Dragon Quest Builders 2 is worth another look with a Switch Online full game trial

A realm reborn, one block at a time

I sunk a ton of time into Dragon Quest Builders trying to explore as much as possible and get every villager situated just so, but I haven’t been back for round two. If you had a similar experience and you’re a Nintendo Switch Online member, heads up: there’s a full-game trial for Dragon Quest Builders 2 running on Switch right now through Tuesday.

The trial will be playable until April 26 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, and you can download it here or find it in the Switch Online section of your Nintendo Switch. If you’re going the first route, make sure you scroll down, though — look for a download link next to a “Game Trials” image, as opposed to the standard “demo” link up top. The full trial is 1.7 GB.

This probably goes without saying for the Dragon Quest series at large, but yes: don’t worry about coming into the sequel totally fresh. The story — a fight against an anti-building group as a freshly washed-ashore young Hero — stands on its own.

How much of Dragon Quest Builders 2 can you finish in six days? Considering the game’s girth on the How Long to Beat scale, I’d say probably not all of it! Folks are clocking 50-some hours for the main story, and easily double that for a completionist scrub-down.

There’s also a sale on the game and Season Pass

Speaking of, any effort you put into the Switch Online trial of Dragon Quest Builders 2 won’t be a waste — that progress will carry into a purchased copy, should you decide to buy. There’s a deal right now — it’s $30 on the Switch eShop, which is $20 off the MSRP — and the game’s Season Pass is down to $12.59, too; hey, there’s a DIY aquarium.

We’re at a point now in this game’s cycle where I think only the steepest (out-of-character-for-Square-Enix) discount would speak to me, so a trial event is the best bet to capture my interest. Originally, at launch, I felt like I already had my fill of this formula, and CJ’s review didn’t sway me. Maybe I’ll come around. It is pretty charming.

This is kind of here nor there, but if we’re talking about Dragon Quest spin-offs, I sure wouldn’t mind a potential Dragon Quest Heroes III one of these days.