Dark Souls 2 is finally out, and as the world gets used to the myriad of changes FromSoft have implemented to keep the series fresh for both newcomers and veterans alike, there are a wealth of choices that just feel somewhat ‘off’. The original Dark Souls was a very hard game, but it was almost unanimously your fault if you died (save for getting toasted on that opening bridge where the game just wants to make you weep), and therein lies the rub, as with the developers diving back into what was a perfect formula for gameplay, they appear to have changed many aspects for the worse.
Dark Souls 2 remains a divisive entry in the landmark RPG franchise, but Hidetaka Miyazaki believes it led to the success of Elden Ring.
DS2 was fine. While there was a bit of recycling assets or ideas for bosses, it was a bigger more open Dark Souls. The Fume knight boss is one of the hardest bosses in the series until Sekiro and Elden Ring were released.
The problem with Dark Souls 2 was the same problem when a different director takes over for a sequel to an outstanding movie. It typically (there are exceptions) doesn’t have the feel and vision of the previous movie.
I wouldn’t say Dark Souls 2 is terrible. Had Dark Souls 1 never been a thing and we got this, I think it would have been praised more. The problem is it didn’t have the Miyazaki touch to it and felt pretty derivative. The soundtrack is a banger though.
I like DS 2, might even be my favorite of the 3. But it's a hard sell, there's so many obscure things you need to do to make it an enjoyable experience. So always find it hard to recommend, but it is worth the trouble.
TheGamer writes, "Some weapons resist the test of time."
The Nerd Stash: “Whether you’re here to gloat about your victories or to see what the fuss is about, we present to you the hardest bosses in the Souls series.”
Seriously?
"Yes you are free to warp between bonfires as you see fit, but only AFTER you’ve discovered and lit them first, so essentially nothing really changes aside from the bizarre inclusion of a need to warp back to a small cliffside village called Majula to level up.
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Seriously??
I'll give you the hit boxes...but..the rest of the article? Nope. They aren't even negatives.
My only grip with the game:
"This time though, not only are you losing segments of your life bar with each death, but you can only defeat any enemy in a given section 12 times, before they disappear altogether (unless you procure Bonfire Ascetic – an item that makes surrounding enemies harder to kill, and is rumoured to bring them back to life too). How are you going to procure such an item to save yourself from a soulless purgatory though? You certainly can’t afford to buy it being there are no enemies left to kill, and any other exploration into an unknown path quickly reminds you of how much damage you cannot take."
That and the hit-boxes, of course.