After the solid hack-and-slash RPG dungeon crawler, Minecraft Dungeons, Mojang Studios and Double Eleven return with their sophomore entry - a new chapter in the Dungeons series that addresses many previous shortcomings.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 continues the Diablo-like gameplay aimed at a family audience. But this time the developers have chosen to trade linear levels for an open-world design. Substantial maps that invite 1 to 4 players to follow the main missions, complete side quests for numerous communities, search for collectibles, explore dungeons, and venture into Minecraft's new fourth dimension, The Sift.

Video Review: Minecraft Dungeons 2

You start by selecting your hero's appearance from a list of options, and then choose, whether you want to play single-player offline with the option to play couch co-op, or connect to online servers to have the option to join friends or match-make with a party online over cross play.

The beginning of the game sets up a cliché narrative of an evil Illager high council who've ripped holes into a new dimension called The Sift, to embark on a brutal conquest of the Overworld. The story is told in nicely rendered, narrated cutscenes that keep the Minecraft aesthetic people know and love.

However, in-game NPCs aren't voiced. While it could've been an easy way to further immerse younger players, the writing is still engaging as big chunks are written as if the narrator is explaining what NPCs are saying to the hero. Nevertheless, it's a cooperative game where players will spend most of their playtime talking to each other anyway.

Although the moment-to-moment gameplay and RPG mechanics are the main appeal in Minecraft Dungeons 2. The beginning area introduces both returning and new mechanics at a nice pace. You can slash with a variety of primary melee weapons such as daggers, swords, axes, scythes and more. You can run and use unlimited health potions that automatically replenish over time. Choose between types of bows and crossbows for your secondary weapon. Strategically dodge roll away from attacks. And equip talismans to gain powerful passive boosts.

But Mojang Studios and Double Eleven have clearly listened to fan feedback from the first game by implementing many new and refined features. One of the biggest is the jump and jump attack, which changes the way you explore the open-world. Arrows also replenish over time.

Two of my favourite features are the artifacts and talismans. You equip up to 3 artifacts that require souls to use automatically recharged powers. They give you powerful combat abilities, such as poisonous attacks, explosive arrows, a domed shield, an explosive creeper, a barrage of mines, and countless other options. A suite of combat altering skills, especially when facing overwhelming swarms of enemies in single-player. Yet another layer of combat strategy when you need to balance dispatching enemies to gain souls to power your artifact abilities with staying alive.

Whereas talismans offer passive stat boosts, such as The Sigil of Beeswax that gives a 20 percent boost to your hero's health, or the ability to spawn a wolf companion to fight alongside you. Invaluable boosts when Minecraft Dungeons 2 features a good variety of enemy types: sword wielding illagers, spiders that shoot webs to slow you down, chicken jockeys that nip at your heels, zombies, new creatures in The Sift, powerful shielded enemies, witches, and even stronger enemies.

The other massive change is how armour is now separated into four pieces: boots, legs, chest, and head. You find new armour and gear by defeating enemies and finding treasure chests. All while earning experience points to level up your hero's power level by destroying enemies and completing quests. And raising your separate gear level by continuously equipping higher ranked armour and weapons. It's a similar system akin to Diablo and Destiny.

A gear system given multiple layers due to the existence of merchants, enchantsmiths, and blacksmiths. You can spend currency found in pots around the map or by dismantling unwanted gear, on new weapons and gear at the merchant. Their stock is categorised by item rarity, and in order to buy rarer items, you must spend echo shards to upgrade the rank of the store. But if there isn't anything suitable in stock, you can refresh the store for a few shards.

You can also use enchantment books found in the world at the enchantsmith to enchant weapons and gear for an added boost. While blacksmiths allow you to re-roll items or upgrade their level in line with your strongest equipment. Adding a new level of build customisation and combat strategy.

Every system has been refined and streamlined. There's a command and emote wheel to communicate with teammates, and a button shortcut to access your inventory to quickly change to better gear. This is helpful when you're unable to pause online. Every detail and menu has been clearly labelled, and if you ever need help, there's a list of tutorials in the settings menu.

But if the open-world made up of multiple maps and biomes isn't enough content, the digital and physical deluxe editions of Minecraft Dungeons 2 come with access to 2 future DLCs. Or they can be purchased later on, if people enjoy the game. But thankfully, there's plenty of main and side missions to keep people busy. Although, if you mainlined the story on easy, it wouldn't last long. But if you take your time on normal and experience the main and side content, there's a good amount to do. There's even a little end game content added post story to do whilst mopping up anything you've missed.

Despite this, I do feel additional mission types beyond going to place to kill, collect things, or open locked gates would've taken the game to the next level. Yet, the missions are fun, and the bosses are well made for a family friendly dungeon crawler. They offer a good amount of challenge on normal. But you do need to keep your gear upgraded and use all of your skills to be successful. While they don't all have complicated move-sets, they push you to use all of the combat and defensive tools at your disposal.

While I played most of Minecraft Dungeons 2 on my own, I tried out 2 player co-op, too. Even though you're limited to staying near each other, and it can get a little hectic to follow your hero in a swarm, it's a really fun co-op experience with enough depth to make it approachable and enjoyable for all.

There's also the option to play through the story on easy. But that doesn't mean your invulnerable. You still need to dodge explosive blasts, environmental hazards, and mini boss heavy attacks. I quickly found slashing enemies, dodge rolling under arrows, all became muscle memory. It always kept you on your toes to feel just enough of a challenge. It feels like it successfully gets the balance right to make a suitable experience for all.

It's also a very forgiving experience. If someone dies during a co-op session, you can revive your teammates. Or if you die in a solo session, Minecraft Dungeons 2 has a generous respawn system, checkpoints, and frequent fast-travel spots. You simply load back at the first town and walk forwards to press on an object that teleports you straight back to the encounter where you died. Or take advantage of the being in the town to upgrade or equip new gear. Whatever you decide, you never feel out of the game for long.

Most of my deaths came at the hands of the repeatable main story bosses. Though they could've benefitted from more complex movesets, there is still lots to consider when they spawn enemies as you're learning the boss's patterns. Such as big golems with punishing deadly spins if you roll too early, witches that continuously try to poison you, and ender men that love to teleport around the combat arena.

Although encounters are far easier in the open-world, rather than the closed off ambush encounters that trap you in a small environment. Scenarios where flames block your path, changing the atmospheric score into an adrenaline fuelled beat, as mini bosses and normal enemies work together to take you down.

Outside of the linear story levels, the open-world feels more semi-open than fully open-world. Activating the navigation guide line, your hero is sent along a specific path, as more often than not, routes require looping around to unlock another path. It's more wide linear than truly open-world, but I do think it's all the better for it. As there isn't enough to do beyond optional rift dungeons to the new dimension The Sift, and other dungeons to warrant roaming around an endless space. This way there's always something within the isometric view to stray just off the path to do.

Image: Minecraft Dungeons 2 - Special Attack

But this is where the side quests come in. Taking on quests from villagers after finishing an areas main quest, leads you to objectives in those areas you may have missed if you've chosen to mainline the game. Such as searching the first area for a suitable place to re-home bees, or helping out the wolves in the forest. Also, exploring the world during its day and night cycle leads to keys that unlock shortcuts to quicken traversal as you look to discover every item in each zone.

Minecraft Dungeons 2 is also a beautifully lit video game with smart camera work that emphasises the game's verticality. Although it might not be enough for some players who find the dungeon crawler gameplay loop repetitive once they've found a gear build they cannot bring themselves to replace. But if you're a solo player, or playing with a good group of friends or family, Mojang Studios and Double Eleven have created an approachable dungeon crawler with enough depth in gameplay and RPG mechanics to appeal to a wide range of players.

*Physical Review Copy Provided By Publisher

Image: Minecraft Dungeons 2 - Score - 8/10

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