// KOTAKU — GAMING
Minecraft Dungeons II Is A Splendid Step Forward For The Family-Friendly Action-RPG
One of the most bizarre things about Minecraft spin-off Minecraft Dungeons is just how little it has to do with the game it’s spun off from. An isometric action-RPG that doesn’t even involve mining or crafting—Minecraft’s defining features!—the only overlap is in the blocky art-style and mobs. And yet, somehow, it still feels so intrinsically Minecraft-y. The sequel, released September 29, doesn’t take any steps to draw the two games closer together, but instead improves on the ARPG formula of the original in a way that makes it feel fresh and interesting all over again.
To get something crucially important out of the way, Dungeons II is much better played in co-op, ideally with an adult and child together. This is not a game that is going to reward an ARPG aficionado looking to fill in the gaps between Diablo updates, nor is it trying to be. Much like the original, this game feels designed for kid-friendly co-op from the ground up, with its super-simple interface, its lack of needlessly complex systems, and the way it keeps making sure you know where to head next and how to have fun doing it, while still offering a challenge. (Difficulty settings allow you to ramp the obnoxiousness of the million mobs up or down, letting you create a simple breeze for a young kid who just wants to trample everything, or to provide some properly stiff competition for those wanting to focus on teamwork.) All the time I’ve spent playing Dungeons II so far has been alongside my almost-12-year-old.
Dungeons II picks up after the ending of the original, but not in a way that is meaningful to a first-time player. It simply says, “After the last game’s baddie was stopped, there was a minute of peace, but now something else is kicking off,” before establishing its tale about soul corruption spreading across the Overworld. The evil Illager High Council has figured out how to open portals and is unleashing attacks all across the Squid Coast, forcing you and your chums to flee and create a new homeland, Brave Haven. But even this isn’t safe thanks to the High Council, as they release familiar enemies (zombies, skeletons, slimes, Endermen, etc.) to harass the peaceful folks and upend their simple lives. They’ve also discovered a way to reach a whole new dimension, The Sift, and you and any available chums need to fight back and close down all the rifts to this strange realm. So no, it’s not a sophisticated plot, but it does the job.
What’s important to note about Brave Haven is that it isn’t the same as the first game’s tiny hub area from which you portal to missions, but rather a sprawling map which you explore to find new quests, side-quests, and mission areas, as well as poking about to find secrets, loot-filled chests, and NPCs to chat with in the many little villages. It’s also from here that you enter the game’s lengthy dungeons, whether for plot purposes or just because you fancy it. And most interestingly of all, it’s where you’ll discover the rifts that gain access to The Sift.
The Sift is due to be added to Minecraft at some point in 2027, making its inclusion in Minecraft Dungeons II surprising (and perhaps indicative of something going awry behind the scenes?), but also a real pleasure. This blue-pink world is bizarre and unlike either of two other dimensions added in 2010 and 2011 (The Nether and The End) which are both grimdark and gloomy zones. The Sift is filled with both friendly and aggressive creatures that look like blocky fairy-tale animals, lolloping beasts, or furry frog-likes, with some that look peculiarly close to Pokémon. It’s a peculiar fantasy world, super-pretty and always weird, with rainbow-colored streams and blue-ish grass, and each brief visit feels like a little bonus treat, even when you’re facing a threat like the new Eldritch being, the Harmonizer. Oh, and the blue bunnies! They are adorable, and I’m delighted to report they like to jump on top of one another to form teetering towers that occasionally topple over