I’ll leap on any opportunity to talk about Minecraft Dungeons 2 – the first is an underrated action RPG with a surprisingly satisfying level of depth and buildcrafting, especially once you roll credits the first time. I’m excited to see what Mojang and Double Eleven have been cooking up for the sequel, and a new trailer has just given us a look at what’s dotted behind its mysterious rifts. This sparkling, colorful realm is known as ‘the Sift,’ and it’s “an entirely new dimension” for the world of Minecraft.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 probably isn’t going to pull away the real devoted Path of Exile 2 hardcore players, or even the blasters pouring hundreds of hours into each Diablo 4 season, but if you enjoy a more approachable ARPG romp then I’d urge you to give it a shot. Its predecessor hooked me in with the iconic designs of Minecraft, but it was the clever way items and equipment interacted to let me craft builds that chained dozens of chain-splitting fireworks that got me to stick around for the long haul.
“Ever since we announced Minecraft Dungeons 2, we’ve seen mysterious rifts open in various locations,” Mojang remarks. “Until now, we could only speculate about what lies beyond them.” Now, we have the answer: “Players who step through the rifts will enter the Sift, an entirely new dimension coming to Minecraft Dungeons 2.” It resembles a parallel realm that looks like someone has been set loose with a paintbrush, packed with bright hues and a variety of unusual mob types.
“This dimension is equally strange and beautiful, bringing powerful and mysterious threats as well as landscapes that will stop you in your tracks.” Personally, I’m particularly taken by the sparkling water, which glistens in a mixture of pinks, yellows, and greens in a manner reminiscent of Terraria’s supernatural Shimmer. It’s also exciting as it gives the developer space to experiment outside of the traditional Minecraft wheelhouse and introduce some more original concepts into the ARPG sequel.
The new trailer also gives us more of a look at gameplay, confirming that your character will be gaining the ability to jump in Minecraft Dungeons 2. It looks as though this is more than just a way to pass the time between packs, too – one character is seen standing on a small island and firing down at enemies below them with a crossbow, while another performs a dramatic leaping attack down a staircase.
Minecraft Dungeons 2 is set to launch on Tuesday, September 29, priced at $29.99 / £24.99, and it will also be available via the Game Pass library for subscribers. There’s an additional deluxe edition with additional hero skins, another cape and pet, and two included pieces of DLC.