Darkest Dungeon II Reviews

Darkest Dungeon II is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8.5 / 10.0
May 22, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II keeps everything good from the original and elevates it to create something different but equally brutal.

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4 / 5.0
May 9, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II brings fresh ideas to an already stellar series.

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7.8 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II is a new fight against the eldritch horror, but this time the roguelite formula doesn't fit perfectly with the title. Despite some stiff parts, the intense and cruel battles are still at the core of the experience.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a wholly different beast from the original, wrapping branching paths and compelling combat into a rogue-lite package. There are some hiccups and it may not appeal to all fans of the original, but it's still a fun journey to suffer.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 20, 2023

A great game in its own right, with a healthy plethora of content and variety to keep you going for many hours, but if you came looking for a true Darkest Dungeon sequel you may be disappointed.

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8.5 / 10.0
Jun 8, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II is a game that deserves to be evaluated independently from the first game, a game that paves its own path by moving in a different direction. With that in mind, it definitely deserves to be played.

Review in Turkish | Read full review

6 / 10.0
May 21, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 wanted to move away from the formula of the first part as much as possible and send us on a new adventure, but something went wrong. The project simply lost the gloomy atmosphere of its predecessor and never figured out how to replace its mechanics.

Review in Russian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
May 9, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 is truly a 'streamlined, unnecessary genres dropping and infinitely expanding' evolution of its predecessor. This beautiful work of harmoniously coexisting design and mechanics reminds me of an enormous roguelike jug filled to the brim with horrifyingly hardcore gameplay, many difficult choices, huge 50+ hours long campaign and a whole bunch of Lovecraftian horror! Oh and there are cute pets riding on your stagecoach too.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

8 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II is not the game I wanted. It's its own thing that is a darn fun game with a lot of interesting mechanics and beautiful artwork. One can't pre-judge DDII based on a player's opinion of the original. It shares a tone, a combat system, and a general aesthetic, but the flow and style of gameplay is so different that it is entirely its own thing. It will take hardened Darkest Dungeon players a bit to adjust to the change. If you're willing to go with the flow, it's an engaging and exciting title, if not quite the masterpiece of the original.

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8 / 10
Jun 14, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a title that has successfully managed not to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor. The change to rogue-lite won't please all fans, though, as it takes away from the game's complexity. On the other hand, it will definitely please players who are more interested in experimentation.

Review in Czech | Read full review

9 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II continues the legacy of the original game as a brutally dark and difficult roguelite turn-based RPG. Much like the characters in the game, riding out in a hopeless effort to stave off the apocalypse, the player will find themself pushing forward despite certain defeat, with only a weak promise that next time it will be a little easier. It’s impressive that such a relentlessly challenging game can still have the player coming back for more.

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4 / 5.0
May 19, 2023

Ultimately, Darkest Dungeon 2 will leave you battered and bruised yet desperate for another dance with despair. It encapsulates the spirit of its predecessor while forging its path. It may not be a game for everyone, but it offers a twisted pleasure that’s hard to resist for those who embrace the darkness. Despite its flaws and initial stumbling blocks, the game delivers a haunting and immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression. In the grim ballet of Darkest Dungeon 2, despair and joy are two sides of the same coin, and that alone makes it worth a spin.

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Liked-a-lot
Jun 20, 2023

There’s a lot to keep track of within Darkest Dungeon 2, so much so that it does indeed feel like a tabletop experience wherein the one in control is doing a tremendous job in keeping those playing along enthralled in the world they conceived. That world is pitch black and absolutely dreadful, and it gives no promise of delivering any form of satisfaction, but there’s still a sense of accomplishment somehow, of faith and hope, something that only the human mind can produce while facing the worst of circumstances.

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4 / 10.0
Jun 11, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II reminds me of Salt and Sacrifice; both sequels to cult classic titles that tried to innovate by mashing up with entirely different genres, both significantly worse off as a result.

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4 / 5.0
Jun 1, 2023

So if you don’t mind the fact that it’s not Darkest Dungeon But More and it’s Darkest Dungeon But Different…it’s worth caveating that the first 10 hours are so are basically just punching you in the face over and over again and normally I don’t put up with that at all before going “okay yeah but then it gets good” but I am an unemployed goth degenerate, so what else am I gonna do?

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3.5 / 5.0
May 13, 2023

That’s actually a frequent issue with Darkest Dungeon II. I admire that the team at Red Hook Studios took a real swing here, trying new paths forward for the series instead of just tinkering around the edges and making an iterative sequel. The issue is that most of the game’s strengths are still the parts that came from the first game, with most of what’s new feeling fine but also like downgrades to what they’ve replaced. It leaves Darkest Dungeon II in a strange place where, on its own merits, it’s an interesting and well-made game that doesn’t quite live up to the example set by its predecessor.

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8 / 10
May 26, 2023

In the realm of punishing roguelike experiences, Darkest Dungeon 2 stands as one of the greats. With its immersive art style and complex gameplay mechanics, paired with relentless difficulty, players will be left more battered and bruised, but also wiser and more satisfied as they keep on playing.

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8 / 10.0
May 18, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 had me feeling mixed at first. Ultimately, this sequel feels more fleshed out, and I grew to appreciate the direction it took, giving our heroes more life by giving them backstories and how they interacted with each other in the world.

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INVEN
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 11, 2023

The official sequel to Darkest Dungeon seemd chose to abandon the management system and offer more rogue-lite fun instead based on the theme of carriage travel. While the concept proved itself with much deeper combat mechanic, but it barely feels like a fresh gameplay.

Review in Korean | Read full review

4.3 / 5.0
May 14, 2023

The premium price tag is well justified. Red Hook’s sophomore release showcases an excellent display of this small but mighty team’s talents. It was well worth the wait with another exceptional addition to the roguelite genre. A gorgeous yet gloomy art direction, impeccable sound design, addictive combat, and more replayability than you can shake a stick come together graciously in Darkest Dungeon II.

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