The influence of Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo II is certainly far-reaching and long-lasting, weathering through the passage of time to become one of the most well-loved titles today. It’s hardly surprising that some of its DNA has carried over to fellow action RPG peer Minecraft Dungeons, with developer Mojang Studios paying the best kind of tribute: a hidden area, based on a beloved secret level in Diablo II.
[SPOILER ALERT: The article will make references to end game content, so do proceed with caution!]
Before embarking on the journey, here’s something to note. You’ll have to play complete the game on default at least once to unlock access to the building, which is the starting location for this little easter egg hunt. First, cross the raised bridge after arriving back in camp, and locate the side path that’s north of it. Continue to explore your campground if it eludes you.
After heading down the path and coming across a giant church, hit the lever to lower the bridge. The church may now be entered, so proceed inside and admire the pixel paintings of the developers themselves on the walls. It’s pretty cheeky and extremely meta, and as the long hallway nears its end, direct your attention to two objects – a dog painting that can be interacted with, and a golden button in a fireplace mantel inside a large room. On it, there should be inscribed runes present.
This is where things heat up, and the adventure begins. When you interact with the dog picture, you’ll notice that it will change to another random still each time. These hints are accompanied by audio cues, and will point you to a location that’s housing a rune. Essentially, you’ll have to go to each area again, search for and interact with a hidden lever or small tile, and obtain the rune. Gather all 10 runes , and the secret’s yours to unlock.
What stands at the end of the blood, sweat, and tears is not a powerful weapon or rare artifact. Instead, it’s an entire secret level, where cows rule the land. Enter the Minecraft Dungeon secret cow level, titled “Moo?” (yes, we’re being serious here).
It’s quite an a-moo-sing (heh) addition, and sure makes for the perfect nod to Diablo II. The hidden level has grown into a crowd favourite over the years, allowing players to fight off hordes of standing, weapon-wielding cows, and grind for better gear.
But the quest to be the very best never stops, and looting mushroom-infected cows in Minecraft Dungeons only marks the start of the end game journey.
Playthrough guide courtesy of Lords of Gaming.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Edwin Teo
