In our preview published in early April, we compared Minecraft Dungeons Mobile to a Diablo “for dummies”. Its obsession with accessibility gave us the impression that it was aimed primarily at young players rather than old geeks glued to their mice. In a way, what could be more normal, when you know that franchising is extremely popular among teenagers. However, the average age of Minecraft Dungeons Mobile players would officially be 24 years old. Contrary to the blocks that make up its universe, this spin-off produced by Mojang doesn’t scatter like a puzzle. No, it tends to reproduce what makes the strength of the best Hack’n slashes without ever trying to surpass its masters. Borrowing from both Diablo and Torchlight, he proposes mechanics that have proven their worth in the past, based on the constant improvement of a hero who has to repel waves of creatures in different labyrinths.
About Minecraft Dungeons Mobile
Equipped with an isometric camera that follows the action on a single axis (unlike in Sacred 2 where it was possible to rotate), Minecraft Dungeons Mobile asks to embody a hero without having to select classes beforehand. Here, it’s the habit that makes the monk: the equipment found in the maze transforms any dungeon into a skilled archer as well as a powerful sorcerer. With the right equipment and a consequent level of experience, it becomes possible to design hero builds that specialise in summoning pets, hand-to-hand combat, or harvesting souls. Little by little, swords send rays, armour has devastating auras, and bows shoot a multitude of arrows. The controls are simple and uncluttered: a joystick to move around, two keys to strike (hand-to-hand, remote), three buttons to use powers, a care trigger, and the directional cross to display the inventory or map. There is no lack of visual feedback, just like the character who lights up when his dodge bar is loaded. Healing items and force boosters are activated as soon as they are picked up, so they cannot be stored. Simple, basic. Both the interface and the character sheet are clear, and it is easy to understand the ins and outs of the mechanics without reading a single line of the tutorial. Even Gameloft’s Dungeon Hunter Alliance was harder to tame, which shows the incredible flexibility of Minecraft Dungeons Mobile.
CRYPT: 100% – CRAFT: 0%
Thought as an “Adibou” of the Hack’n slash with a Minecraft Dungeons Mobile Crawler tendency, the title of Mojang just faithfully reproduces the codes of a genre known to be reserved for hardcore gamers. If its ease of access is not to blame so much the part taken is obvious, it is more regrettable to note the lack of originality. Despite the frankness from which it draws its visual identity, Minecraft Dungeons Mobile does not do credit to the craft. Indeed, arrows, potions, weapons and other armour are collected rather than designed using hard-earned resources. Equipment is easily upgraded by spending unlocked points as experience levels are gained. There are no special pickaxes to dig up to break particular blocks, or paths to create by adding a few cubes. Only Redstone is used for puzzles that are slightly out of the ordinary, with puzzles requiring only switches to be activated or keys to be found. The lack of interaction with the decor is generally annoying. The grass is not mowed, the trees are not cut: the strictly graphic elements that make up the world seem frozen in marble.
On the Minecraft Dungeons Mobile side, the Mojang soft is doing well. Generated in a procedural way, they manage to give the impression that the same painting is not played over and over again. Although we sometimes find presets that are identical from one part to the other, the challenge is highly successful. The good news is that there are more than just crypts or underground temples to visit in Minecraft Dungeons Mobile. The outdoor levels are all part of the game with woods, canyons, and swamps. This variety is enjoyable and helps to avoid fatigue during the ascent, especially as the Unreal Engine displays lovely warm colours. The exploration is done efficiently thanks to a clear map and a goal marker indicating the path to follow to complete the mission. This is very useful when surveying roads.
annexes in order to search the entire dungeon. The enemies that haunt the place range from the spider to the Creeper, the Enderman and the witch. Not all of Minecraft’s bestiary is present, but the selection is sufficient. These villains have a rather binary artificial intelligence, which is content to keep the player at a distance or, on the contrary, to charge him. It can also happen that the monsters stupidly get stuck in the scenery.
THE UNION MAKES THE FORGE
As you can see, Minecraft Dungeons Mobile is easy as long as you choose the level of difficulty recommended by the game (or slightly above). Those who are keen on the challenge still have the opportunity to make the journey harder. By choosing the additional difficulty levels, first of all, such as “Adventure” and “Apocalypse” (to be unlocked as the epic unfolds). Secondly, by modifying the slider for each mission, which gives access to six degrees of dangerousness. Admittedly, the nine main missions and the pinch of side quests can be completed in less than six hours in normal difficulty. But the procedural generation, the many secrets to be discovered and the ever more powerful loot depending on the difficulty lengthen the lifespan.
