Minecraft Dungeons 2 is a smart evolution of its ARPG predecessor, with plenty of loot to chase in its gorgeous new dimension, the Sift.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 doesn't revolutionize the loot-chasing genre, but it didn't need to. It's a robust and welcoming short-form ARPG that enhances what was great about the first game across almost every aspect. Mojang puts more control over buildcrafting into your hands, along with offering more to do during both its campaign and the endgame.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 has the tough task of striking a balance between providing an approachable onramp that welcomes young audiences in, and the level of depth expected from an action RPG. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Mojang's first take on the genre: it never reached the complexity of Diablo or Path of Exile, but honing my builds to blast through blocky hordes for a couple of playthroughs was satisfying nevertheless. Minecraft Dungeons 2 doesn't shake up the formula too much, but instead makes smart improvements in almost every direction to deliver a game that's simply more of what I loved.
Buildcrafting is at the heart of ARPGs, and even within the relatively limited toolset of Minecraft Dungeons I was able to construct the likes of a firework archer who delivered explosive payloads of arrows that split into the dozens as they flew. Minecraft Dungeons 2 extends that potential by simply giving you more to work with. Alongside your melee and ranged weapons, you now have four armor pieces instead of one, each with its own buffs and enchantments, plus three talisman slots that grant more overarching bonuses such as extra XP gains, higher maximum life, or a wolf companion that joins you in battle.
There are still no defined classes here: your skills are again determined by the three 'artifacts' you choose to equip, with a mixture of returning favorites and new additions. These include quite a few active skills you throw out to cause explosions, poison clouds, or hordes of helpful bees, but precise targeting in the thick of combat can be somewhat finicky. I was much more at home with more fundamental character and attack buffs, leaning in on the likes of enhancing my arrows and swings with elemental damage, or temporarily boosting my defense or speed.
In similar fashion, you're free to take any pair of melee and ranged weapons you like, which defines the moveset you have. Early on, I found myself spending at the merchant to grab whatever had the highest numbers, especially as there's a fairly tight money cap that seems designed to encourage you to regularly use what you have. As a result, by the time I unlocked the blacksmith and was able to simply upgrade the gear I liked, I had already been nudged into experimenting with a wide range of the possibilities at my disposal. Smart.
Enchanting your gear is where the builds get more involved, and you have more control here than you did in the previous game. They're unlocked by finding books - some at specific story moments, others as random drops - and available permanently to use on gear as you wish. You can only equip one per item this time around, however, so while you do get more equipment, there's less ability to stack up silly combinations. I was still able to put together the likes of a sturdy heal-tank build, as well as one setup that slowed groups with splitting ice arrows before diving in with rapid rolls and lightning daggers.
All of this contributes to character choices with enough weight that you'll certainly be able to tell when you've put some good synergies together. I'm a little sad that the reduced per-item enchantment count has sanded off some of the more extreme edges of how far you could min-max, but the tradeoff is that less-experienced players won't be left in the dust by hardcore ARPG-heads. Bonus credit for including an effects screen showing all your various buffs combined, and having it highlight where on your kit each boon is coming from.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.pcgamesn.com/minecraft-dungeons-2/review
