Minecraft started as an independent PC only release and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon, surpassing Tetris as the highest-selling game of all time. With Mojang now under the Xbox Games Studio banner the franchise will be trying its hand in the action role-playing genre with a new dungeon crawler spin-off called Minecraft: Dungeons. Game ZXC went hands-on with Minecraft: Dungeons during X019 in London to see how the spin-off fares.
As the third Minecraft spin-off following two seasons of Telltale Games Minecraft: Story Mode, and the augmented reality game, Minecraft Earth, Minecraft: Dungeons instantly feels familiar and faithful. Everything from the game's aesthetic to items players can use and the sounds that zombies make as they walk through the randomly-generated dungeons is extensively Minecraft. That is everything except for the actual gameplay, which moves the focus away from the series signature crafting and replaces it with a larger focus on combat, some light RPG mechanics, and cooperative play
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Our time was spent in a four-player 10-minute cooperative game as Minecraft: Dungeons is playable either solo or cooperatively with up to three other players. As a dungeon-crawler, Minecraft: Dungeons doesn't have crafting or building, the environments are all randomly generated which extends to the monsters, traps, puzzles, and loot, and although there are light RPG mechanics, there is no class system. Instead, the goal is to make way through a series of interconnected rooms that end in a final boss battle.
The dungeon we played was set in an actual dimly-lit, underground dungeon, however, not all levels are the same with another on display during the show set in an autumn forest in search of a village. Minecraft: Dungeon does have a leveling system in place and XP is rewarded for defeating enemies and opening chests. Players can also collect items including weapons and armor that fit into a Destiny style tier system and can be switched on the fly. The UI has multiple meters outlined in the bottom corners that show the players total health, as well as health regeneration, special abilities like bombs and shields, and ammunition.
Minecraft: Dungeons is very fast-paced and it's important to stick together because the dungeons are mazes in essence and it was very easy to get sidetracked and lost from the group. Enemies are also swarming in from all directions including zombies, spiders, creepers, skeletons, and powerful wizards, and that can become overwhelming very quickly. Dungeons is a game that's clearly a lot more fun to play in co-op as it doesn't have the same creativity or freedom that makes Minecraft infinitely replayable.
Minecraft continues to be updated and expanded upon in big ways with the latest update adding character customization and The Nether update expected to launch sometime in early 2020. Demand for the IP is still very much intact and it's great to see Mojang and Microsoft dedicated to exploring new and fun avenues that add to the overall experience, while never taking away from what makes Minecraft so special.
Minecraft: Dungeons releases in April 2020 for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.