It was an interesting concept Square Enix put forth years ago, mashing together Dragon Quest and Minecraft. Turns out, it is a formula that works very well. The original game was an enjoyable experience that garnered praise and positive reviews across the board. Its sequel, Dragon Quest Builders 2, is nearing its worldwide release, and outlets everywhere are submitting their critiques.

As with all sequels, the next game in the series adds even more items to construct, more worlds to explore, and a lot of new features for players to enjoy, with multiplayer being a particularly meaningful one. Dragon Quest Builders 2 hopes to build upon the original in a significant way. Whether it does or not can now be gleaned from the many reviews now out there in the wild. Here is a collection of insights from critics to shed some light on how Dragon Quest Builders 2 stacks up.

IGN: 8.8/10 - T.J. Hafer

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is an admirable RPG and an admirable building game which seems in most cases to have gotten the best bits of both of its parent genres. Clunky, overly straightforward combat and unintuitive controls drag it down a little bit, but it still manages to soar above all of the less ambitious Minecraft clones we’ve seen over the years. Even with the main story behind me, I’m still itching to spend time exploring its excellent environments and make them my own.

GamesRadar+: 5/5 - Rachel Weber

Prepare to spend far too much of your time worrying if you've put the toilet too near the cocktail bar and praying monsters don't smash your new shower room to bits, because Dragon Quest Builders 2 is back to make its mix of Minecraft style building, Harvest Moon farming and Zelda-ish exploration your whole life. The first game proved just how satisfying the mix of creation and carnage could be, and Dragon Quest Builders 2 improves on the original formula like it's slinging a diamond necklace on a unicorn.

dragon quest builders 2 villagers square enix

VG 24/7: Kirk McKeand

Dragon Quest Builders became pretty predictable by the halfway point, but Builders 2 manages to keep things fresh throughout, and that’s before even delving into your friend’s island creations in online co-op. It’s a moreish town management game, a surprisingly versatile building tool, and a decent RPG in its own right.

Kotaku: Jason Schreier

While there are still a few things to complain about—some tedium, some repetition, those terrible transliterated accents—it’s got everything you’d want from a sequel to Dragon Quest Builders. It carries over what worked so well in the first game, like the quirky personalities and that satisfying feeling of busywork that can only come through moving little blocks around to make bigger blocks. It also fixes most of the first game’s flaws.

Destructoid: 7.5/10 - CJ Andriessen

It's easy for me to say Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a good game because it'd be a lie for me to say otherwise. The groundwork laid by the first title is still sound, but it just didn't grab me the same way its predecessor did. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop playing anytime soon - I still have my home island to complete - but it does mean it's not going to get my undivided attention for weeks-on-end like the first game did.

According to reviews, it would seem Square Enix has managed to take this whimsical mishmash of a series and improve upon it with the sequel. Anyone who enjoyed the original will likely get a kick out of Dragon Quest Builders 2 as well. The positive responses alone should act as a green light to pick up a controller and start building.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 will launch worldwide on July 12, 2019, for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch.