Darkest Dungeon II Reviews

Darkest Dungeon II is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
May 11, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II showcases how sequels can surpass the original through its captivating gameplay, stunning art style, and immersive music. While the game's complexity may prove challenging, those who venture forth are rewarded with hours of engrossing gameplay and a constant yearning for one more expedition.

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10 / 10.0
May 9, 2023

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.

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9.5 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

Red Hook Studios refined the art of Darkest Dungeon in every sense, making it extremely difficult to find any defects. It's a brutally challenging strategy games and it's well suited to embrace the new roguelite form. Do yourself a favour and try it right now.

Review in Italian | Read full review

95 / 100
May 13, 2023

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.

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91%
Jul 15, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 brilliant, stunning, and an absolute blast to play, an exceptional evolution from the first game.

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4.5 / 5.0
May 8, 2023

Darkest Dungeon II isn’t an easy experience to dive into, but it is a worthwhile one. Those willing to muscle through its punishing design and RNG elements will find one of the best roguelike titles around, and can expect to be drawn back into its world for months or years to come.

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9 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

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.

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9 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

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

9 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

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

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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4.3 / 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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8.5 / 10.0
May 8, 2023

When I found myself shouting in relief and frenetically raising my fist in the air after a hard battle ends in my favor, I can’t deny the following fact: Darkest Dungeon II is a harsh but fantastic game whose white-knuckled battles and hazard-filled exploration will trap you for hours. If you’re willing to make the needed sacrifices, it’s a journey well worth taking.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 15, 2023

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

9 / 10
May 11, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 doubles down on what made the original so special, presenting a roguelike adventure where swings in mood carry just as much weight as swings of the sword.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 10, 2023

Darkest Dungeon 2 suffers from the lack of an engaging story and some monotony, but the developers have delivered on their promises. This game is better than its predecessor in almost every way.

Review in Polish | Read full review

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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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

8.5 / 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

83 / 100
May 8, 2023

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.

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IGN
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 12, 2023

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.

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