Dragon Quest Builders 2

Spinoff games
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Developer(s)	Koei Tecmo
Publisher(s)	Square Enix
Designer(s)	Kazuya Niinou
Artist(s)	Marina Ayano Kittaka; Yoshikazu Takenouchi
Composer(s)	Kōichi Sugiyama
Series	Dragon Quest
Platform(s)	PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
Release date(s)	Switch, PS4; JP December 20, 2018; NA July 12th, 2019; EU July 12th, 2019; Steam; INT December 10, 2019; Xbox One, WIndows 10, Gamepass; INT May 4th, 2021;
Genre(s)	Console role-playing game
Mode(s)	Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone 10+

Dragon Quest Builders 2 ((ドラゴンクエストビルダーズ２　破壊神シドーとからっぽの島), Doragon Kuesuto Birudaazu Tsuu Hakaishin Shidou to Karappo no Shima^?, lit. lit. Dragon Quest Builders 2: Destruction God Shidou and the Empty Isle) is the sequel to the 2016 sandbox game Dragon Quest Builders. It was announced at the summer 2017 Dragon Quest festival, along with a brief preview video and a few small details addressed by Yuji Horii.

Builders 2 was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows via Steam in years 2018 (Japan) and 2019. Among the Windows ports of the Dragon Quest series, Builders 2 is the fourth release, and the first to fully support Japanese.^[1] In May 2021, the game was released on Xbox One, Windows 10, and Gamepass.

Setting[edit | edit source]

The game takes place following the events of Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line, in which the remnants of the Children of Hargon are attempting to make a comeback after their leader's death by promoting the power of destruction, kidnapping or disadvantaging those who engage in the acts of creation. The player takes control of an abducted Builder who escapes the cultists in the midst of a torrential storm when their ship sinks and washes up on an empty, deserted island alongside a mysterious boy named Malroth and a fellow abductee named Lulu.

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It is later revealed that the world is set in the illusory world that Hargon made to trick the three scions of Erdrick in Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line. Eventually, Malroth and the Builder join forces to make it real, saving everyone and everything inside it.

It is unknown whether the series takes place in the same timeline of the first installment.

Plot[edit | edit source]

The Builder and the Malroth travel to various islands to help revitalize the abandoned Isle of Awakening that had been entrusted to the Builder by the Hairy Hermit. Namely, they go to Furrowfield, Khrumbul-Dun and Moonbrooke. Along the way, Malroth learns the importance of "dreams", "love" and "conviction" on those islands, respectively.

Warning: Spoilers!
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However, due to certain events in Moonbrooke, the friendship between Malroth and the Builder is severed. Later on the Isle of Awakening, the player learns that it was Hargon's intention all along for this to happen, so Malroth's powers as the Master of Destruction re-awaken. However, after an adventure in Malhalla to rescue Malroth from becoming a mindless monster, they reconcile and return safely to the Isle of Awakening.

Major Characters[edit | edit source]

For a list of all characters in Dragon Quest Builders 2, see here.

New features and changes[edit | edit source]

Builders 2 introduces and changes many things from the first title. Here are a list of some (but not all):

The build height (on the Isle of Awakening) has been increased, making the maximum 95 from base to the height limit and 64 from sea level.
Cooking and forging ingots now takes real time. Each recipe has a different required cooking time.
Explorer's shores are special islands that generate procedurally each time the Builder visits them. Each has different types of materials, blocks, enemies and items.
- Unlimited materials (when crafting) can be unlocked by finding every listed material in each Explorer's shore.
The Builder's Best: A late Dragon Quest Builders contest held in Japan rewarded the top 100 winners with their creations being immortalized in Builders 2. Each Builder's Best can appear in an Explorer's Shore with their respective fitting environment.
Slopes are now built into the game's physics engine. There are three kinds, all available with the chisel tool.
The new trowel tool allows players to replace and build blocks really easily.
Improved water mechanics now allow liquids to be placed (almost) anywhere the builder wants. Underwater exploration is possible, and so is making waterfalls.
- There are 7 liquid types: Water, Sea Water, Mud Water, Hot Water, Poison, Lava, and Plasma.
A larger amount of cosmetic options, some of which have been improved.
Weapons and hammers are now assigned to separate buttons and no longer break after repeated use.
- Armor and clothing also no longer break.
The ability to dash has been added.
Tablet Targets have been added, in the Isle of Awakening.
- Finishing these optional sidequests awards the player with mini medals and new tools.
- The main story islands contain optional puzzles that also give mini medals.
- Reaching a certain number of completed targets unlocks new hairstyles.
- Finishing them all unlocks the Buildnoculars, a tool that allows builders to build from afar.
Soil in fields can be purified with the help of a friendly Wiggly, who aerates infertile blocks for crop cultivation. Fields can be assigned to any area by placing a scarecrow down.
Players may now glide from high elevation via the windbraker. While gliding, it is possible to perform an aerial attack that launches the player upwards and pummels them down for damage.
Vehicular transportation is possible with the Buggy-buggy, a car designed after an Army ant. It can also fly.
The player can warp to certain parts of the islands by unlocking zoom spots. They can either be unlocked by reaching the location (e.g. The Dock, Furrowfield Farm) or by activating a naviglobe (e.g. Fat Rat Rise, The Orc's Tomato Farm) These warp spots are fixed, with two exceptions: the Builder's Best (randomly generated location on the Explorers' shores) and the Buggy-buggy (moveable warp location).
Multiplayer has been implemented to allow up to four players on the same platform. There is no real crossplay multiplayer.
Island and photo sharing have been implemented via the noticeboard. Uploading an island to the noticeboard removes the crossplay limitation, meaning anyone can visit a copy of your island regardless of their platform of choice. However, it is a copy of the island, and changes made by visitors will not register on the actual island,
- Photo contests are held each month, with a different theme each time. Winners recieve a special trophy unobtainable via other means.
Animals are present for villages. There are 5 types: Dogs, cats, chicken, cows and sheep. The latter three produce materials.
- Animals are also able to breed.
The new magnetic blocks allow block movement and open up the decoration possibilities with their transformation option.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

The sword used for the letter T in quest has been replaced with a wooden mallet, signifying the focus on building rather than combat.
This is the final DQ game released in the Heisei era of Japanese history.
In the English localization, the bo'sun of the tutorial ship the player explores in the beginning makes a reference to Lucasarts' The Secret of Monkey Island by stating that the Builder "fights like a cow's cadaver".