meter, done through damaging or killing mobs. You also have a healing potion that needs time to recharge after each use.
Equipment also gets a big upgrade this time. The original game treated armour as a single item, while now it's divided it into separate slots for helmets, chest plates, greaves (leggings) and boots. Each piece can provide its own bonuses, and you can spend Enchantment Points to add even more special abilities to your gear. There’s so many different combinations to experiment with, and I enjoyed figuring out which bonuses stacked best together.
The new Talismans are another welcome addition, providing extra stat bonuses that grow alongside your character. Shopkeepers are more useful, too. You can spend in-game currency to upgrade equipment you’ve already collected, with your character’s current level determining how far those upgrades can go. I really appreciated being able to keep my favourite weapons instead of having to replace it whenever higher-level gear appeared. You can also improve shopkeeper levels to unlock rarer equipment and additional services.
Of course, Minecraft Dungeons II is even more entertaining with family and friends. Up to four people can team up, whether you’re playing locally or online. Matchmaking, cross-platform play and mixed local-online co-op give you plenty of options for getting everyone together. Enemies adjust to your group’s levels, and everyone receives their own loot, which means nobody has to fight over rewards.
Presentation and Audio
Minecraft Dungeons II looks excellent on Xbox Series X, and it's a visually clear step up from the original. Of course, the familiar blocky characters and environments are still here, and everything has that unmistakable Minecraft vibe. This time, expect far greater variety between areas that gives each part of the adventure its own identity.The Sift is easily one of my favourite additions from a visual standpoint. Its unusual vegetation and strange creatures make the dimension feel unlike anything we've experienced in the Minecraft world before. There are also dangerous pools of ichor, along with altered versions of recognizable mobs that have been affected by Soul Power.
The cinematic scenes are another nice touch, giving the characters and environments some extra attention that really brings them to life. That said, much of the story is still communicated through text, with occasional narration helping things along. I actually liked that approach, as it reminded me of classic 16-bit RPG adventures that I have fond memories of.
Sound-wise, Minecraft Dungeons II does a good job making combat entertaining. I enjoyed hearing groups of mobs approaching, especially when their groans started mixing with weapon attacks and magical effects. The larger boss fight tunes get pretty hectic, too, and their sounds are epic and menacing as you'd hope for. The chill Overworld music also suits the laidback adventure, though the tempo does ramp up during dungeon crawls to give them that extra sense of adventure.
The Verdict
I had an excellent time with Minecraft Dungeons II, and it evolves the series in numerous meaningful ways. Exploring the connected world is a lot of fun, and the expanded equipment options make experimenting with character builds more enjoyable than ever. Combat is satisfying, if not familiar, and the story has plenty of personality. Multiplayer really is the way to go here, as playing alongside friends makes the whole experience even better. This is a fantastic sequel and an easy recommendation for Minecraft fans.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Minecraft Dungeons II details
Platform: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Mojang Studios, Double Eleven
Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
Genre: Dungeon Crawler, Action
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer