Prepare To Delve
Minecraft. The very name has become an iconic one in gaming, standing alongside icons such as Mario in today’s gaming ecosystem. While the original title is focused on creation and survival, it is always interesting to see new takes on this pixelated world. The newest venture in this universe is Minecraft Dungeons, with this review being of the PC release. Taking inspiration from isometric action-RPGs of old, the latest title in this blocky franchise makes a good impression but not without a few nagging problems.
Knockin’ Blocks Off
Without a doubt, the biggest draw of Minecraft Dungeons is the action. While the story is fun and absolutely packed with the signature Minecraft charm, it ultimately takes a backseat to the wild and fast-paced combat. Your abilities are dictated by your gear in this title which makes your choice of character purely cosmetic. These abilities are vast and range from pure damage increases to more focused abilities. Speed Leeching, abilities that break cooldowns and others that introduce fun new systems feel great to obtain and use. These can be combined with TNT and other elements found in the environment to send your enemies flying through the air, which is fun and satisfying to watch. Combat can be fast and furious at higher difficulties, making for action-packed sequences that can quickly spiral out of control if not carefully played. While never frustratingly difficult, it can be easy to get overwhelmed in Minecraft Dungeons.
Enemies armed with damage type immunity found in games such as Diablo aren’t too plentiful in this title. It instead chooses to assault you with tons of enemies and enemy generators more akin to an old-school Gauntlet Legends experience. While all of these experiences are variable, as the game offers an incredibly robust difficulty scale that adjusts to your power level or preference, the best gear is obtained at the highest difficulties. This gear is customizable, with more options given the more rare the item, and these enchantments are gained with points earned from character level-ups. While these levels can be challenging, a seasoned ARPG fan may find themselves making quick work of the hordes of enemies thrown at them. This all comes together to make for an experience that can be enjoyed by many and works fantastic as a game for newcomers to the genre, albeit with some muddy controls when not using a controller.
It’s A Small World
While the title houses many locales, with randomly generated levels that sometimes feel far too unique to have been created this way, the amount of content leaves a bit to be desired. There are 9 main levels to beat and while they are all fun and unique, the experience seems to end before it really begins. To add insult to this lack of content, there is an expansion teased on the world map that claims to be coming soon. While there are 3 different difficulties offered for game repalys, only the hardcore Minecraft fan will want to see them rebuilt time and again.
While the rarest weapons in the game often come with awesome, gameplay-defining traits, they require you to play at the highest difficulties to obtain. In comparison the weapons gained that don’t meet this legendary status feel worthless. These treasures can be obtained as early as your first playthrough, making the loot pool feel smaller than it actually is when the dungeons are littered with gear drops that equate to trash. The offering of enemies that drop this loot get stale quickly as well. There is also a problem with the multiplayer on the PC version of the game, as an error affects certain copies and while I attempted fixes, I could not get a friend’s copy up and running to experience the online multiplayer. This is a major issue that hampered my experience with this version of the game.
Feelin’ Flat
There are quite a few things Minecraft Dungeons gets right. The colorful Minecraft style and designs give the game a fun and dynamic atmosphere. The level design is impeccable, with huge levels featuring their own mechanics that beg to be explored. The combat is simple and evolves well over the course of the game, able to be tailored to your style of play. The problems come with the small amount of content, abrasive display of downloadable content for the future, and the network problems faced on the PC version. There is fun to be had here and while this makes for an excellent Gamepass experience, don’t rush out to buy Minecraft Dungeons unless you are a hardcore fan of the franchise or a newcomer interested in the ARPG genre.
