Rube Goldberg machines of death abound in Dungeon Defenders 2

All grown up

The first Dungeon Defenders was something of a sleeper hit: an indie tower defense / action RPG hybrid that came out of nowhere to become one of the most addictive co-op games around. As it turns out, killing waves of monsters and collecting sweet loot in the process makes strategic tower building that much more awesome. Now, the four adorable tykes from the first game are older, wiser, and more battle-hardened--just in time for the insanity of Dungeon Defenders 2.

As the magic-wielding Apprentice, tanky Squire, arrow-shooting Huntress, or healing Monk, you take to a third-person perspective to fortify sacred relics with enchanted defenses. DD2 puts even more emphasis on clever combos between your towers, creating Rube Goldberg-like sequences of destructive pandemonium. For example: my Monk teammate had an affinity for Lightning Aura towers, which zap any enemy nearby. As the Huntress, I put a bunch of water geyser traps in front of the Monk's towers, causing any orcs and ogres to get soaked and take additional electrical damage. The resulting light show was glorious.

DD2 also has a gorgeous aesthetic, taking the original's cartoony good looks and sprucing them up with hand-painted textures and effects (the goal, say the developers, was evoking the same visual style as Ni No Kuni). In essence, DD2 seems to take all the entertaining fundamentals of the first game and polish them to a sparkling shine, which should delight fans and newcomers alike. Add in rebalanced mechanics, more loot, and harder challenges, and you've got the kind of sequel any tower defense aficionado can get behind.

Check out the following screenshots for more info!

Seriously, maximize this screenshot and take in the gorgeous view. As an added bonus, you'll get to laugh at all the doomed orcs.

The scenic levels are all interconnected--you'll actually be able to spot previous vistas in the distance, which is really cool in practice.

Even the Squire's beefy fortifications might struggle with this baddie, who can buff nearby enemies once it burrows into the ground.

Finding new gear is still a huge part of the game--and it's all instanced to you, so you never have to fear any ninja looters or griefers.

Taking careful aim can make a huge difference, since DD2's body targeting system makes headshots that much more powerful.