Dragon Quest Builders 2

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 63
  3. Negative: 0 out of 63
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  1. Eurogamer
    Jul 11, 2019
    The Minecraft and Dragon Quest mash-up gets refined for the sequel, with a few other outside influences helping make it a laid-back joy. [Eurogamer Recommended]

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PS4 Game of 2019
86
#86 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2019
7
#7 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2019

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 133 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 105 out of 133
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 133
  3. Negative: 20 out of 133
  1. bersi84
    Jul 13, 2019
    9
    This game is a worthy successor to an already great title. I dropped quite some hours into DQB2 and to me this game is not perfect but so muchThis game is a worthy successor to an already great title. I dropped quite some hours into DQB2 and to me this game is not perfect but so much fun. I would rate it 8.5 so far but gave a 9 because the fun factor is to me more relevant than the minor flaws. Read on for more.

    DQB2 adapts all the basic that DQB1 already delivered in a solid and fun way but changed the game and story play in some interesting ways.

    Game world and story mode:
    **************************************
    In DQB1 the story mode was somewhat depressing because the final boss often destroyed your town and even worse, it did not matter because each chapter was completely independent and you started new every single chapter. DQB2 does things vastly different with a centralized hub island and a ship that leads you to side-islands or main-islands.

    Main islands are where the story is being told and you will leave them this time also but you can come back at any time and the story islands are way more intensified. The first story island will keep you busy for 6 to 10hrs depending on your playstyle alone. Side-islands provide quick adventures on a pretty thin basis to be fair where the hub island appears as a free-to-build island with some story driven attachments.

    The new concept is more motivating to me although I see some missed opportunities. Sometimes interruptions due to quests-givers are pretty high. The quests itself are mostly very simple or just guidelines through the main missions. Hopefully in a future title they will enhance this a little bit more because the benefit for the game atmosphere is pretty good.

    Graphics // Sounds // Engine:
    **************************************
    What can I say. It pretty much looks like DQB1 to me. Maybe a little bit polished. Loading times on my PS4 Pro with SSD are okay-ish but feel too long to be honest. On the bright side the islands are loaded once and other loadings screens do not happen often or are very short. So I would not even rate this down. Graphics are of course cartoon-ish for this title but very solid. I personally like it way more then Minecraft even modded but that might be very subjective.

    The sound and "voice acting" is still a clear downside for me. Most or even all of the dialogue passages are text-only. To me thats a missed opportunity still and not state of the art anymore. I d prefer them to take a step forward and present the nice story in a way it deserves. On the other side the character are cool and I like the writing a lot. As a non-native english speaker I still dislike that most of the characters "talk" with accents. Without a proper voice acting this is giving me some hazzle and honestly... makes me skip dialogue sometimes. Sad! The soundtrack in general falls flat to me and could be a little bit more entertaining but is still okay-ish.

    Controls:
    ************
    DQB1 and 2 share a similar basis. For people who did not play either: the controls feel really decent for a console title in my opinion and not frustrating at all in comparison to other titles that seem to be perfectly made for mouse and keyboard. I was surprised with DQB1 and still like them. Some mappings are strange though. There are times where you want to change your tool but talk to your buddy etc. I see room for improvement here although there are some controller layouts you can choose from.

    Gameplay:
    **************
    DQB2 is in my opinion clearly optimized for solo play. There is a multiplayer-like mode but it is not perfectly integrated which is a little bit sad and definetely a missed opportunity. In your solo story you are accompanied by an NPC buddy which is really fun and helps a lot in terms of collecting stuff and having a more dynamic feeling. Main focus is again getting materials, buildings, new stuff, but this time things are enhanced as you have more intense layered buildings, you have farming options and also your buddies will work more intensely for you. I like these changes a lot because they add convenience and atmosphere by a great margin as you try to develop your town, achieve quests for the people around and gain new recipes or blueprints to build.

    Final thoughts:
    *******************
    I loved DQB1 and bought it just due to being bored at a weekend. Turned to be a lucky grab for me as I was really waiting for DQB2 and having a lot fun with it. I did not encounter any bugs or performance problems so far letting aside the loading times at the beginning. The gameplay is solid but got well enhanced with added atmosphere and a more quest related storymode. The characters are lovely so are the graphics. As stated in the beginning I would give DQB2 a solid 8.5 because it feels repetitive at times and misses some opportunities. It gives me so much fun though that I took the 9 with a tendency to 10. The game will provide a good amount of playtime (around 50hrs+) and is to me a solid buy for the initial price.    … Full Review »
  2. Kai82
    Jul 25, 2020
    10
    A charming and addicting mixture of Minecraft, Harvest Moon and Dragon Quest. It is part action adventure and part sandbox / building game. ItA charming and addicting mixture of Minecraft, Harvest Moon and Dragon Quest. It is part action adventure and part sandbox / building game. It is the best spin off of Dragon Quest and I was surprised how good this game was. It is the kind of game you can spend hundred hours and still enjoy it. The building is greatly integrated into the story. In each chapter you build new stuff and buildings as you get new resources, tools and ideas. Even when you finish the main story you have a lot to unlock, to build and to explore. You can experiment with new rooms and buildings as you build your own island to you hearts content. There are countless possibilities. The action adventure parts are a welcome addition but would be not enough for a good game if rated alone. It is however a fitting combination together with the rest. There is also a crafting system for better equipment, tools, armor and consumables ranging from healing items to meals that give you benefits. The characters are charming and I like the interactions between the main character and Malroth. In each chapter there are people with their own stories and goals you support. It is so heart-warming when you archive the goals and everyone comes together to celebrate. Like I said you unlock new possibilities by levelling up, progressing in the story, finding resources or building some new things. There are also hidden objects that allow you to rebuild them once you find them. Also the boss battles are excellent. You have to use special tactics here and it always feels great to overcome the menacing battles. For me this is the best building game I have played in years and an insider tip. I will definitely buy Dragon Quest Builders 3. There are of cause some minor complaints. Talking and changing tools use the same button. Often you start a conversation when you just want to change your active tool. There is just 1 save file and some scripted scenes feel like taking hours. Special warning: It has not a Shakespearian story or is that deep. It is more the enjoyable vehicle to carry on the game and I liked it for this. I even think a really deep story would be unnecessary. Overall the negative points don't matter. It was an enjoyable and relaxing experience. One of the most positive surprises in gaming for me and a recommendation even more if you like Minecraft and Harvest Moon.… Full Review »
  3. SylvaConnect
    Jul 18, 2019
    10
    First game was great, this one is even better!

    First the bad. Multiplayer is not even unlocked til well into the game after the first, VERY    First game was great, this one is even better!

    First the bad. Multiplayer is not even unlocked til well into the game after the first, VERY long island. PISS poor decision. Had I cared about MP, this game would get an automatic 5/10 for this. SE is lucking out on this game for most players dont care about MP. Its total S**t

    Due to this, you absolutely not call this game a MP game. Most people interest d in MP want to do MP start to finish, together, as a team, thus is the point of MP. This is more like a stupid visitation system thats not even unlocked for a long time. That is not MP.

    For me personally I enjoyed it as a 10/10 solo. But had I bought it expecting to coop right away, I would have ben EXTREMELY furious about that. You do not EVER make a coop game where coop is not unlocked right out of the gate. Dumbest feature cap Ive ever seen in my life in a game. Aside from that back to solo mode >

    Post game actually makes more sense now and your custom island is actually used between story modes as its part of the story this time, instead of being some random non attackable island like in the first one. Rooms you make there etc all still feel like youre playing the story mode and just as fun. It is not lacking there at all like the first one was. Without spoilers youll just need to play to see the improvements as there are tons!    … Full Review »
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