Dark Souls II Reviews
The combat is fun, and there's even more weapons now that you can imbue with various elemental powers. The boss fights, though forgettable, are still tense and challenging. The problem is that Dark Souls II must be compared to the original Dark Souls, and it falls flat in every category. By attempting to make both newcomers and veterans of Dark Souls happy, Dark Souls II succeeds in neither, and is an unsatisfying experience because of it.
Feels good to die again
Dark Souls II is a very difficult game more than the first one. PC controls still have the same problem: they're complicated. The story and the maps are much more beautiful, graphics seem better than one consoles. If you are a fan of the Dark Souls series, you'll definitely love this one.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Despite the finicky hit boxes and a few other flaws worth patching, Dark Souls II is an excellent port of a modern action-RPG classic. Dark Souls fans shouldn't hesitate to enjoy all the suffering in high resolution at 60FPS.
While some Souls purists may grumble that the easing of the series' legendary obfuscation strips away some of the sense of accomplishment that lies at the heart its unique appeal, From Software have managed to strike the right balance with Dark Souls 2, allowing more players to get the most out of the game without compromising on the fiendish difficulty that has become its hallmark.
Ultimately, Dark Souls II adds a lot of new features to the formula, but can't quite manage to match the brilliance of the original Dark Souls. What it does provide, though, is still a challenging and highly entertaining journey through the desolate world of Drangleic, one that is most definitely worth experiencing for fans of the genre. With this likely being the last game in the series to also appear on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, it's certainly exciting to think about the future of the franchise and what From Software could achieve on newer hardware, along with all the lessons learned from this game.
Another big, deep, engrossing action RPG in the Souls series that is more polished but ultimately weaker due to a fractured world, lack of direction, uneven difficulty and uninspired boss fights.
Dark Souls II lives up to the series' reputation for being unrelentingly difficult- but it's worth digging in your heels and spending a lot of time with it. The PC port is just as good, if not better than it's console counterpart, but you're going to want to use a gamepad. Using a keyboard is possible, and there's even a few mods out there to make it more functional and ergonomic, but it's still clunky and unintuitive compared to using a controller.
The improvements made to the PC version are fantastic. Just the fact that you do not need any community mods to make the game look respectable is a tremendous step in the right direction for From Software.
It's a testament to the series brand as a whole to make an otherwise solid title feel disappointing, but I've come to expect more and I hope they find the right path through the dark in the next sequel.
There can never be another Dark Souls. From Software's Magnum opus required years of King's Field and dry run in Demon's Souls before visions of Dark Souls were made a reality. A sequel owes an allegiance to its ascendant, and it's doubly-hard trying to improve upon a game many feel was born perfect. Dark Souls II, as its blessing and its curse, is not another Dark Souls. It is, however, more Dark Souls - and it makes good on its hallowed name.
The journey through Drangleic needs to be experienced. It's a marriage of phenomenal world design and impressively tight mechanics. And then it probably needs to be experienced all over again through New Game +. It's undoubtedly bloody hard work, but that just makes every sliver of success precious. Hurrah for Dark Souls II.
This time around, From Software has nailed the PC version of its beloved franchise, leaving absolutely no doubt as to which platform gives players the best experience.
A carefully considered sequel that avoids upsetting existing fans and offers an olive branch to newcomers – but although the PC version is the best it's by a slimmer margin than many would've hoped.
I hate and love Dark Souls II, much as I hate and love myself. In presenting such a challenge that I question why or even if I truly love video games, Dark Souls II achieves exactly what it sets out to do. Is it for everyone? No. I'm not even sure if it's for me. It does keep me trying, trying again though, and that's something.
For those willing to invest time into the New Game +, into the covenants and the raiding of other players' worlds, there's far more to uncover than I'll probably ever see. As I said at the beginning, Dark Souls II is a very good game. These have been some of the reasons why as well as some of the reasons why I don't think it's quite as great a game as I'd hoped it would be.
Dark Souls II is an absolute feast of a game, and it will be a long, long time before I'm sated by it.
Dark Souls 2 offers glimpses of hope and illumination, but they always feel just out of reach. Scratching just below the surface to take on the challenges Dark Souls 2 has for you is where this game's appeal lies. The game will not be for everyone, but for those willing to tackle this game, it is a rewarding experience.
PC users have received their Dark Souls II experience entirely intact, and then a bit.