Dragon Quest Builders 2

 Switch
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 205 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 169 out of 205
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 205
  3. Negative: 21 out of 205
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  1. SlimeKnight33
    Sep 18, 2019
    10
    This game expands and improves on the first game in every way. Think Minecraft meets old school Legend of Zelda with a Dragon Quest skin. So many islands to explore and you are always adding something to the adventure or building experience. Only down side (if it’s a downside for you) is that you have to earn all the building supplies for “creative” mode and you don’t start with it. ThisThis game expands and improves on the first game in every way. Think Minecraft meets old school Legend of Zelda with a Dragon Quest skin. So many islands to explore and you are always adding something to the adventure or building experience. Only down side (if it’s a downside for you) is that you have to earn all the building supplies for “creative” mode and you don’t start with it. This is not a negative for me but I think it will be for some people.… Expand
  2. Mattaclysm
    Aug 17, 2019
    9
    As someone who had enjoyed the first Dragon Quest Builders, despite its flaws, I found myself interested in the prospect of playing DQB2. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the Nintendo Switch version of the game, however, I can still say that the overall experience is still satisfying.

    Like other multi-platform Nintendo Switch games, this version does have its flaws. In the 80 or    As someone who had enjoyed the first Dragon Quest Builders, despite its flaws, I found myself interested in the prospect of playing DQB2. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the Nintendo Switch version of the game, however, I can still say that the overall experience is still satisfying.

    Like other multi-platform Nintendo Switch games, this version does have its flaws. In the 80 or so hours that I spent playing the game, it had crashed several times. This would randomly occur while going on random building sprees in the Isle of Awakening. I also noticed the game's frame rate would dip very low during parts of the game where there seemed to be a lot of things going on (though there isn't really much that can be done about this, I feel that it can be overlooked with the convenience of being able to play the game on the Switch). That being the biggest problem with this version, the only other flaw I could find in the game was the cheesy story. It's ridiculous nature had me rolling my eyes during random moments with the way the NPCs would talk about building during the story.

    So getting all of that out of the way, I figure to point out the positives. First of all, I absolutely loved the improvements made to building. Having the Isle of Awakening (and later on Buildertopia) to be able to create random things is a major plus over the original Dragon Quest Builders (where your only viable end game building area was just a small plot of land). This gave me a satisfying feeling being able to come up with random places for my island inhabitants to hang out. The variety of rooms to build was also a positive, being able to create kitchens, churches, swimming areas, pubs for the people living on your island to hang out in and around was actually cool to see. It was also a nice addition of being able to go on scavenger hunts to random islands to be able to unlock infinite crafting materials for certain items. This was such an invaluable feature that I feel shouldn't be overlooked with the sheer convenience it created when it came to building sprees. Definitely a welcome feature in my books!

    So closing out, I want to say that this is a great game for anyone who enjoys games similar to Terraria, Stardew Valley, and (the obvious) Minecraft. I may be a bit bias considering I loved the original Dragon Quest Builders, but DQB2 is such a vast improvement over the first game that I feel it's still nearly perfect (even with its technical issues). This is something that you could spend hours and hours of time playing without boredom. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a game that I'd highly recommend!    … Expand
  3. ImperialKnight
    Jul 21, 2019
    6
    Great game but buy it on PS4 if you have the choice. Hot laggy mess as you progress further into the game, to the point of unplayable.

    Lots of tiny little technical problems and design choices prevents it from attaining greatness. Like unable to control camera zoom, so if the camera decides you need to see the Buider's hair folicles, you've had it until the camera finally decides you    Great game but buy it on PS4 if you have the choice. Hot laggy mess as you progress further into the game, to the point of unplayable.

    Lots of tiny little technical problems and design choices prevents it from attaining greatness. Like unable to control camera zoom, so if the camera decides you need to see the Buider's hair folicles, you've had it until the camera finally decides you can have a better camera angle.

    And also a certain character's dialogue CANNOT be skipped. and the game designers decided we are all dyslexic and need 30 seconds to read a single word.    … Expand
  4. Globex
    Sep 6, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a well polished game, but is not without flaws. The campaign is very detailed with an interesting story, however by the end of the journey I was starting to feel that it has overstayed its welcome. I spent 70+ hours on the campaign, which isn't an issue by itself, but at times I wished I could just step aside from the story and simply build to my heart's content (much line creative in Minecraft). Even once the story is complete, there still still much to unlock through gameplay before the player has access to all of the building elements.

    Pros:
    Fairly stable framerate in the campaign
    Interesting, yet still simple, storyline
    Co-op supported
    Abundance of game content

    Cons:
    Can be laggy with more complex builds
    Unable to jump in at time zero and play with friends
    Story overstays its welcome

    Overall the pros far outweigh the cons with this title, making it a definite recommend from me. Even once the lengthy story is complete there is plenty of reason to keep playing.    … Expand
  5. Foxazoxi
    Sep 6, 2019
    8
    This might be one of the most addicting games I have ever played. I prefer this one rather than Minecraft.
  6. jaceheron
    Sep 3, 2019
    10
    This is a perfect sequel. I enjoyed the game and would recommend it to my friends
  7. HyperReal
    Sep 21, 2019
    10
    After playing 320 hours of this game, I can honestly say that the entire game is fantastic. One reviewer likened it to a Minecraft clone where "you lack the ability to look straight up or straight down or go into first person mode, so it's Minecraft that is distinctly harder to navigate and control." This is patently false. Just press the right stick. It's all there. Furthermore, this isAfter playing 320 hours of this game, I can honestly say that the entire game is fantastic. One reviewer likened it to a Minecraft clone where "you lack the ability to look straight up or straight down or go into first person mode, so it's Minecraft that is distinctly harder to navigate and control." This is patently false. Just press the right stick. It's all there. Furthermore, this is nothing close to a Minecraft clone. Minecraft's emphasis is on survival (which I actually prefer) where DQB's is on building.

    The story is great, the gameplay is great, the characters are great (except Lulu) and the building tools are great. Once the story is over, the world is a bit too safe for my liking but the terraforming and general building is still addictive as heck. Sure, the combat is simple but Dragon Quest games have simplistic combat anyway but the story, characters, and world make them delightful anyway. The same is true here. DQB2 is a game inspired by Minecraft as much as it is by the Dragon Quest series. That's "Dragon Quest" not "Mortal Kombat," not "Doom," not "Vermintide" but "Dragon Quest." It's an incredibly high quality voxel building sandbox RPG and it's oh so good.    … Expand
  8. AstralCritic
    Feb 20, 2020
    4
    I would like to say that I really enjoyed this game at first, but this game has become one of those... I hated it before I was done playing. The experience for me is just too much on the rails. Exploring the map ahead of time or breaking the very scripted mission process is usually punished because some of them require you to go to a location to complete the mission even if you haveI would like to say that I really enjoyed this game at first, but this game has become one of those... I hated it before I was done playing. The experience for me is just too much on the rails. Exploring the map ahead of time or breaking the very scripted mission process is usually punished because some of them require you to go to a location to complete the mission even if you have already been there. There are few things as disheartening as playing a game that begs you to explore it only to be punished by the developer if you do so. I really hated the fact at each new area is a blank start with all of your items being taken from you. Fun tools that have zero impact on the game are locked up until near end game. Building on the Isle of Awakening early is pointless because you must complete the other Islands first. The story and plot are terrible in the extreme. The moment you sit back and think about the fact that you have to run the hamster wheel for several hours before you get your freedom in the game made me regret buying the game. I bought 2 copies one for myself and one for my wife... Oh, and the multiplayer is a joke, it's not actually multiplayer because if you have a human guest on your map all the NPC's break and stop doing things. I cannot describe how broken this very wonderful in concept game is on multiple levels. It is one of the hardest teases ever... and for the people comparing this to minecraft.... yea I don't think so. Minecraft and this are both voxel games but otherwise the similarities all soon seperate from each other fast.

    I really love games like this, but I really feel like the developer more than missed the mark on this one. This game had far more potential than it was given. I can see why this game has so many likes, because that is what I thought about the game when I first started playing... it was only after running the hamster wheel before it broke my love for the game. And Skelkatraz... that alone almost stopped me from playing but I powered through it. It simply has no place in the game period, in my opinion.    … Expand
  9. Dazeuniverse
    Apr 2, 2021
    9
    A great game with gameplay aspects similar to several popular games like minecraft, portal knights, animal crossing, stardew valley, and zelda. A very intriguing combination!
  10. mrme5
    Jul 15, 2019
    10
    This game is so much fun. I've never played any of the dragon quest games before and figured i'd give this one a shot, I was instantly hooked. I saw a review complaining about the game teaching you how to play which I don't think is a good enough reason to leave a negative review. If those tutorials weren't there I wouldn't know how to play the game.... This game is a mixture of minecraftThis game is so much fun. I've never played any of the dragon quest games before and figured i'd give this one a shot, I was instantly hooked. I saw a review complaining about the game teaching you how to play which I don't think is a good enough reason to leave a negative review. If those tutorials weren't there I wouldn't know how to play the game.... This game is a mixture of minecraft but with a story and fun fighting mechanics. I would highly recommend it.… Expand
  11. sariaxmagus
    Jul 23, 2019
    7
    Game: Wonderful sequel that improves on the original in many ways.
    Platform: (Switch) - If handheld mode isn't important to you, try the PS4 version. Switch version suffers from frequent very noticeable frame rate drops in docked mode (haven't tried playing it in handheld mode).
    Side note: Another reviewer stated that you cannot control the zoom. This information is incorrect.    Game: Wonderful sequel that improves on the original in many ways.
    Platform: (Switch) - If handheld mode isn't important to you, try the PS4 version. Switch version suffers from frequent very noticeable frame rate drops in docked mode (haven't tried playing it in handheld mode).

    Side note: Another reviewer stated that you cannot control the zoom. This information is incorrect. Pressing the right stick allows you to toggle between first person and fully zoomed out. Holding in the right stick allows you to manually adjust the zoom by pressing the left stick up or down.    … Expand
  12. Zimbawe1
    Jul 18, 2019
    10
    Warning! Extremely addictive animal crossing, kinda zeldish, well rendered, dragón quest crossover with quirky dialogs and intresting stories
  13. Voodooseeker
    Jul 16, 2019
    10
    Perfect game....a mix of Minecraft, Haverst Moon, Animal Crossing, Breath Of The Wild on a Dragon Quest adventure / world. I can't stop playing, I'm dreaming of the world and characters of Furrowfield . . . my mind keeps working on next quest, next exploration or next mindblowing idea I can build, create . . . I'm new to the universe of Dragon Quest, wauvv.....I think it's an amazingPerfect game....a mix of Minecraft, Haverst Moon, Animal Crossing, Breath Of The Wild on a Dragon Quest adventure / world. I can't stop playing, I'm dreaming of the world and characters of Furrowfield . . . my mind keeps working on next quest, next exploration or next mindblowing idea I can build, create . . . I'm new to the universe of Dragon Quest, wauvv.....I think it's an amazing game......a bit intimidating in the start.....chapter 1 is a BIG tutorial, which is good even it feels slow at times.
    It's gonna be the perfect couple game, my wife is as addicted as I am....so we'll work together on our Isle of Awaking in co-op online (we have a Switch each).
    PS. I'm not much into Minecraft / crafting games, BUT DQB2 are total different, thanks to the Animal Crossing, Breath of The Wild aspects + exploration mix trough cool DQ RPG!    … Expand
  14. whatever-156
    Jul 12, 2019
    10
    hoes mad


    hoes mad The game is super good and a great sequel to the first game dragon quest builders 1 the controls are smoother and responsive the world is huge and looks amazing
  15. easilydone
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    If you don't want any story or structure just play Minecraft, otherwise try this.

    Really fun and a great sequel to the first game. I guess if you didn't like the first one you wouldn't really like this but if you had any fondness for it you should adore this. It's a refined but similar game play experience. Yes some of the scripting is obviously intended for a Linear A->B style    If you don't want any story or structure just play Minecraft, otherwise try this.

    Really fun and a great sequel to the first game. I guess if you didn't like the first one you wouldn't really like this but if you had any fondness for it you should adore this. It's a refined but similar game play experience. Yes some of the scripting is obviously intended for a Linear A->B style playthrough but there's as much freedom as you want outside the specific, story driven tasks.    … Expand
  16. SylvaConnect
    Jul 18, 2019
    10
    Tons better then the first game. Especially your “custom” island. Things did not sync up well in the first game in post game. However in builders 2 on your post game island, everything runs so well it almost feels like a completely different franchise. REALLY great improvements here. Too many to list, The biggest 2 out of at least 100, is the AI, and, you get attacked at home now.Tons better then the first game. Especially your “custom” island. Things did not sync up well in the first game in post game. However in builders 2 on your post game island, everything runs so well it almost feels like a completely different franchise. REALLY great improvements here. Too many to list, The biggest 2 out of at least 100, is the AI, and, you get attacked at home now. Something the post game island in 1 lacked, and overall made post game island boring as sin. So this was a very welcome improvement!

    The AI uses virtually everything you make, even a little dinner table outside before heading over to a farm to plow it. They maintain it for you etc, Overall, Im super impressed by your companions AI in this game, If builders 2 AI was einstein, builders 1 AI would be prehistoric man. Its really impressive to just watch your companions go at stuff for hours now making your town better.

    The bad. Multiplayer feature is a f***ing joke. Its non existant. They locked it behind tons of hours of gameplay. This is NOT a multiplayer game. For those expecting to buy this and couch coop or coop with 2 switches right away forget it, this game doesnt have that. Stupidest manipulation of the word Multiplayer Ive ever seen in a game ever, Do NOT buy this for MP. If you get it for single player, 10/10.

    As for jcolins review, idiot is complaining about tutorials and hand holding being in the game cause hes “too good” for them but then he fails to even complete a basic mission. Sounds like moron should have read the tutorials he claims he didnt need. He also rated it a zero trying to make it sound like a bug, its not a bug, hes just too fat and lazy to walk his virtual character 10 seconds from base to finish the quest,    … Expand
  17. jcolin
    Jul 13, 2019
    0
    Instead of letting you play the game your way and discovering things as you go the game is locked behind an endless amount of tedious side quests. On the first island I finished the main mission but it wouldn't let me continue until I ran all around the map completing tedious side quests to get items I already had to complete the big mission that I already had completed. In other words,Instead of letting you play the game your way and discovering things as you go the game is locked behind an endless amount of tedious side quests. On the first island I finished the main mission but it wouldn't let me continue until I ran all around the map completing tedious side quests to get items I already had to complete the big mission that I already had completed. In other words, there's no point to exploring ahead because the side quests will just guide you there anyways and you have to do them. ALL of them. The harvest festival quest wouldn't trigger for me because I hadn't killed 10 bodkins, something entirely unrelated to the plot. I can't play a game that holds your hand so much.… Expand
  18. CesarV
    Sep 2, 2020
    0
    Game is kinda fun in the first and second island and feels like the gameplay is building up to something, but the game falls completely flat on itself on the third island where the protagonist is showed as a gutless coward who can't even defend his friend, it's so disgusting you can't do anything and then you're forced to take back the dudes from that island back. I deleted the game atGame is kinda fun in the first and second island and feels like the gameplay is building up to something, but the game falls completely flat on itself on the third island where the protagonist is showed as a gutless coward who can't even defend his friend, it's so disgusting you can't do anything and then you're forced to take back the dudes from that island back. I deleted the game at this point, really bad story telling and lazy gameplay design that builds up to nothing. Did you have fun in dragon quest games getting op rewards from mini medals? Here you get cosmetics and that's it. You can't even use magic and you're limited to 2 specials abilities during the whole game.… Expand
  19. IhateDragonQues
    Jan 9, 2022
    0
    Terrible game, Like seriously the stupid farmers won't do **** and the stupid worm won't do anything even Though I already put scarecrow on the field. Waste of money. 50$ wasted on that trash. Great.
  20. Poiter_23
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Oh wo this game is good, building is super fun, having a story line and progression based building system really works. SUPER Duper addictive - woul dhighly reccomend.
  21. Grumppi
    Aug 24, 2019
    9
    Awesome game! Over 100 hours sunk into it so far and still going. Nostalgia scores a few points, but the game is incredibly strong on its own. One of my more recent favorites. 9/10 based on the technical limitations of the Nintendo Switch slowing the game down and having a few issues with draw distance and other things. Still ... a must play.
  22. TsukasaHiiragi
    Aug 30, 2019
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pros

    Addictive
    Base Building
    Interesting Story
    co-op

    Cons
    Literally everything else

    *warning spoilers*

    DQB2 is a poor sequel in my honest opinion, the gameplay is almost identical to the original just with extra building components and even more vague quest/missions which range from being extremely simplistic in nature, through to mind-numbing aggravation.

    The gameplay structure is near identical on each of the islands, with build then defend and find new resources then repeat until you reach the end of chapter boss then move to a different biome set, with the exact same mission structure. The final two islands being more annoying than fun, Moonbooke being quite annoying with constant attacks and fairly useless base building thats almost constantly destroyed as the waves get more annoying, the final island building the escape ship serves really no purpose but to get buggy buggy and kill the final end of game boss in a Shmup style shooter in which you really can't lose the boss battle and the ending is so....lame is almost lazy in design.

    DQB2 also suffers from frequent frame rate drops, which is very noticeable later in game where you have constructed a more larger base on the Island of Awakening, which is really unfortunate because this part of the base building is very much piecemeal in its access, quite often you'll be away from this island for days in real time as you progress through the story.

    The explorer islands also serve no purpose except to pad out the gameplay further with islands that change each time you visit, as you explore to tick off checklist items which make or may not be even present on the island at all resorting in having to leave the island and return in the hopes that one or two items actually have spawned.

    Suffers from numerous issues, including camera issues which often forces the play to have to swop between first and third or vice versa to fix, sometimes cut scenes have camera stuck behind walls or blocking view entirely of whats going on.

    Many building combinations are vague, new elements like building several buildings together to form a single large building are completely trial and error, so much trial and error actually that most of the time, you'll just hit up guides for combinations instead of getting frustrated.

    Overall, its not a horrible game but its not great either. Far too many issues really hold the switch version back, the gameplay mechanics are dodgy in places and the extremely linear nature of the missions and side quests gets repetitive. The ending is very unsatisfying too, which doesn't really help and you'll question why you pumped many hours into the game just to really unlock the full potential of building your utopia on the island.    … Expand
  23. RudolfFranze
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    This game provides tons of fun. A huge upgrade from DQB1. You really get a lot of quality for your money!
  24. LunarD3ATH
    Dec 11, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I slightly agree that the third island's approach to storytelling was frustratingly poor. They create a wedge between you and your partner for purposes of the plot, but it doesn't feel earned. That being said, this game is a phenomenal gem. Borderline perfect as a mix of campaign solo experience and builder, but I have to knock off a single point for the tiny little annoyances (like the unskippable slow as heck dialogue your partner hears in his head every once in a great while) and for how poorly mismanaged the cooperative system was implemented. As far as I'm aware you can only play coop with a friend on the builder island and the unlockable randomized ones you can build on towards the end of the game. The campaign is entirely solo and you cannot play splitscreen whatsoever (online only for other systems, with Switch offering wireless play, which is nice, but requires two systems and two copies of the game).… Expand
  25. RavenWraith
    May 12, 2020
    8
    This game is hard for me to rate. I love playing it but there are issues that keep me from rating it higher. The first being that the never end dialogue is tedious and it takes forever to get through. Also, the side quests seem repetitive at times. I still played 70 hours or more.
  26. Neatqt
    Aug 28, 2019
    8
    Cast: 9/10
    Story: 7/10
    Fun: 9/10
    Gameplay: 10/10

    Recommended
    ----------------------
  27. Luminatos
    Jul 16, 2019
    10
    She's a beauty! If you give it some time you'll be hooked before you know it. I just can't seem to put the game down.
  28. RedPixel
    Jul 31, 2019
    6
    I loved DQB and looked forward to DQB2. I finished DQB2, but found the gameplay largely tedious. The game unrolls in a very linear fashion, and for the most part, you're given your errands one at a time and with specific instructions about how the errand can be completed. You 'build' very elaborate structures in this game, but you don't do most of the design or building in this game...I loved DQB and looked forward to DQB2. I finished DQB2, but found the gameplay largely tedious. The game unrolls in a very linear fashion, and for the most part, you're given your errands one at a time and with specific instructions about how the errand can be completed. You 'build' very elaborate structures in this game, but you don't do most of the design or building in this game... instead they are done for you. They are clearly targeting younger players with these changes, and I dunno, overall maybe that's a good move. I guess I enjoyed this game enough to finish it, but it always felt at least a little bit annoying. I can't imagine playing it through again, unless I decide I just want to build things and not play the game. (I played DQB twice, and can imagine playing it again.)

    There's some shoddy game design and/or programming in play here, such as:
    1. If you do something before you've been told to, the game gets tripped up, and a task can get stalled. It's not always 'go get the 10 things' again to get it out; sometimes there's an intermediate thing that you were expected to do along the way that has to be triggered.
    2. The game crashed on me three times, though only once did I lose a hunk of time (about 20 minutes).
    3. There are these randomly generated scavenger hunt islands that I kind of love (totally optional), but oh hey, it turns out that the island is not necessarily going to be generated with all the things on your list. (Possibly this is by design, but it's super annoying when you're searching high and low with a sort of trust that you can complete this task.... and you just can't. And then you have to go back and forth on the ship to reset the island, and it's just tedious.)
    4. You get a vehicle late in the game, and you're able to drive it into a pit you can't drive out of. You need the vehicle to get back home, so, um, what? I had to dig the vehicle out. Maybe I deserved that or something, but I guess the thing is that it's just inconsistent with how hand-holding the rest of the game is. Every once in a while they forget to hold your hand.

    On the one hand, DQB had the weird chapters thing, where they didn't really connect to each other, and in DQB2, there's a solid backbone of a story. On the other hand, the story is fairly clumsily executed. At the core, it's the yin and yang of creation and destruction, and gosh in the right hands that could unfold beautifully... but alas, not here. There is also way too many blah blah blah blocks of text to click through, and really annoyingly, some of them are animations so you can't click through them and just have to wait for the words to scroll by. The pacing of the story is also enormously weird for each of the islands/chapters... you build up to a big thing that feels like a finale, and then there's another big thing, and another big thing. Just clumsy, to my mind.

    The battles are melee style, likely also to appeal to younger players. For the most part, if you have enough food and remember to eat, you'll be fine. Just a couple of times I didn't have enough companions or strong enough weapons or enough things to eat to make it through a battle.

    I suggest you play through the free demo before making a purchase. If you don't find that overly tedious, go for it.    … Expand
  29. Zoltar238
    Oct 7, 2020
    7
    Analizando por partes, la parte de construcción es muy buena y es el principal atractivo del juego, el combate es muy simple y solo puedes tirar básicos y 2 habilidades, la historia es muy plana y poco interesante en mi opinión, y es el principal factor que lastra al juego ya que te la cuentan a base de diálogos y es muy tedioso saltártelos. La parte mas divertida del juego es cuando eresAnalizando por partes, la parte de construcción es muy buena y es el principal atractivo del juego, el combate es muy simple y solo puedes tirar básicos y 2 habilidades, la historia es muy plana y poco interesante en mi opinión, y es el principal factor que lastra al juego ya que te la cuentan a base de diálogos y es muy tedioso saltártelos. La parte mas divertida del juego es cuando eres libre de hacer lo que quieras tras pasarte la historia.… Expand
  30. TheCrappyArtist
    Sep 28, 2020
    8
    A wonderful game that was too short. The story mode is so much fun, but it ended a bit too soon. I do feel that gameplay-wise, this is probably the best Dragon Quest game. I guess maybe I've grown tired of turn-based RPGs after marathoning the entire series. But this game is really fun. Just please, I beg of you, don't use the online portion of this game unless you want to rip your eyesA wonderful game that was too short. The story mode is so much fun, but it ended a bit too soon. I do feel that gameplay-wise, this is probably the best Dragon Quest game. I guess maybe I've grown tired of turn-based RPGs after marathoning the entire series. But this game is really fun. Just please, I beg of you, don't use the online portion of this game unless you want to rip your eyes out of their sockets.… Expand
  31. RedBlueCarrots
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    This is a criminally underplayed game. I didn't play the first one but enjoyed both demos of the first two. If you haven't you need too. From the outside looking in, this might just seem like another, slow, minecraft knockoff. But once you start playing it, you get hooked immediately. I'm not a creative person, but I feel so accomplished building anything, even if it is usually just to aThis is a criminally underplayed game. I didn't play the first one but enjoyed both demos of the first two. If you haven't you need too. From the outside looking in, this might just seem like another, slow, minecraft knockoff. But once you start playing it, you get hooked immediately. I'm not a creative person, but I feel so accomplished building anything, even if it is usually just to a blueprint.

    Comparing this game to minecraft is not a good comparison, but for the sake of this review I will. In minecraft you have Creative - with no objectives or resources where you are free to do whatever you want - and Survival - Where you start from nothing and have to survive as long as possible. I never liked either of these mode, as I found survival too stressful and lacked enough creativity to get into Creative. However, DQB2 combines the best of both of these modes, adds a story, lovable characters, and a sense of progression through seemingly endless quests to get through the story.

    And this game is long, one of the best value games on Switch that is not a turn-based RPG, if you are not into those things.

    In short, if you are on the fence about this game, you will love it, and if you have no interest in it you should go and play the demos of both 1 and 2 to find out if it is in anyway for you.    … Expand
  32. whowe
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    So far so good. Thought I will not like this game but then I'm seriously hooked!
  33. MrSultan
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    A must buy on switch.but it is very addictive watch out .once you leave your island there is no going back
  34. RolandDocker
    Jul 16, 2019
    9
    Having never played dragon quest builders 1, I’m impressed by the perfect balance of building and RPG elements this game brings. It feels like a real dragon quest, story driven experience, with really slick and fun building mechanics worked in.

    It’s a testament to the developers that they’ve managed to make building so satisfying. The decision to directly tie building quests into the    Having never played dragon quest builders 1, I’m impressed by the perfect balance of building and RPG elements this game brings. It feels like a real dragon quest, story driven experience, with really slick and fun building mechanics worked in.

    It’s a testament to the developers that they’ve managed to make building so satisfying. The decision to directly tie building quests into the mainline narrative is something, that in my opinion, makes for a more robust and satisfying building experience than Minecraft or any other crafting/building game for that matter. If you love JRPG’s and you find the gentle, slow paced nature of building simulators satisfying, then I highly recommended this game for you. Just beware this is mainly a single player experience. While you can join up with friends and make endless creations (much like Minecraft) you cannot co op the mainline story.

    Also, the switch version mostly runs smoothly, with only a few slow downs here and there when things get busy on screen. The game looks clean, crisp and sharp thanks to the excellent art direction and the performance did not negatively impact my enjoyment of the game at all. In fact, playing this game in hand held mode was amazing and I loved it.    … Expand
  35. Luahanseng
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    If you are a minecraft fan, this game will give you an exponential level of improvement in your experience. this game is a MASTERPIECE
  36. my__opinion
    Jul 31, 2019
    5
    I feel like the game wasn't meant to be in first-person view. I keep finding myself staring at a wall with voices around, unable to pop to third-person view. Anything that happened in that scene is lost on me. There are other times in the game as well where I am just suddenly forced to third-person view and it does not revert to first-person (the left+a attack, is one). These are symptomsI feel like the game wasn't meant to be in first-person view. I keep finding myself staring at a wall with voices around, unable to pop to third-person view. Anything that happened in that scene is lost on me. There are other times in the game as well where I am just suddenly forced to third-person view and it does not revert to first-person (the left+a attack, is one). These are symptoms of what seems to be a distinct lack of polish.

    The controls in general seem to have issues (and, again, this may be because I am almost exclusively in first-person view). There are times that it will select every single block around me except for the one that I want. This is especially true when trying to plant crops when there are already seeds planted in the adjacent squares. Most times, jumping, looking down, and hitting the button to place works. However, again with planting, it sometimes just refuses.

    There's also the matter that, much of the time, there is a follower who feels the need to be almost inside of you. The same button to talk, interact, and switch tools is used. This means that, in tight quarters, trying to change tools is an exercise in absolute frustration; I've had to run around the area in a circle to be far enough away from everyone and everything to change tools when searching for minerals that required breaking many blocks.

    The performance has also been an issue at times when docked (I almost never play in a mobile fashion). On the third island (to do with minerals), especially toward the end, I had some issues with things chugging pretty badly.

    A couple of things that maybe are more subjective or do not apply to everyone. There is no colorblind mode. This can make a few things frustrating since I know there are supposed to be outlines where something's area of effect is (based on seeing it in areas where the colors differed). The pacing also feels way off for me as well. After completing some of the island that has minerals/mining, there is an event that I feel completely kills the pacing (not mentioning to avoid spoilers).

    I've been playing the Dragon Quest games since the first one in the '80s. Whilst they were never perfect, I've come to expect more in this day. I was ultimately let down. I keep playing it, but I constantly find myself wondering what it might have been.    … Expand
  37. GeorgeGamer77
    Sep 2, 2019
    9
    This game is so good, so addictive that you wont believe the amount of hours youre going to give this game. 100% Recommended. Say goodbye to your social life. Every thing the first game did, this one did it bigger and better. (also so cute and charming)
  38. LuGaMi
    Sep 2, 2019
    10
    Entertaining, worthy successor of Dragon Quest build, I recommend it. Music 10, Graphics 9, mechanics 10 hours and hours of play.
  39. Ajite
    Sep 15, 2019
    8
    Great game even though the story is pretty dull and the fighting mechanics need improvements.
    The game shines thanks to its Minecraft inspired building system. It is easy to build what is in your mind and it gives you plenty of tools to do it. The music is great but none of it is memorable.
    In the end I enjoyed building towns and monuments with my friends online but it is a shame we    Great game even though the story is pretty dull and the fighting mechanics need improvements.
    The game shines thanks to its Minecraft inspired building system. It is easy to build what is in your mind and it gives you plenty of tools to do it. The music is great but none of it is memorable.

    In the end I enjoyed building towns and monuments with my friends online but it is a shame we can’t play it on the same station with a split screen.    … Expand
  40. Peter19
    Sep 16, 2019
    10
    I absolutely loved the first game and this game is even better! I love all the characters, and they improved upon things I didn’t even know could be better! Amazing building system with a lot of explore and to do.
  41. DERPCOP
    Nov 19, 2019
    8
    This game is oozing with charm. The story is fairly long and there's a bunch of objectives to complete, along with tools you unlock to make building easier. There's a few quality of life improvements in this game too, like the first person mode which makes building so much easier and combat more immersive. There's lots of end game content too and it's all around a great time. It took meThis game is oozing with charm. The story is fairly long and there's a bunch of objectives to complete, along with tools you unlock to make building easier. There's a few quality of life improvements in this game too, like the first person mode which makes building so much easier and combat more immersive. There's lots of end game content too and it's all around a great time. It took me about 80 hours to finish the story and 100 to get through the end game content so it's well worth the 60 dollars in my opinion. My only complaint is that the season pass is a bit over-priced as it really doesn't add a whole lot except for some builders recipes and fishing content (which is arguably the best DLC). I would highly recommend this game if you're into RPGs or games Like Minercaft and Terraria… Expand
  42. Gramscci
    Feb 13, 2022
    10
    Una obra maestra

    Dragón Quest Builders 2, es un juego versátil, variado y divertido. No te dejes engañar con el parecido estructural que tiene con Minecraft ( y el cual a mí no me agrada por no tener objetivos o un sentido de progresión marcado), este es un juego desde mi perspectiva mejor en muchos sentidos. Si te gustan los RPGs y personajes entrañables te encantará este título.
  43. Anonime
    Jul 10, 2020
    9
    If the first game seemed good to me, this one seemed excellent to me. Improving in all those aspects that the previous one suffered.

    Characters with more charisma, much more to build and areas where to do it, predictable story but still manage to make it transmit you, improved graphics, improved gameplay ... If I put a downside to it is that there is a limit to build, which has made    If the first game seemed good to me, this one seemed excellent to me. Improving in all those aspects that the previous one suffered.

    Characters with more charisma, much more to build and areas where to do it, predictable story but still manage to make it transmit you, improved graphics, improved gameplay ...

    If I put a downside to it is that there is a limit to build, which has made me stop playing when I could continue to grow my island to infinity ... But it is understandable by the technical deficiencies, I suppose.

    Little more to add, simply, a game that I highly recommend.    … Expand
  44. ValkyriaDG
    Nov 7, 2020
    9
    Tras 390 horas de juego puedeo decir que el juego es Fantástico de Principio a Fin. Muy completo y entretenido
  45. Vinzkill
    Mar 27, 2021
    9
    I made an account just to make a review for this game. I was not planning to buy this game. I bought it only because It was on sale. I heard about this game but it never interested me but to my surprise the moment I started playing it I cannot avoid the fact that I cant bring the switch down. :) it has elements of stardew valley (the farming the crafting,animal crossing (because of how theI made an account just to make a review for this game. I was not planning to buy this game. I bought it only because It was on sale. I heard about this game but it never interested me but to my surprise the moment I started playing it I cannot avoid the fact that I cant bring the switch down. :) it has elements of stardew valley (the farming the crafting,animal crossing (because of how the NPC interact), minecraft and hack and slash games for kids. The NPC's has their own unique character. I think building the village itself, the progress and the reaction of the NPC is what I love about this game.The graphics is like cute dragonball. The fighting side is only a bonus. The story will not make you cry Its not the best story but its interesting. Overall it has a little bit of every element which I liked on the games I mentioned above. I love how cute this game is. If the fighting mechanics were made a little bit more interesting this would be a 10. This game can be addicting. I never thought a cheesy game will get me hooked. I am used to play xenoblade and FF games.… Expand
  46. Yawffle
    Apr 1, 2021
    10
    I loved this game overall. I somehow deleted my file, but that won't affect my opinion.
  47. MaddoxWhite
    Apr 24, 2021
    10
    This is the most underrated game of all time. It's Minecraft with a story, lots of NPC elements, Dragon Quest characters, (obviously,) and much more.

    But WOW, Square, PLEASE, fix your 1 hour long loading screens.
  48. FillyDee
    May 11, 2021
    1
    The start of the game is so painfully slow that even if you rush through everything, you'll still be stuck in tutorial mode over an hour in. The game slowly explains everything and if you rebind the controls it straight up breaks.
  49. DryBones
    Jun 28, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The problem is that the final boss is on the game jacket ... Too bad ! | Seriously it is a very funny game I'm never boring… Expand
  50. Oliver213
    Nov 8, 2022
    7
    recommended by friend to purchase this game. I have to say that it is really fun -- RPG + sandbox is definitely an ace. I fully recommend it to someone enjoying sandbox games like my friend. However for RPG-only persons like me would feel a little boring as long as game finished (although many say the end of story is only the beginning of this game).

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best Switch Game of 2019
35
#35 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2019
30
#30 Most Shared Switch Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Jun 23, 2020
    80
    Despite my issues with overbearing objectives and combat, Dragon Quest Builders 2’s charm and sense of adventure shines above all else and even with some framerate issues is a great fit for the Nintendo Switch.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Apr 28, 2020
    90
    If you're an adventure game enthusiast, this series will be a breath of fresh air for you. [Issue #41 – September 2019, p. 66]
  3. Edge Magazine
    Aug 15, 2019
    80
    The essence of the classic JRPG distilled into an unlikely form. [Issue#336, p.114]
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