Dungeon Defenders II (PC) (2017)

Overview: Tower defense mixed with action. A free-to-play entry to the Dungeon Defenders series.

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20191228:
Today I tried playing this game for the first (and likely last) time.

The Apprentice

Gameplay Log:
Played tutorial level. ~8 minutes
For some reason it didn't unlock the second level.
Trying to get into the level with my cousin. ~10 minutes.
We completed the tutorial level for a second time (~9 minutes) and didn't unlock the second level.
Spent about 10 minutes messing around trying to see if I was missing something. My cousin got bored.
Turned the game off.
Went back into the game to try playing by myself. The second level was mysteriously unlocked.
I played the second level.

The Monk

Steam Game Time: 66 minutes (total game time)

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Thoughts:
Pros:
+ Nice graphics

Neutral:
~ I personally don't like the idea of switching between heroes in a deck. In particular, the system seems counter to playing with friends. When a player is forced to play just one hero, then it's important to play with friends in order to cover any weaknesses. When given multiple characters, the player can remain more independent.

Level Select. The second level unlocked after I closed and reopened the game.

Cons:
- Unlocking costumes with microtransactions was not an experience I was interested in
- The loading times for transitioning between levels and the tavern was annoying
- The move for a public world by default instead of entering a private tavern (like the first game) was not one I liked
- Too many NPCs; busy overworld

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Summary:
Overall, I like the feel of the original Dungeon Defenders much more than this sequel - despite the graphics being older. On that note, a sequel which intends to return to the retail experience of the original game will be released in February 2020 (the beta was released to players who pre-ordered in November 2019). In the end, I would not recommend the game.

The Knight

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Dungeon Defenders II (PC) (2017)

Relevant Links:
Dungeon Defenders II Website
Dungeon Defenders II (PC) (MetaCritic.com)
Dungeon Defenders II (steamdb.info)
Dungeon Defenders II (Steam Store Page)
Dungeon Defenders (Wikipedia.org)