Darkest Dungeon II Reviews
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.
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
Darkest Dungeon II brings fresh ideas to an already stellar series.
Darkest Dungeon II keeps everything good from the original and elevates it to create something different but equally brutal.
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.
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
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
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
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.
Darkest Dungeon 2 takes everything about the first game and amplifies it. It's darker, and more brooding, but oozes more personality. It's not easy, but the long exhale after a successful expedition is difficult to match.
Darkest Dungeon II is a gruelling experience where you constantly fail and luck isn't on your side. But as you learn from your mistakes and unlock more resources, the challenges can be conquered, and it feels mighty good to do so. Veterans of the previous game will be surprised by the reworked mechanics, and it will take some time to adapt. Though that doesn't take away from the huge amount of enjoyment the game is able to instil and the exhilaration you get when exploring Darkest Dungeon II with an open mind. For a roguelite experience that pushes your creativity and tolerance to the limit, you'll struggle to find much better than Darkest Dungeon II.
Darkest Dungeon 2 is not trying to replace the first game. It aims to occupy a spot right beside its predecessor. There are some things the sequel does well and some things it doesn’t. The streamlined (in a good way) combat, reduced grind and improved character dynamics comes at a cost of the removal of the comfy base management of the original.
Darkest Dungeon II creates a new framework for the stress inducing cosmic horror series, and is just as challenging as its predecessor.
Darkest Dungeon II conquers us with its tense and macabre journey. The sequel dares to completely change its style, offering a more focused and lean roguelike structure without leaving aside the atmosphere full of complications. Combat is the most notable point with its countless nuances and interesting possibilities, which result in dense and complex tactical clashes. The pilgrimage is not free of problems: unpredictability and bad luck take away the player's control, creating unpleasant and annoying situations. In addition, there is a lack of a greater variety of events and situations. Luckily, there's plenty of content to explore in the form of characters, challenges, and campaigns, which eases the sense of repetition. Frustration, anguish and heartache await those who decide to explore the dangers of Darkest Dungeon II. The road is dangerous and exhausting, but it's worth crossing.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Darkest Dungeon 2 is a game that offers a good amount of content and replay value. However, its rogue-lite focus and slowness between battles make the experience less satisfying than the first game. Despite its graphical improvements and gameplay changes, it lacks some of the charm that made the original so special.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Yet all in all, Darkest Dungeon 2 is a worthy sequel to the 2015 original. It’s a fearless alteration of a well-known formula, while also building a game that you really don’t need any context for. Despite issues with some of the best aspects of the game being thinned by its new formula, Darkest Dungeon 2 remains one of the most exciting strategy games in a while.
Darkest Dungeon II will appeal to fans of the old game and new victims. I mean, players, alike. The cosmic nihilism and battle to preserve hope in Darkest Dungeon II’s narrative is paired with solid gameplay improvements that are less likely to turn players into nihilists themselves.
A sequel that at first sight seemed to be unnecessary, has managed to crown itself as one of the best role-playing experiences of the last few years. Suffering, masochism and injustice are part of the fun in this incredible roguelite.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
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.