Minecraft Dungeons II is paving the way for a bold new chapter for Minecraft as a whole. Not only is it giving us a new and robust ARPG that levels up the original dungeon crawler, but also a vibrant new dimension to explore with the Sift when it launches tomorrow, September 29.

Going hands-on with Minecraft Dungeons II ahead of its global launch, we sampled some of its new additions including the deeper character builds, more detailed gear, and the ability to jump(!). Yet the feature that impressed me most was its massive, interconnected world: a landscape filled with distinct biomes, side quests, and dungeons for you to explore and uncover that makes it a huge part of the adventure.

What’s Over There?

Where the original game sent heroes on missions with clear beginnings and ends, Minecraft Dungeons II has turned the journey between quests into part of the fun. Its connected regions encourage detours, discoveries, and shared exploration that allow you to navigate through the forest-filled Howling Woods, to the icy Frozen Highlands, all the way down to the muddy Rainy Plains with no loading screens to break up the journey.

Not only does that let me get my steps in but also lets me appreciate just how great Minecraft Dungeons II looks – now powered by Unreal Engine 5 – as I walk through its world. The series’ classic block design aesthetic has never looked better with incredible lighting and detailed characters that help to make the entire world pop – especially once you enter the Sift. Its unique hues and pastel-infused design make it stand apart from anything we’ve seen in Minecraft before.

I also appreciated being able to explore freely, discover side quests, or take on enemy encounters as they appeared on my own time. And of course, getting my battle on while facing off against zombies, creepers, skeletons, spiders, and other foes makes the world feel alive and more immersive, just like core Minecraft.

Put It on Repeat

Repeatable events deepen that loop, giving you a reason to return to the underground caverns of the Deep Dark and other locations in pursuit of better loot. One of my favorite spots to come back to early on was the Witch boss encounter in the northern part of the Howling Woods. Interacting with the nearby Boss Totem reactivates the fight, giving you a second, third, or 10th attempt at its loot drops. These rematches were useful for not only learning the combat and testing different builds, but also for chasing rare equipment to outfit my adventurer.

The same is true for the Rifts and Dungeons. These encounters are packed with foes and loot chests and are great deviations from the mainline story. Rewards can also include Enchantment Books, which fuse unique abilities to your equipment, as well as Echo Shards, which are used to upgrade Merchants, Blacksmiths, and equipment. Loot is one of Minecraft Dungeons II’s central pillars, so it is encouraging to see multiple, easy-to-access paths to acquire better gear spread across the world map.

A quick note on the Enchantment Books – they’re absolutely worth your time to track down, opening a whole new world of character customization and upgrades as the game progresses. Some of my favorites to infuse in equipment include Healing Smite, which gives a chance to produce a healing circle around you after defeating an enemy; Ender Mines that deploy exploding crystals; and Somersault (which can be stacked) to allow you additional dodge rolls. So, make sure you spend some time building your library with repeated dungeon runs you find on the world map.

I Get Around

Speaking of the map: it’s huge. After roughly a dozen hours, I still feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface of both the Overworld and the Sift. Thankfully, each realm offers generous fast-travel options through Minecart Stations and Teleport Statues, keeping that scale exciting rather than exhausting.

Another player-friendly feature I leaned on often was the Guidance Trail, a temporary line that points toward your active quest when you click down on the left thumbstick. It was especially helpful when I needed to navigate around steep cliffs, broken logs, and deep valleys as I got further into Minecraft Dungeons II with multiple side quests in my back pocket. And, of course, you can always ignore it if you see something shiny off the trail…

Respawn Shrines are also scattered across the map, typically near Dungeon entrances or Boss Totems. If you fall in battle against foes in the Overworld or the Sift, you resurrect back at Brave Haven. From there, interacting with the Teleport Statue sends you back to the nearest Shrine you previously passed, saving you from retracing the entire route on foot.

I can’t tell you how often I found myself leaning on all these player-friendly features during my time with the game, usually after my arrogance had gotten the best of me, thinking “I could take ’em…” when I absolutely could not. At least not yet. But the ease in which I could swiftly get back into the fight with no penalty and get back to my adventure? That’s a great player-focused feature I’d like to see in more ARPGs.

Compared with the first game’s streamlined, chapter-driven adventure, Minecraft Dungeons II has really opened its world to players. Now every trip, whether it leads to a new route, a sudden encounter, or an unexpected discovery, makes the journey itself feel like part of the adventure.

Minecraft Dungeons II arrives on September 29 and will be available for XBOX Series X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and included with Game Pass. Play it on both console and PC at no additional cost with XBOX Play Anywhere. Also available on Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

Minecraft Dungeons II Deluxe Edition

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$49.99

Drop the pickaxe, grab a sword, and charge into a thrilling new adventure in the Minecraft Dungeons II Deluxe Edition, featuring unique cosmetics, pre-order cosmetics, and DLC 1+2 (when released)! Journey through unexplored lands in a quest to stop a new evil from causing chaos in not one, but two worlds. Clash with menacing foes in explosive encounters and fight your way through hordes of mobs that will do everything in their power to stop you from saving the day. The challenges will be tougher than ever, so face them solo or with up to 4 players in online or couch co-op. With a crisis upon us, will you and your friends rise to meet it? 

Includes the Minecraft Dungeons II base game and the Deluxe Edition, featuring 4 hero skins, the Soul cape cosmetic item, the Blub pet companion, and DLC 1 & 2 (available as released)

Minecraft Dungeons II

Xbox Game Studios

☆☆☆☆☆
7

★★★★★

$29.99

Drop the pickaxe, grab a sword, and charge into a thrilling new adventure in Minecraft Dungeons II. Journey through unexplored lands and mysterious locations, in a quest to stop a new evil from causing chaos in not one, but two worlds! Clash with menacing foes in explosive encounters and fight your way through hordes of mobs that will do everything in their power to stop you! 

The challenges will be tougher than ever, so face them either solo or with up to 4 players in online or couch co-op. Pre-order today to get 2 hero skins, the Twisted cape, and the Twisted chicken pet! With a crisis upon us, will you and your friends rise to meet it?