Dragon Quest Builders 2 review

Exceptional

by BloodScorchedSun

This is a very fun and creative building game set in the Dragon Quest universe. When I first played this game I could not get over how triangle was the attack button, still makes no sense but once you get used to it, it's fine. There are a ton of quality of life improvements over the first game that make doing things a lot easier and less clunky. However, one thing that doesn't change is the uneven progression. No matter where you are in the game you will end up hitting a wall in terms of power. As long as you are pushing forward with the story you are always getting hit way too hard and not doing enough damage. This was something I hated about the first game because it always feels balanced against you. Some scenarios make sense, like Moonbrooke but others it's just an oversight. You do get a strong sword and armor in the final chapter but after beating the game you get access to two locations one with a better sword and one with the best in the game. No idea why this is after the game is essential over. Some of the room specific build requirements are confusing and need to be just right in some instance to set it to the correct room type. Other than that, this has been a great game to play while listening to podcasts. It is also a much deeper and sadder story than I was expecting. While I didn't pay super close attention to the minor story bits, the overall premise and the loses everyone suffers and has to either overcome or deal with just was not something I thought a game like this would tackle.