At XBOX Video games Showcase earlier this 12 months, we played a Minecraft Dungeons II demo that took us to the hacking/slashing/looting/taking pictures coronary heart of this upcoming ARPG sequel – however in the present day at gamescom 2026, I bought to play a brand new model that confirmed us far more of what’s going to encompass that core mechanical expertise.
In a 30 minute runthrough, I started my demo within the sport’s bucolic hub city, Courageous Haven, taking within the sights, attending to grips with among the new choices I’ll have entry to, earlier than utilizing a minecart quick journey system to take me straight to a bruising boss battle – and sampling among the smaller adjustments alongside the best way.
Let me take you thru among the greatest new components I discovered about in the present day:
Blacksmith and Enchantsmith
On the coronary heart of Courageous Haven, you’ll discover two smiths – one acquainted, and the opposite a little bit… much less so. The Blacksmith is easy sufficient, however I can instantly see how I’ll be utilizing it for your entire sport’s size.
Any piece of kit you personal could be opened up right here and, for a modest payment, upgraded to the very best energy stage at present accessible to you. It’s a easy answer to a knotty drawback in any sport constructed round loot – for those who’ve fallen in love with a selected sword, bow, or piece of armor, you received’t be confronted with having to unequip it merely since you discovered one thing extra highly effective. The Blacksmith additionally solves one other problem – perhaps you have got a bit of kit that appears nice, however its in-built buffs aren’t fairly proper on your construct. Right here, you’ll be able to re-roll so as to add a model new buff as a substitute, hopefully ending up with the right merchandise for you.
If the Blacksmith is a means of tweaking and refining your tools, the Enchantsmith is the place you can also make these objects act in solely new methods. Alongside your journey, you’ll discover Enchant Books – objects that give you new methods so as to add results to your weapons. Deliver them again to the Enchantsmith and, with a down fee of foreign money dropped by new Soul Corrupted enemies, you’ll be able to add these enchantments to your objects.
Even in a brief demo, and with a restricted variety of enchantments to have a look at, the probabilities for buildcraft listed here are immediately tantalizing. Trying over the record of choices, I noticed methods to extend how usually I may use a dodge roll potential. However subsequent to that? A capability to shoot arrows with each dodge roll. And what if I then added an enchantment so as to add a fireplace impact to all my arrows? Within the area of a single menu, I’ve successfully created a whole new potential synergy for my character.
Assembly the Copper Monstrosity
After I’d completed refining my construct (a particularly succesful ranged DPS character, with the power to drop bombs and buff themselves in a few helpful methods), I set off for a showdown. With a full Overworld map to journey throughout this time round, I took a minecart from Courageous Haven to the cease nearest my vacation spot, however nonetheless contended with dozens of mobs who blocked my path.
It was an ideal reminder of how speedy and gratifying the fight in Dungeons II is feeling – each battle requires me to fireside my bow, end off enemies with the sword, and make a number of makes use of of my Artifacts (the objects that supply me further skills). However on the similar time, cooldowns are mercifully temporary, which means I really feel like I’m always combating at full energy, slightly than merely spending my time turtling, ready for the following potential to pop up once more. It feels odd to say a few Minecraft sport, however Dungeons II feels constructed round aggression, rewarding you for taking over enemies as relentlessly as you’ll be able to.
As soon as I reached my vacation spot (and getting ambushed by waves of more and more powerful enemies), I ultimately ascended a tower to fulfill the Copper Monstrosity, a model new boss being launched with this demo. A hulking mass of, you guessed it, copper, the Monstrosity initially offered as a straight tank, with hefty punches that require cautious dodging (or, in my case, liberal swigs of well being potion). However shortly it launched lightning AOE assaults, sending sparks crawling underneath my toes earlier than activating, and full-arena dashes that took me unexpectedly.
It’s a single battle that exhibits the variety of fight, and an actual sense of problem – similar to the mobs, I felt inspired to utilize all my skills directly, however now with a real sense of risk-reward, with the Monstrosity in a position to shave large sections of my well being off in seconds if I didn’t apply some thought to how I reacted. Dungeons II could also be an ARPG constructed for all expertise ranges – however that doesn’t imply it needs to be good about it on a regular basis…
High quality of Life Upgrades
Alongside my quick journey, I bought to see among the smaller components which can be including as much as make for a real sequel to the unique Dungeons. One small however essential change comes within the type of an onscreen stock possibility – press up on the D-pad and also you’ll be taken to the default stock menu. However maintain that button and a miniature model of the menu will pop up onscreen, permitting for fast swaps. It’s an answer designed for sofa co-op gamers specifically – not will entire groups utilizing a single display screen want to attend for every particular person participant to type their objects, as all of them can deliver up their very own mini-menu concurrently.
For many who need to spend longer in these menus, although, there’s the surprisingly compelling “Results and Enchantments” menu, which boils down each single impact out of your weapons, armor, and talismans right into a single record. If you happen to’re going to get closely into buildcraft, this might be the place you spend a lot of time. It helps you to determine precisely how your objects are affecting your construct, which of them may have to be tweaked, and the place you may be capable to enhance it.
As a lot as the massive mechanical adjustments, it’s these sorts of little tweaks from the primary sport that present how Mojang is pushing this sequel a lot additional. By enhancing the expertise for sofa gamers or hardcore style lovers alike, they’re delivering on the promise of being an ARPG not only for everybody, however for anybody.
Minecraft Dungeons II launches September 29 for XBOX Collection X|S, XBOX on PC, cloud, and might be included with Sport Go. Play it on each console and PC at no extra value with XBOX Play Anyplace. Additionally accessible on Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Change and Nintendo Change 2.