Dark Souls II Reviews
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.
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
It won't convert those who despise the Souls series, but the journey through the stunning lands of Drangleic is, for the most part, everything fans could have hoped for in a sequel. With fresh challenges, dastardly traps, and murderous invaders waiting at every corner, the sense of discovery and accomplishment is there for the taking… providing you're patient and brave enough to overcome it. The Iron Price of gaming is back, and it demands that you die.
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.
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.
For much of my playthrough, I kept thinking that if I had to choose one of the 'Souls' titles to play or recommend, it would be 'Dark Souls.' And yet 'Dark Souls II' was clearly meant to entertain the veteran 'Souls' player with a depth beyond its predecessor. Though parts of the game feel like a poor rehash, everything that make the series thrilling, challenging, and enjoyable is here along with revamped online options that dare to tempt even the most solitary player. Hunting down items, NPCs, bosses, areas, shortcuts- I gorged myself on it all, and continued time on both the PS3 and PC has yet to satiate my desire for the game's particular kind of hurt. Detractors of the series (those that have actually played a title) can be comfortable opting out, but everyone else should see that death is only the beginning, the preparation necessary to live.
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
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
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.
Feels good to die again
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.
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.
[T]here's still something powerful about DS2's dogged preservation of old forms
Dark Souls 2 is From Software's "something for everyone" version of the popular role playing series. Prepare to Die, a little less.
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.
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.
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.