Dark Souls II Reviews
This is a kind of experience that is not necessarily designed to appeal to a broad swath of people, but its pitch perfect execution and strict adherence to its draconian design principles earn it a place in the pantheon of great games.
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.
Dark Souls II is an absolute feast of a game, and it will be a long, long time before I'm sated by it.
The game is as across-the-board demanding as its predecessors, functioning on an ever more grandiose scale, dishing out excruciating beatdowns like Thin Mints at a Girl Scouts cookies sale.
From Software this time has almost ticked it off, and the PC community can breathe a half sigh of relief. Dark Souls 2 will certainly not win awards for graphic quality, especially in the eyes of personal computer players, but the most advanced effects, high frame rate and higher resolutions embellish the Drangleic lands in a sensitive way.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
If you decided to wait for the PC version of Dark Souls II before jumping in, you've made the right decision. It's not leaps and bounds better than its console counterpart, but the graphical enhancements aid the immersion.
Dark Souls 2 isn't a beat it and leave it sort of game. There's so much you can do, and I love that. . . . The game is still budding, and I'm really looking forward to the crazy crap people come up with.
By very slightly opening up the experience, Dark Souls II has risked unravelling this success, particularly for the hardcore fanbase. But in actuality the minor changes do not hugely alter the overall gameplay. It is still wonderfully mysterious and horrendously punishing, all backed up by a unique battle and skill system that is so gloriously balanced it feels like a real talent to master.
Feels good to die again
PC users have received their Dark Souls II experience entirely intact, and then a bit.
Dark Souls 2 is exactly what fans of the series created by From crave with ardor, a title where the high difficulty blends perfectly with an incredibly deep and multifaceted game structure, content-making incredible and able to galvanize and test like no other action rpg can do.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dark Souls II wants you to play it—all of it. Each dimly lit room and crumbling bridge offers a chance to die but also a chance to fight for your life. You'll still run across messages of encouragement left by other players, but now the game itself is quietly rooting for your success. It's still a hell of a journey, but unlike your character, Dark Souls II isn't soulless.
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.
A "difficult" action RPG recommended to fans of Dark Souls or people looking for a challenge. It improves the connectivity issues of it's predecessor. May leave Demon Souls vets in the mud with some of it's new mechanics.
A sequel that is everything a hardcore fan can ask for... and more.
There are no doubts that critics and gamers alike are going to have preferences on which Souls title is the superior experience, and if an edge had to be given to one over the other, then Dark Souls would take this guy's vote. But calling Dark Souls II only marginally inferior to its predecessor is hardly an insult. This is still a true gem of entertainment in its own right.
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.
Buy it. Play it. Get good at it. Then go and buy Dark Souls and Demon's Souls. Playing through Dark Souls 2 is easier than the others, but will prepare players for some truly great games. All while being a thoroughly fun experience on its own.
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.