Dragon Quest Builders 2: First Impressions

Have you ever wished that Breath of the Wild had more elements from Minecraft in it? Well look no further, Dragon Quest Builders 2 (DQB2) is here!

Realism at its Finest

Despite its childlike charm, DQB2 is a realistic sim that will take over your life, but that’s not a bad thing. So I’m about 30 hours in and this game has taken over my daily routine and ruined my sleep schedule. What’s surprising me the most is just how genuine this game is. Most character interactions are authentic, and each quest is practical.

I knew that DQB2 was fun the second that I started exploring without being told to do so. I often found myself building rooms for all of the villagers on Furrowfield island. Despite that, I was only required to build two rooms. So far my time with DQB2 has been nothing but surprises.

Surprising!

The first surprise came at the very beginning of this game when your character washed ashore a deserted island. There were people on the shore and when you approached them a dialogue box informed you that they were dead. This was both heartbreaking and shocking to me. This completely set the tone for what the rest of the game would be. The next surprise came with how real this game came off to be. Each quest has made me feel like I’m actually inside of this living world. If Super Mario Maker 2 didn’t scratch your creative itch, then look no further! Dragon Quest Builders 2 is here to save the day!

Each quest I’m given feels like its something the characters would actually request, as opposed to standard cookie-cutter RPG side-missions. It goes without saying that characters also paly a key role in this game. Each task they assign brings you one step closer to getting to know everyone, and that’s a good thing.

The Downsides

In contrast, I have run into a few downsides during my play time. The biggest of which being the dialogue. While Dragon Quest games are known to have cheesy dialogue, DQB2 takes this to a whole other level. The reason why I’m placing dialogue as a downside is because it takes away from the realism mentioned earlier. For example, a new villager will adamantly refuse to join your team because it goes against the Children of Hargon (the cult that hates builders). Then in an instant they change their minds and join you. While this is only a small complaint, in my opinion it distracts from the overall course of the game.

Fight, Fight, Fight!

Another subject of important pertains to the combat in DQB2. Most of the complaints that I have seen compare the combat to the Legend of Zelda series, yet that is a false comparison. The reason that people complain regarding the combat, is because some say its too easy and there is no depth. However, when compared to the combat in Minecraft, the combat in DQB2 is actually great.

At roughly 35 hours of gameplay, the ending is nowhere in sight. Again, that doesn’t mean that’s a bad thing. Despite some repetitive side quests, DQB2 has been nothing but surprise after surprise after surprise. Even if the second half of the game turns out to be co9mplete garbage, I know that I will still leave happy. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is going to have control of my life for the time being and that’s completely fine. If you might be interested in checking it out for yourself, there is a demo available on both PS4 and Nintendo Switch.