Darkest Dungeon II Reviews
Darkest Dungeon II is to be applauded for not resting on its laurels, instead opting to make significant changes from its predecessor. The style, challenge, and strategic brilliance remain and that is enough to make it stand out still. However, the focus on roguelike randomness and excessive grind does make this a very different experience and one that didn't gel for me. If you have the patience to explore the rich detail of the mechanics and the stoicism to deal with the inevitable deaths and disappointments then this is a journey worth taking. Just don't expect it to be a comfortable ride.
Darkest Dungeon 2 brilliant, stunning, and an absolute blast to play, an exceptional evolution from the first game.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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?
For our in-depth thoughts on Darkest Dungeon 2, be sure to watch our full review on YouTube. For more video game reviews and gameplay videos, subscribe to the Shacknews channel.
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.
Darkest Dungeon II keeps everything good from the original and elevates it to create something different but equally brutal.
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
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.
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.
A masterful entry in the horror rpg genre. The extremely high difficulty is a challenge worth of any gamer's time. An overreliance on random details and a story a bit too nebulous are the only real problems.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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.
Darkest Dungeon II is not just a game, it’s a masterpiece. It has such a rich environment to see and explore, and a massive multitude of enemies to slay, and it takes strategy to new heights with how the heroes interact with each other. This is not a game for the faint of heart, but with some patience and maybe some out of the box thinking, anybody can learn to love this game and all the strange horrors it’ll introduce you to.
Darkest Dungeon 2 takes a bold new direction for the turn-based tactics ideas established in the first game, but its early hours lean heavily on randomness and it can be a trial to stick with it until you see the light.