Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin Reviews
The new enemy arrangements don't trump the original Dark Souls II, but it's still a great jumping-on point
Dark Souls II comes to current gen with a vengeance.
A worthy technical upgrade, but changes to enemy spawn locations serve to add frustration and highlight issues with the original release.
The best version of the ultra difficult game par excellence. It may not be as cutting edge as it was, or it may not contribute as much if you already crushed it, but if it is not your case and you have patience ...
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A great soulslike in a very valid edition, able to remix content in an interesting way even for those who know the original game very well.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A great game in an edition full of content but with graphical improvements that do not justify its buyback.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin targets two audiences: newcomers and veterans. In both cases it succeeds.
It's a game that keeps promising new beginnings but delivers only dysfunction repackaged as progress.
Even if it's only been a year, time has not been kind to Dark Souls' sequel and this remaster does little to help the situation – even if it 's a hugely engrossing game in its own right.
Not quite content with improving the graphics and lumping in the downloadable content and calling it a day, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin feels like From Software's definitive vision for the game.
Players who have played Dark Souls II for an extended period, as well as all of the DLC may find that the rearranged enemy and item placement enough to get them fighting for their soul once again, but only if they are die-hard fans. If you haven't played the original or you were stopped a bit short the first time around, Scholar of the First Sin is the perfect excuse to come back and try your hand at the experience again. The new additions and visual upgrades make this the best version to play the game on.
But if for some reason you missed Dark Souls 2 first time around, or need a great reason to go back, this superlative edition is a nightmare worth having.
Between the new enemy placements, greater challenge, the improved visuals and all the additional bonus content, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin is absolutely worth a first look if you're a newcomer to the series - and in the case of returning players, almost certainly worth a second.
Following on the heels of Bloodborne, Dark Souls II is a further affirmation of From Software's immense talent.
Scholar of the First Sin is a noble attempt to right the perceived wrongs of Dark Souls II, but while some tweaks are welcome, others -such as certain enemy placements- are less so. Whatever way you cut it though, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is still a great game.
With the enemy placement changed, it really does offer a newer challenge to veteran players, and while the double weapon degradation is really, really annoying, it can be managed. It's just going to take a lot of backtracking.
Overall, Scholar of the First Sin is a fantastic upgrade and worth the purchase if you never had the chance to play Dark Souls 2 on PC or current gen consoles. Even if you did play through it before, the DLC alone is worth checking out. The visual upgrades are rather stunning if you haven't played on PC, and the new enemy positions offer veteran players a nice surprise.
Whether you're new to Dark Souls II or played it on older consoles, Scholar of the First Sin is worth revisiting. This PlayStation 4 collection features the original game, along with the three expansion packs. The result is as rewarding as it is frustrating. And thanks to substantial tweaks made to the world and enemy AI, there's more than enough incentive to suck series veterans back into one of the best adventure games of all time.
More experienced players will have a good experience when visiting again Drangleic, as previous save files will not serve in this version, pushing them to live this adventure with the changes in the design that incredibly refresh the journey. A definitive version that without saying it, condenses and improves a journey of pain, great challenges and at the same time great rewards.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, Scholar of First Sin can be a hard sell for folks who played the original Dark Souls 2 to death already (pun so totally intended). If you've never played its predecessor before, however, or are a rabid fan who wants to re-experience everything again on the newer consoles, this is one game you'll want to prepare to take a stab at.