Minecraft Dungeons 2 Is More Ambitious, More Interesting, And More Flawed

The useful part

Dungeons launched in 2020, it was difficult to know exactly what to make of it, or where it stood in the franchise as a whole. One of the world's most popular games had been transformed into a Diablo-lite-style action-RPG, taking away the mining and crafting that give Minecraft its name. In its place was something far more straightforward: kill monsters, collect loot, and repeat.

How it works

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD9GtlgU8_c Dungeons 2 takes a bold and unusual approach that not many other large franchises could pull off.
• The simplicity of Minecraft Dungeons was both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness.
• Its streamlined gear system made it easy to understand, while its enchantments gradually introduced more interesting build possibilities.
• Minecraft Dungeons 2 feels like developers Mojang and Double Eleven focused their efforts with those limitations in mind.
• Mojang wanted to create an experience that couldn't be found in vanilla Minecraft, while still using recognizable mobs, environments, and items to make it feel familiar.

What to take from it

Its story brings the Sift dimension, which was created for this game but is also coming to the vanilla game in 2027.

Details worth keeping

The sequel is far more honed in on what happens between the battles, with expanded inventory systems, more customization options, more reasons to explore, and--perhaps most importantly--a world that actually feels connected to the larger Minecraft universe. The Sift is accessed via a portal--a mechanic that...