When the idea to make a Minecraft spinoff was first batted around at Mojang Studios, a dungeon crawler game must have been one of the first suggestions. From Gauntlet to Diablo, this genre has always featured dank subterranean lairs, treasure chests and warrior skeletons – all beloved Minecraft components. The signature blocky visuals also work well, ensuring that Minecraft Dungeons will look familiar to fans as they hurtle through dioramas of hack-and-slash fun that rearrange themselves each time you play.
The plot is paper thin: a vengeful loner discovers a treasure that turns him into a powerful mage and duly begins a reign of terror over the Minecraft kingdom. The game can be played alone, but it is most enjoyable to play its co-op mode, which can be enjoyed on a console or online. In this mode players work together to bring down waves of skeletons, slime monsters, and giant spiders, reviving fallen allies as they go. With four players taking part, each equipped with magical weapons, the screen is soon awash with arrows, explosions, lightning bolts and freeze rays in a confusing but exciting light show. As Gauntlet veterans will recall, it’s the hidden rhythms of this genre that are really delightful; the anticipation of the next wave of enemies, the anarchy of battle, then the delicious gluttony of loot collection.
Fighting is highly intuitive – one button for melee attacks, one for ranged weapons. You start with a basic sword and bow, but soon unlock more powerful weapons such as spears, battle hammers and rapid-fire crossbows. You can also earn enchantments for your weapons, giving them new attacks – a poison cloud or lightning strike, for example. Armour and artefacts imbue you with their own special abilities, from lasers to healing auras. The generous cornucopia of defensive and attacking options add a rich seam of strategy and planning to the chaos of the levels.
From the first encounter with a cute skeletal archer to the final mega battle against the Arch Illager himself, Minecraft Dungeons is a delightful thrill ride of a dungeon game. The levels are filled with detail, from lush pixellated woodlands to deep red stone caverns where clattering mine carts rush through the narrow tunnels and torches flicker on craggy walls. Each level has a clear path to the end, but there are plenty of side routes to explore, along with whole cast of baddies and bosses including the terrifying Endermen, accompanied by horror movie music, and necromancers who generate hordes of zombies.
Minecraft Dungeons is enlivened by a sprightly, varied score, theatrical sound effects and many references to the original Minecraft. If you aren’t charmed by the baby zombies rushing at you, arms outstretched, or by the collectible anthropomorphic dungeon keys that run away in terror when you’re attacked, then you have had your soul extracted by a sorcerer.
Minecraft Dungeons isn’t exactly an epic challenge. You’ll be able to complete a basic run-through in an evening, though escalating difficulty levels bring up ever more powerful and interesting weapons and items. Plus, as the levels are partly random, they’re never quite the same when you return, adding to the replay value. Some players will find it galling that the game map shows an unavailable area that will be available to purchase later on.
It’s also a shame that we see none of the main game’s focus on player creativity. Between each level you’re returned to your training camp where you can buy new items and practise with fresh weapons, and it would have been a nice touch to be able to build your own little castle there. But as a retro-tinged hack-and-slash jaunt with plenty of Mojang character and humour, Minecraft Dungeons is a hugely diverting treat that’ll provide hours of fun for locked-down families.
