Dark Souls 2

is an excellent game and continues to show why From Software stands out from the crowd, while falling short of their previous game.

Firstly I want to say how well Dark Souls 2 runs on PC, buttery smooth framerate the whole way through and the game Alt + Tabs like a champion, which is always worth mentioning. It still looks like a PC game from past decade, but fancy graphics isn't why you play these games.

As much as I hate to say it, the core gameplay is a slight downgrade from the previous game. Some don't like the floaty movement, I'm indifferent about it. What I do have a problem with, is the botched hitboxing and bad i-frames sometimes resulting in unfair damage, which is not cool in a game like this ...and frankly incomprehensible when they had it just right in the last game.

The previous Souls games have been great at rewarding exploration and Dark Souls 2 is no different. There is a ton of content to discover and your first playthrough will probably clock a little under 60 hours. DaS 2 feels quite linear and the level design does not weave together as brilliantly as in the previous game.

From Software has superb art direction in their games. Though after Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1, many of the places in DaS 2 feel samey and uninspiring, others like the hub area Majula are breathtaking vistas that demand you to stop and just look at them. Motoi Sakuraba has returned to compose a solid soundtrack for the game and his exquisite work make places like Majula truly memorable.

The Souls games were never straight forward with their lore but unlike Lordran, I didn't much care what went down in Drangleic as I made my way from an uninspired boss fight to another predictable boss. In the end I was left with only one memorable fight, Mytha, the Baneful Queen ...I got my ass kicked over and over and it was great when I finally beat her. I wanted more of that, but after watching the credits roll, I was still waiting for that special boss fight.

I have mixed feelings about the covenants. I liked how invading worked in Dark Souls, how someone could surprise me when I least expected it. In this game I never got invaded once, apart from getting gangbanged in dedicated griefing areas. The bulk of the PvP is dueling, which can be fun for a while but quickly gets infuriating when you get unjustly backstabbed due to lag. Co-oping and helping others through difficult times has its own rewards but soon you might not be able to do it anymore thanks to 'Soul Memory'.

Following the pre-release statements saying the game would be made to 'appeal to a wider audience', many feared it would lose its Soul. Some changes were made as a lubricant to ease new players into the game, but luckily nothing too drastic. These changes include the likes of more item descriptions, the ability to fast travel back and forth as soon as you discover new bonfires and being able to deplete enemies from areas after killing them enough times. I think the 'improved' item descriptions are a welcome addition but the problematic 'Soul Memory' system, not so much.


TLDR

PROS:

- Amount of content
- Retains the Soul of the series
- Framerate
- Soundtrack
- Majula

INDIFFERENT:

- Lore/World
- Linearity
- Floaty movement
- Covenants
- Fast Travel

CONS:

- Boss fights
- Level design
- Soul Memory
- Enemy depletion
- Botched hitboxing and bad i-frames
- Minor PvP lag

I liked my time with Dark Souls 2 but I would recommend the previous game over this one in a heartbeat.

I was left wanting more, looking at you ...Project Beast. UPDATE: Bloodborne

[b][u]Dark Souls 2[/u][/b] is an excellent game and continues to show why From Software stands out from the crowd, while falling short of their previous game. Firstly I want to say how well Dark Souls 2 runs on PC, buttery smooth framerate the whole way through and the game Alt + Tabs like a champion, which is always worth mentioning. It still looks like a PC game from past decade, but fancy graphics isn't why you play these games. As much as I hate to say it, the core gameplay is a slight downgrade from the previous game. Some don't like the floaty movement, I'm indifferent about it. What I do have a problem with, is the botched hitboxing and bad i-frames sometimes resulting in unfair damage, which is not cool in a game like this ...and frankly incomprehensible when they had it just right in the last game. The previous Souls games have been great at rewarding exploration and Dark Souls 2 is no different. There is a ton of content to discover and your first playthrough will probably clock a little under 60 hours. DaS 2 feels quite linear and the level design does not weave together as brilliantly as in the previous game. From Software has superb art direction in their games. Though after Demon's Souls and Dark Souls 1, many of the places in DaS 2 feel samey and uninspiring, others like the hub area Majula are breathtaking vistas that demand you to stop and just look at them. Motoi Sakuraba has returned to compose a solid soundtrack for the game and his exquisite work make places like Majula truly memorable. The Souls games were never straight forward with their lore but unlike Lordran, I didn't much care what went down in Drangleic as I made my way from an uninspired boss fight to another predictable boss. In the end I was left with only one memorable fight, [spoiler]Mytha, the Baneful Queen[/spoiler] ...I got my ass kicked over and over and it was great when I finally beat her. I wanted more of that, but after watching the credits roll, I was still waiting for that special boss fight. I have mixed feelings about the covenants. I liked how invading worked in Dark Souls, how someone could surprise me when I least expected it. In this game I never got invaded once, apart from getting gangbanged in dedicated griefing areas. The bulk of the PvP is dueling, which can be fun for a while but quickly gets infuriating when you get unjustly backstabbed due to lag. Co-oping and helping others through difficult times has its own rewards but soon you might not be able to do it anymore thanks to 'Soul Memory'. Following the pre-release statements saying the game would be made to 'appeal to a wider audience', many feared it would lose its Soul. Some changes were made as a lubricant to ease new players into the game, but luckily nothing too drastic. These changes include the likes of more item descriptions, the ability to fast travel back and forth as soon as you discover new bonfires and being able to deplete enemies from areas after killing them enough times. I think the 'improved' item descriptions are a welcome addition but the problematic 'Soul Memory' system, not so much. [h1][b]8/10 Wondrous[/b][/h1] [b][u]TLDR[/u][/b] [b]PROS:[/b] - Amount of content - Retains the Soul of the series - Framerate - Soundtrack - Majula [b]INDIFFERENT:[/b] - Lore/World - Linearity - Floaty movement - Covenants - Fast Travel [b]CONS:[/b] - Boss fights - Level design - Soul Memory - Enemy depletion - Botched hitboxing and bad i-frames - Minor PvP lag I liked my time with Dark Souls 2 but I would recommend the previous game over this one in a heartbeat. I was left wanting more, looking at you ...Project Beast. UPDATE: [b]Bloodborne[/b]