Minecraft Dungeons II Review (Xbox): Building a Better Experience

Mojang put out a co-op game my kid and I enjoyed with the original Minecraft Dungeons, a straightforward take on the gear-chasing dungeon crawler, set in a vibrant and familiar world. My household spent hours playing it in co-op, battling the unique Minecraft enemies as we marched along through a rather short but enjoyable run time, wishing we had gotten a bit more mileage out of that experience. Minecraft Dungeons II has hammered out some of the initial gripes I had with the original, adding more depth to the gear, open world maps to explore, and new monsters to clash against. While it still doesn’t compare to the depth and complexity of a Diablo title, it’s an enjoyable co-op romp for a family, giving returning fans more than enough to sink their teeth into.

Worlds to Explore

The start of our adventure tasks us with chasing down a council of baddies who are opening rifts into the Minecraft world, unleashing hordes of monsters for us to push back and defeat. This leads to one of the largest changes to Minecraft Dungeons II: the implementation of an open world map, as well as a brand new dimension to the series, The Sift, which was recently announced to be coming to the main game next year. 

From this overworld map, you traverse to missions and different bases of operation or find quest givers to run tasks for. It creates a rewarding feeling of exploration, as you can discover side dungeons, rifts to travel through and close, and secrets littered around the map. With plenty of mobs to try and slow you down along the way and multiple biomes with unique weather and opponents, it was a welcome change from the more linear mission-based setup of the first game.

Crafting the best build

The depth of character customization was also a bullet point of change from the initial game, one that adds just enough depth to keep the loot-chasing fan’s attention, but also simple enough that almost anyone could come to grips with what it was offering. 

Body armor has been deepened to allow you to equip four pieces instead of one like the previous game, as well as talismans, which add additional augments, like shorter cooldowns or adding a companion. Differing power levels, rarities, and random effects can even make the same base sword swing distinctly from the last three you picked up, letting you chase certain gear rolls that align with your playstyle. It lets you craft a more nuanced character, and with no class restrictions stopping you from experimenting or going after what looks most fun, you can chase and switch things up to your heart’s desire. The game does fall into the trap of giving you an overwhelming amount of loot early on, having me stop every few minutes to see if a change-up would be worth the squeeze.

To alleviate some of those feelings of too much gear crowding my inventory, as you progress the story, homebases unlock even more ways to hone in and upgrade what you find the most useful. The town merchant allows you to buy gear instead of chasing it in the world, while the blacksmith can level up your favorite items to keep them as powerful as possible. There is also the Enchantsmith, who applies enhancements you collect during the journey, adding extra abilities to every piece of loot you equip. For example, early on I would enchant every bit of armor to grant myself two extra arrows, giving me an extended barrage of ranged damage, taking down enemies as they tried to charge in close enough for a melee hit. I don’t foresee massive wiki pages suggesting optimal builds for Minecraft Dungeons II, but the added choices for build crafting should provide legs for the more hardcore players.

Best with Friends

My biggest takeaway on Minecraft Dungeons II is that this game is multiple times over more enjoyable as a co-op experience. I played the first half of the adventure solo, and while I enjoyed taking down magic-wielding bosses or defeating towers full of zombie hordes, walking around the world hacking and slashing alone can grow tiresome. Entire pieces of loot with effects that boosted both you and the theoretical teammates around you felt obsolete. 

During the second half, I had my fifteen year old son join me on the couch, and everything the game had to offer gained a bit more weight. Every facet of the journey is better with a friend, and seemingly, built with that in mind. Encounters became more strategic and thoughtful, allowing us to combine our unique builds to clear out scenes of enemies in seconds if approached certains ways.

The charm and delight of Minecraft still showed through while I was on my own, but I would highly suggest grabbing a friend if you want to enjoy the full campaign without losing steam before the end.

Final Verdict

Minecraft Dungeons II is a more casual take on the action dungeon crawling genre Diablo helped popularize. The new dimension, The Sift, brings new enemies and environments to the charming and quaint classic Minecraft vistas we know, while the reworked gear system allows for deeper build crafting. Co-op feels necessary to draw the most enjoyment from the adventure, but there is more to do and see than the original, making it a delightful adventure to take on in the Minecraft world.

Minecraft Dungeons II was reviewed on Xbox Series X with a code provided by Mojang. It is also available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

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