Minecraft Dungeons II Review: Bigger, Smarter, a Bit Padded

What it is

Minecraft Dungeons II is the sequel to Mojang's 2020 spin-off, made together with Double Eleven and published by Xbox Game Studios. It launched today, September 29, on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and Switch 2, and it is also on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass from day one. It is still a Diablo-for-beginners: isometric, loot-driven, built for up to four players in online or couch co-op, with cross-play.

How it plays

The first game was a string of linear levels you picked from a map. The sequel drops that for a semi-open world that the main quest weaves in and out of, with side quests, optional dungeons, minecart fast travel and rifts into a new dimension called the Sift - a bright, strange place with its own hazards and easily the best-looking part of the game. And yes, you can finally jump. It sounds trivial, but it opens up shortcuts, hidden ledges and light platforming, and it makes exploring feel far less like walking down a corridor.

The bigger change is the gear. The original gave you one armour slot; now you have helmet, chest plate, greaves and boots, plus melee, ranged, artifacts and three talisman slots - twelve slots instead of six. Each item carries a single enchantment rather than several, so individual pieces are less wild, but stacking synergies across a full set is more interesting than it ever was. A quick loadout overlay lets you swap gear mid-fight without pausing, which matters a lot in co-op.

The difficulty is well judged. Solo it's steady pressure without spikes; with three friends and a raised difficulty it gets properly chaotic. After a campaign of roughly 15 hours with most side content done, Soul Storms give the endgame a reason to exist.

Where it falls short

The open world is bigger than the ideas filling it. Some dungeons have too many empty corridors between fights, and after a few hours the enemy mix and the loot loop start to feel very familiar. Trimming single-item enchantments also sanded off the silly, broken builds that made the first game fun to break. On PC, there is still no proper WASD movement or dedicated force-move key, which is baffling for a sequel.

Price and who it's for

At 29.99 euros for the standard edition (the Deluxe is pricier), it's cheap for a new release, and key sellers in our region already undercut that. If you have Game Pass, it costs you nothing extra - just try it. It's ideal for parents playing with kids, couch co-op nights and anyone who finds Diablo or Path of Exile too dense. Hardcore ARPG players will be done with it in a weekend.

Verdict

A better game than the original in almost every way, and fantastic value, but more world doesn't automatically mean more game. Grab three friends and it goes up a point.

Score: 7/10

Image: Xbox México / CC BY 3.0, source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Minecraft_Creeper.png