Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

 PC
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 751 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 487 out of 751
  2. Mixed: 164 out of 751
  3. Negative: 100 out of 751

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  1. Phoenixxl
    Mar 2, 2016
    10
    The weapon durability bug at 60fps has been fixed in a patch. It was indeed an issue for a while when the game came out but this is no longer the case.
    Enemies seeming to attack faster at 60 fps was a perception option.

    This is a fantastic game with a steep learning curve that levels out quite fast too. Some people just want a "press A to win" game.
  2. HSuke
    Oct 16, 2019
    10
    I played this in 2019 after playing DS1 and DS3. I enjoyed it more than the other 2. It's much more polished than DS1 and more welcoming than DS3. I think it has the best hub and the most beautiful world among all 3 games. The only issues are that boss fights are a bit too generic, and it's a bit easier than the other 2 titles (or I finally got gud).

    This is a DS game for players who    I played this in 2019 after playing DS1 and DS3. I enjoyed it more than the other 2. It's much more polished than DS1 and more welcoming than DS3. I think it has the best hub and the most beautiful world among all 3 games. The only issues are that boss fights are a bit too generic, and it's a bit easier than the other 2 titles (or I finally got gud).

    This is a DS game for players who want to explore the world more than fight bosses.    … Expand
  3. adamacuo
    Apr 6, 2015
    10
    This remastered version is a masterpiece of gameplay design and story building. More than reskinned for the next generation, From added significant game play elements, incorporated all of the DLC that was released previously into the game systems, revamped the multiplayer elements and give tuned the event placements. This is a must pay for videogame enthusiasts, and represents From at their peak.
  4. moonlight_shado
    Mar 9, 2017
    10
    Waaay better than slashy Dark Borne 3. I didn't enjoy original DkS2 that much, but SotFS improves the gameplay on every level. The dlc areas are so good... They are incredibly difficult too. Honestly can recommend this game to any Souls fan. Way better than DkS3 (in my opinion), the amount of weapons and detailed setting makes this game as good as DkS1.
  5. OneEarth2
    Apr 3, 2015
    10
    There are a few things that need to be cleared up.

    First, this game does not cost $50 to owners of Dark Souls 2, like some poorly informed people say. If you already own Dark Souls II, you can upgrade for $30 and then you also get the DLC included in that price. If you already have Dark Souls 2 plus all the DLC, then you can upgrade for just $20. This DOES include all the DLC. This is    There are a few things that need to be cleared up.

    First, this game does not cost $50 to owners of Dark Souls 2, like some poorly informed people say. If you already own Dark Souls II, you can upgrade for $30 and then you also get the DLC included in that price. If you already have Dark Souls 2 plus all the DLC, then you can upgrade for just $20. This DOES include all the DLC. This is actually a better deal than the console gamers are getting, oddly enough, probably because FromSoft knows how PC gamers tend to complain if they don't get special treatment. (Note: I'm a PC gamer and do not own a console)

    Second, the enemy placement is not random like some people say. The enemies are placed in lore-friendly locations, and the only time they're placed in new regions is when there's a sensible reason (like a couple Royal Swordsmen outside the Pursuer Arena, because the hawk carries people back and forth from the Lost Bastille.)

    Third, the game is not just brighter. It has more contrast than before. That means the dark areas are darker and the light areas are lighter. Additionally, the graphics improvement is very noticeable, and the only people dissatisfied with it seem to be complaining for the sake of complaining. No, it's not the best looking game in the world. However, it is one of the best optimized games in the world. It won't stress your GTX 970, but it will look beautiful and run great on your GTX 650 or equivalent, and it's not often that developers put in so much work to make their game run well on a variety of PCs, while still maintaining good graphics. For reference, this game runs flawlessly on ultra settings/1080p/45+ fps on my laptop with a GTX 860M. Yes, it's so well optimized that my mid-range laptop is matching Xbone/PS4 performance.

    Graphical changes I've noticed:
    -Improved sampling quality on ambient occlusion.
    -Light now acts upon textures based on the alpha channel (more realistic shading). This also means that the worst looking textures in normal Dark Souls II (the ones where the normal and diffuse are different) now react to lighting more realistically and look much better. This is probably how they intended the game to look to begin with.
    -More water reflections, including sky reflections.
    -More contrast (light areas can be truly white instead of light gray, and dark areas can be truly black instead of dark gray).
    -Certain areas of the game now have custom "pitch black" lighting templates, making torches actually necessary like the skull lantern from DKS1.
    -The antialiasing has been updated to FXAA3, so it now looks less blurry and does an even better job of reducing jaggies.
    -Object motion blur makes quick actions look more fluid, especially things like rolling.
    -Bokeh DoF is now used to make embers and other similar things look prettier.
    -Bloom has been increased around light sources like fires or the sun, adding that great "bright" look that light sources had in DKS1.
    -Large shadows have been added to the landscape, around things like pillars, mountains, etc. This gives the landscape more depth overall.
    -All spells now have light sources.
    -All light sources now actually cast light.
    -Texture filtering has been improved.

    General Gameplay Improvements that I've personally noticed.
    -A few hitboxes seem more precise, especially noticeable during dodges.
    -Enemies have been set up in places that complement their abilities (ie, turtle knights are now sometimes found in narrow spaces where their crushing attacks are most effective).
    -Skeletons like dark places.
    -Lore has been expanded in subtle ways, especially around boss fights which previously had little or no explanation.
    -Some sound effects that previously sounded muffled have been dramatically improved, making it easier to identify certain nearby objects and enemies, if you have decent ears and decent speakers/headphones.

    Overall, graphically and in terms of gameplay, this is a serious improvement over Dark Souls 2. I liked Dark Souls 2 at launch, but thought Dark Souls 1 was a little better. Scholar of the First Sin has made me decide that I like Dark Souls 2 more than Dark Souls 1.

    Many of the people criticizing it haven't even played the game, but rather are simply upset because of the rumors surrounding the launch (like the incorrect rumor that people would have to pay $50 to upgrade). It's like Dark Souls 1 all over again, where **** and random elitist forums rallied to rate this game a 0 just because they didn't play it and didn't even properly research it, but just wanted a scapegoat to hate.

    Keep in mind, however, this is a bigger upgrade for the PS4 owners and Xbone owners than PC owners. Mostly this upgrade was aimed at them, we simply get it because it'd be stupid if we didn't.    … Expand
  6. Jackitus
    Apr 5, 2015
    10
    Giving this game a 10/10 because of obviously incorrect hyper low (0-3) reviews. I enjoyed the base Dark Souls 2, but found it somewhat inferior to previous Souls games (not by as much as many did). I'm also a very experienced souls vet, so not going to offer much for those considering buying this game as an entry.

    If you enjoyed the base game, pretty much every addition/change they've    Giving this game a 10/10 because of obviously incorrect hyper low (0-3) reviews. I enjoyed the base Dark Souls 2, but found it somewhat inferior to previous Souls games (not by as much as many did). I'm also a very experienced souls vet, so not going to offer much for those considering buying this game as an entry.

    If you enjoyed the base game, pretty much every addition/change they've made is going to be positive and it'll be a fairly fresh experience (some new enemies, mostly enemy placement moved around, creating a few jump scares on my first playthrough). The community at launch for the moment is also very large/healthy, reminding me of playing the game back at launch. It seems very plausible the community for the other versions could die out to some degree, and so if you ever want to play dark souls 2 again, getting this edition will basically be a must.

    My overall thoughts: It's a fun mixing up of things for old veterans to return to and enjoy for another set of playthroughs. Ultimately, not all the changes make sense, nor are all of them good in the long run, but overall a large positive change for the game. For new players will be far more challenging than any previous Souls game.    … Expand
  7. McSpaceyGaming
    Aug 25, 2015
    10
    I, along with my brothers, fully completed Dark Souls 2 along with the DLCs. Then when Scholar of the First Sin came out and we found out we could receive it for free due to us already owning the original we were pretty excited. An actual story line, even though we didn't really need it now that we already knew where to go, was implemented, slightly. But the best part was the increase inI, along with my brothers, fully completed Dark Souls 2 along with the DLCs. Then when Scholar of the First Sin came out and we found out we could receive it for free due to us already owning the original we were pretty excited. An actual story line, even though we didn't really need it now that we already knew where to go, was implemented, slightly. But the best part was the increase in monsters. And with only 128 deaths on it and way too many trolls I can fully say I enjoyed duel wielding great swords and bashing my way through groups of people. If you want a game that involves 1v1 like one of the user reviews said on here, then this is NOT your game. It's you versus, pretty much, the world. Except way too many enemies and multiple bosses versus just you. And if you use YouTube or common sense from DS1 and DS (Dark Souls 1 and Demon Souls) you can find the signs for summoning for help. I didn't need any though. I killed all the help as I went along.You will die a lot for that is the main purpose of the game. But if you're like me you will survive New Game +++ with only 2 deaths. And that is a HUGE accomplishment. You just have to time your blocks, attacks, and dodges perfectly and make sure you know EXACTLY what you want to upgrade and DON'T mess up. Extremely fun game though. Hours of content that will make you want more! Make sure to play Demon Souls, Dark Souls 1 (Demon was harder than DS1 and DS2 is harder than DS1.) and Bloodborne which is the hardest out of all of them.… Expand
  8. Amsheagar
    Mar 19, 2021
    10
    Very hard, but very atmospheric game. Strange, but i always calm down when i play dark souls 2. The fight is so much fun.
  9. CntrlAltDel101
    Sep 29, 2015
    10
    My favourite game of all time. An amazing campaign, rounded of nicely by the perfect DLC.

    The game is fun on its own but is complemented beautifuly by the multi player.

    The DLC does make the main game feel like a walk in the park, but it is perfect for any gaming masochist out there.
  10. GuiFzord
    Dec 24, 2016
    10
    Funny, Nice and much better than buy all the DLCs.
    DS2 SoFTS its a nice idea i hope the Fromsoftware do something looks like this for DS3.
    the only problem its the servers leg.
  11. Gian_the_guy
    Jan 28, 2018
    10
    Better than DS1 for sure. Some people will think i'm crazy, but everyone likes to say ''artifical difficulty'', ''bland maps'' and bla bla bla, but DS1 had worse problems like:

    Terrible PvP - A bunch of people praises DS2 for it's PvP, even after that mess that people call PvP on DS3 has come. Because it's way better balanced, more dynamic, more build diversity. DS1 PvP was a stupid    Better than DS1 for sure. Some people will think i'm crazy, but everyone likes to say ''artifical difficulty'', ''bland maps'' and bla bla bla, but DS1 had worse problems like:

    Terrible PvP - A bunch of people praises DS2 for it's PvP, even after that mess that people call PvP on DS3 has come. Because it's way better balanced, more dynamic, more build diversity. DS1 PvP was a stupid backstab fiesta with a **** ton of glitches (do you remember backstab chain? NO!!!?? never felt it on your skin right little kid!!???), not to mention the twinks. Everyone thinks Giant Dad is hilarious, but being invaded by dudes with fully upgraded items while you have a stupid +0 weapon isn't funny.

    Terrible second half - The second half of DS1 is the most cringey thing in the entire series, seriously? the same **** Asylum Demon with another skin? an entire field of Taurus Demons? Pinwheel being recycled, should i be impressed? Anor Londo...i don't even need to say anything, just remember those stupid archers, Anor Londo isn't even difficult if you don't count those archers, phantom gank fiesta on New Londo? YAYYYYYYYY

    Broken Poise System - I don't even need to explain. Just search for poise backstab on Youtube, or watch people facetanking Four Kings to death.

    Weapons Balance - Like, some weapons are so useless you shouldn't even bother with them even on PvE, like Stone Greataxe (from the DLC, like you even need to pay more to get that, and that's not the only useless weapon from the DLC).

    FPS - Blighttown maybe the worst place in the game when it comes to FPS, but it's not like the entire game wasn't a mess with it, even DS3 has FPS problems, something you won't suffer with DS2: SotFS (at least if you're on PS4/Xbox One, fixed 60 FPS)    … Expand
  12. JonsGone
    May 4, 2020
    10
    My favorite game out of the dark souls trilogy.
    Not to say this is the best game of the three, it's just my favorite.
    If i had to pick one to replay, i'd probably pick DS3 but DS2 is still my favorite. Bosses are ok, if anything, there's more variance than just guy in armor #24 like in DS3. Probably the game i've struggled the most on, yet it still kept my interest to the end. Several    My favorite game out of the dark souls trilogy.
    Not to say this is the best game of the three, it's just my favorite.
    If i had to pick one to replay, i'd probably pick DS3 but DS2 is still my favorite.
    Bosses are ok, if anything, there's more variance than just guy in armor #24 like in DS3.
    Probably the game i've struggled the most on, yet it still kept my interest to the end.
    Several QoL improvements from DS1, like Bonfire warping, respeccing or non-restrictive dodgeroll while locked on.
    Worst part of the game is most likely hollowing, mechanic that was kept in DS3 through embering.
    Is very obtuse when it comes to progression but this an issue the franchise's had for a while and built its identity on.
    PvP is still a nightmare and should never have existed as invasions.
    DS1 > DS2 > DS3    … Expand
  13. VENUS420
    Dec 15, 2018
    10
    My personal favorite Dark Souls title. People in the PC community were frustrated that this game split up the playerbase, at first it irritated me too, but years down the line, it doesn't matter anymore as the playerbase has dwindled anyway. This version is superior to vanilla Dark Souls 2 in almost every way, and Dark Souls 2 is a fantastic fantasy RPG.
  14. VigilanteOito
    Jan 28, 2021
    10
    Jogão, não é bom quanto o 1, mas é bom.
    As DLC são otimas tambem.
    Coop também bom.
    Graficos NORMAIS.
  15. nurfedx
    Oct 30, 2021
    10
    One of the best Games known to mankind.
    From Software is a safe heaven for the Gaming community.
    Especially in times where big Developers dissapiont us with theyr fraudulent intent.
    Praise the sun!
  16. Jonneeyy
    Apr 14, 2022
    10
    Was ein geiles Rollenspiel! Extrem spannende Welt, teilweise echt geile Bosse und ein mega Kampfsystem. Außerdem gibt es viele kleine Verbesserungen im Vergleich zu DS1, Inventar usw.
  17. panconpaltaa
    Aug 7, 2021
    10
    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
  18. DisAbbys
    Sep 5, 2021
    10
    +-Dark souls 2 привнёс в серию много нового, что-то из этого удалось(стойки с двумя оружиями, сосуд души, уголь вражды, разделение стамины на два стата, новые интересные моменты на нг+, механика со сбором осколков эстуса), а что-то оказалось недоработанным/лишним(адаптируемость, память душ , камни лечения);
    +Вариативность прохождения нисколько не пострадал со времён первой части, плюс    +-Dark souls 2 привнёс в серию много нового, что-то из этого удалось(стойки с двумя оружиями, сосуд души, уголь вражды, разделение стамины на два стата, новые интересные моменты на нг+, механика со сбором осколков эстуса), а что-то оказалось недоработанным/лишним(адаптируемость, память душ , камни лечения);
    +Вариативность прохождения нисколько не пострадал со времён первой части, плюс появилось больше классов оружия и самого снаряжения соответсвенно;
    +ПВП стало куда лучше, чем в первой части(больше разнообразия , арен, баланса), хотя читеры всё ещё есть;
    +-Мир игры стал куда более рваным, а локации соединены не всегда логично, также пропала связь между локациями. Но зато сами локации всё ещё интересно изучать: они довольно разнообразны, секретов довольно много, есть локации довольно нелинейные(хоть и не все);
    +-Боссы в игре есть, как очень крутые(Вельстадт, Зеркальный рыцарь, прячущийся во тьме, преследователь, Рейме, Аллон, Син и т.д), а есть и очень слабые/лишние(Алчный демон, драконий всадник(дважды как босс), маг и прихожане, виверна и т.д)
    +Лор всё ещё интересен.
    +Длц - лучшая часть этой игры: тут лучшие боссы, локации, лор. В общем, длц удались.    … Expand
  19. Brunodaniel123
    Dec 26, 2021
    10
    Ótimo jogo,não tenho nada a reclamar,tirei horas de jogos muitas divertidas,uma bela histórias,pvp.mt bom,armas boas para pvp,melhores magias,recomendo a todos jogar,não vai pelo lado onde as pessoas fala que esse jogo é ruim,quem fala isso acho q nem deve ter saido de majula.
  20. draemato
    Aug 14, 2022
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Masterpiece society doesn't deserve.

    In community it is respectful to hate DS2 an it's fans, and tbh i also didn't liked this game at first, but when i played DS1 and DS3 i was shocked, because everyone told me that those games are masterpieces and so on, but there is nothing special in those, i mean, DS1 is really 5/10 and DS3 is Lordran but N thousands year ago. Dark Souls II is the best, people just don't get it, but it's fine, we have our cozy small community.    … Expand
  21. TheSatanist
    Aug 17, 2023
    10
    After going for all the platinums on Console and also 100% all available Soulsbornekiro-Games on PC I was actually shocked that I spent most playtime in Dark Souls 2 and had to evaluate on this unforseen outcome :D While the game clearly strays from the path of DS1, DS3 and Demon's Souls it actually has an intruiging way of telling its story and a really nice pacing. Are there some boringAfter going for all the platinums on Console and also 100% all available Soulsbornekiro-Games on PC I was actually shocked that I spent most playtime in Dark Souls 2 and had to evaluate on this unforseen outcome :D While the game clearly strays from the path of DS1, DS3 and Demon's Souls it actually has an intruiging way of telling its story and a really nice pacing. Are there some boring bosses? Hell yeah! Are the graphics a bit cartoony? Yes they are! But the atmosphere delivered is just amazing, the gameplay is a bit different from the other FS-Games but also super fun. While the vanilla game would only deserve an 8/10 the by now complete game including the 3 DLCs is a straight up 10 of enjoyment.… Expand
  22. AlexProgresiveX
    Aug 31, 2023
    10
    I have waited years for this review, although this game suffered a lot of hate for years, it is a gem, which completely changed the souls mechanics, gave depth to a story that was not so polished in the initial version, the gameplay It's perfect, and the graphics downgrade is understandable for those stable 60fps, although it doesn't follow the same argument as DS1 and DS3, it's a jewelI have waited years for this review, although this game suffered a lot of hate for years, it is a gem, which completely changed the souls mechanics, gave depth to a story that was not so polished in the initial version, the gameplay It's perfect, and the graphics downgrade is understandable for those stable 60fps, although it doesn't follow the same argument as DS1 and DS3, it's a jewel from this studio.… Expand
  23. Ireland914
    Apr 7, 2015
    9
    Scholar improves upon the original game in nearly every way. And the original was a great game. The changes in enemy and item placement provide a new experience for those who have already played through Dark Souls 2. The challenge and learning curve is relatively the same if you're used to the style of gameplay already. The graphics have been improved noticeably. All around solid game,Scholar improves upon the original game in nearly every way. And the original was a great game. The changes in enemy and item placement provide a new experience for those who have already played through Dark Souls 2. The challenge and learning curve is relatively the same if you're used to the style of gameplay already. The graphics have been improved noticeably. All around solid game, though making owners of the complete DS2 collection pay for this re-release is lame. I only spent the money on it because I loved the original version and knew I would put the time into this one as well.… Expand
  24. digga123
    Oct 19, 2016
    9
    I didn't play the original game as it first came out, so I rate scholar of the first sin as what it is and not as what I expected it to be compared to the original version. After nearly 30 hours I can say that I like it a lot! In comparison to DS1 it seems more self-contained and accessible without losing all of its complexity, what I think is a good thing.
  25. R3NCZ
    Apr 26, 2015
    9
    I know, i know everyone can say that this game is only copy of Dark Souls 2 original, YES maybe thats true, but the game gives you as much as it can, as an old version Dark Souls 2, i like the new item places and Scholar's fire design, awesome graphics and a stunning optimalization increases the ammount of gameplay hours, that you want to play it again and again, all that i say is, thatI know, i know everyone can say that this game is only copy of Dark Souls 2 original, YES maybe thats true, but the game gives you as much as it can, as an old version Dark Souls 2, i like the new item places and Scholar's fire design, awesome graphics and a stunning optimalization increases the ammount of gameplay hours, that you want to play it again and again, all that i say is, that it's a diamond of RPG games! Support for 6 players is great and it's All in One, for whom that played this game before and bought it its bad, because you need to spend next 25€ for upgrade, thats the biggest dissapointment, but FromSoftware shows all that they are **** **** and want to leave boys and girls into the hospital 9/10… Expand
  26. NewMenace
    Apr 8, 2015
    9
    For sure the best version of the game out there. I have to mention i already have DS II on Steam but with no DLC, so for me i think its worth it. Its a shame tho' since they could have released this version right from the start for PC users, since the hardware allowed it in terms of graphics.
  27. saxo27
    Jan 5, 2016
    9
    I just finished Dark Souls 1 and moved onto Dark Souls 2. One--this game is easier than the first one. The reason is not because it is an easy game, but because Dark Souls 1 was hard because it was artificially hard (cheap deaths, cheap bosses, cheap level design, etc.). DS2 is a challenging and fun game--not hard, as gamers make it sound. I have yet to experience any cheap deaths (peopleI just finished Dark Souls 1 and moved onto Dark Souls 2. One--this game is easier than the first one. The reason is not because it is an easy game, but because Dark Souls 1 was hard because it was artificially hard (cheap deaths, cheap bosses, cheap level design, etc.). DS2 is a challenging and fun game--not hard, as gamers make it sound. I have yet to experience any cheap deaths (people complain about mobs--"pull them," play slower and more methodical). In short, DK2 is better--no doubt. Better enviornments, quick travel, extra slots for items and weapons, smoother animations and quite a lot more over DK1.

    I played (am still playing) on a laptop intel hd 4000 with an xbox360 controller. Game looks great and plays great. I am very pleased with DK2 over DSK1. Enjoy!    … Expand
  28. shootidodge
    Mar 14, 2016
    9
    For me this game takes you to places that everyone needs to discover, and i dont speak about how visually the game is great but emotionally it feels amaaaaazing, i had fun every nanosecond spent in a world full of fantasy, i got to the point that i wanted not to finish it.
    TBH i played it a bit late but it was worth it because i didnt encounter any problem on my PC ,    For me this game takes you to places that everyone needs to discover, and i dont speak about how visually the game is great but emotionally it feels amaaaaazing, i had fun every nanosecond spent in a world full of fantasy, i got to the point that i wanted not to finish it.
    TBH i played it a bit late but it was worth it because i didnt encounter any problem on my PC , raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarely the FPS dropped but it was not a big deal it didnt affect my immersion. i was a happy child the whole playthrough ( im not a child though).
    9/10    … Expand
  29. KeyMon
    May 12, 2015
    9
    Well, original DS 2 game was very good and this is even slightly better than that. Somewhere easier than before somewhere harder. Places that were like a walk through hell are still like that. Enemy placement is more logical. You should forgot placements from the original. There are some feelings after 60 hours of my travelling through newly ordered Drangleic.

    You can choose the "safe    Well, original DS 2 game was very good and this is even slightly better than that. Somewhere easier than before somewhere harder. Places that were like a walk through hell are still like that. Enemy placement is more logical. You should forgot placements from the original. There are some feelings after 60 hours of my travelling through newly ordered Drangleic.

    You can choose the "safe coward way" (shield + heavy armor + some light weapon) or you can be a "crazy naked flexible something" with huge heavy weapons or you can be anything you can dig up from your inventory (some fancy magics and miracles included ofc). First location is barely challenging for experienced players but there are worse, much worse. Sometimes a single mistake could cost you your souls. The game wouldn't tell you what to do or where to go. It is only up to you. You WILL rage and die at least in your first walk-through. But the feeling after killing a hard boss is awesome and addictive and you simply have to continue to other bosses and you die over and over again...

    Giving it 9/10 because too many Dragonriders and Pursuers and because first Dark souls was slightly better

    PLAY IT - FEEL THE PAIN - DIE - RAGEQUIT - PLAY AGAIN    … Expand
  30. pavvlad
    Feb 20, 2022
    9
    one of the best ds games - game atmosphere characters lore its like 10/10 but dark souls prepare to die edition forever in my heart so ii chapter 9/10
  31. AkumaJack
    Sep 17, 2017
    9
    Rating it 9/10 while Dark Souls 1 was a 10/10 although i think ds2 is better.

    I think is better because it is more replayable, has more content, is less linear. The gameplay is imo the bes in the saga thanks to dual wielding, the agility stats and the all the weapons and spells you can use. The story is good. The lore is meh. The level design is on par with the first game    Rating it 9/10 while Dark Souls 1 was a 10/10 although i think ds2 is better.

    I think is better because it is more replayable, has more content, is less linear.
    The gameplay is imo the bes in the saga thanks to dual wielding, the agility stats and the all the weapons and spells you can use.

    The story is good. The lore is meh.

    The level design is on par with the first game probably, but the world design is way worst.

    Is a good game. You should try it and make your own opinion.    … Expand
  32. Pushpak
    Oct 26, 2018
    9
    TLDR: As an individual game, Dark Souls 2 is a beautiful, challenging and a worthy inclusion to the inventory of any RPG fan out there. As a sequel to Dark Souls, it stumbles a bit in some areas but eventually able to live up to the reputation as a Souls game. I would say 9/10, half point for a minute amount of poor boss designs and other half point for the hitboxes. Other than these veryTLDR: As an individual game, Dark Souls 2 is a beautiful, challenging and a worthy inclusion to the inventory of any RPG fan out there. As a sequel to Dark Souls, it stumbles a bit in some areas but eventually able to live up to the reputation as a Souls game. I would say 9/10, half point for a minute amount of poor boss designs and other half point for the hitboxes. Other than these very few setbacks, Dark Souls 2 is an awesome, must have game.

    Introduction: First of all this is not a comparison between Dark Souls and Dark Souls 2. My thoughts are presented by looking at this game as more of an individual game rather than just sequel to Dark Souls. Dark Souls 2 takes things a bit slower than its predecessor. So if you have played Dark Souls 1, you may feel the combat a bit sluggish. But it comes though as a monumental journey in its own.

    Areas: One of the most notable things that Dark Souls 2 has achieved is the aesthetics. Many areas of this installment are absolutely gorgeous. After spending countless hours on grinding the great souls, when you first reach the gates of enormous Drangleic Castle in the stormy rain, it’s really a sight for sore eyes. The breathtaking view of dragons flying around in Dragon Aerie, elegant lightning of Shrine of Amana and gem of a design that is Frozen Eleum Loyce are some of the best artistically designed areas. The ability of Dark Souls 2 to gradually pull up the difficulty level of the areas as the game progresses is commendable.

    Combat: As mentioned earlier, combat is slower than the first game of the series. In spite of that, Dark Souls 2 has improved a lot in this area. There are loads of new varieties in weapons. Twinblades and lances are, in particular, fun to use. You can even finish the game with just your fists. But the most appreciable feat has been the inclusion of power-stance system. The combat always feels engaging even after few playthroughs as there are lots of things to try out. And unlike DS1, you have much more freedom to max out and try multiple weapons. Not only are the weapons but also spells are in abundance this time around. All four schools of magic keeps your interest at peak throughout your journey.

    Gameplay: Dark Souls 2 tries to tone down the techniques that made first game hard while implementing new ways to impose difficulty. The bonfires are much frequent in this game compared to DS1. To compensate this your estus charges have been made limited. But again, the inclusion of lifegems further pulls down the hard nature. There are quite a few interesting stuff that this sequel has introduced. If you want to fight the same boss again without going to next game cycle, you have bonfire ascetics; want to try out new build without creating new character, there’s a soul vessel for you; feel the game is getting easy, you have a covenant to boost up the difficulty level of the areas.

    Bosses and Enemies: Enemies in this game keep the punishing trend going from Dark Souls. Slow/Delayed attacks match perfectly with the pace of the game. Blue Smelter Demon takes delayed attacks to the next level. Most of the enemies hits very hard leaving a very small room for error. The only issue with the combat I found was that Dark Souls 2 struggles to find variety in difficulty. When it comes to non-boss fights, facing horde of enemies at once seems to be the recurring and only way to pose difficulty throughout the game. DLCs, although, tries to offset against this. Putting aside a few shaky aspects of the game, there are numerous good bosses too. Fume Knight the punisher, innovative design of Executioner’s Chariot, intense fight with the Darklurker and the fastest boss of Dark Souls 2 – Sir Alonne are some of the coolest albeit challenging boss fights in the game.

    Memorable Moments: There are a few unforgettable moments from dark souls 2 that got stuck in my mind – Final and a very emotional encounter with Lucatiel, reaching Drangleic castle for the first time, surprise encounter with Freja in NG+, grand battle with the Ivory king and his knights, are a few among those.

    Conclusion: Dark souls 2 tries to carry forward the souls beacon, exposing a few weaknesses in doing so but eventually stands out as a remarkably engaging game. Dark Souls 2 has brilliant design, beautiful soundtracks and some good fights. It’s a very good game just not as good as the first one.    … Expand
  33. BayEzio
    Apr 1, 2021
    9
    Better than ds1 and ds3 worse than bloodborne. If you played original ds2 probably there isn’t so much change but if you haven’t you should start from this
  34. watchm824
    Feb 27, 2023
    9
    Good game. Dedicated to all fans of the genre. Who complains about the complexity - just does not understand anything.
    Addon - nothing particularly interesting.
  35. Gaisericus
    Feb 14, 2020
    9
    this game gets a bad rap for being a little weird. It is the stand out from the souls series, because it wasn't directed by miazaki. sometimes it does things just for the sake of being difficult, and sometimes the level design makes no sense. BUT it had some features that were the best implemented in the series. It had the most balanced pvp, and is still a great game. any game in thisthis game gets a bad rap for being a little weird. It is the stand out from the souls series, because it wasn't directed by miazaki. sometimes it does things just for the sake of being difficult, and sometimes the level design makes no sense. BUT it had some features that were the best implemented in the series. It had the most balanced pvp, and is still a great game. any game in this series is doomed to success… Expand
  36. Arfon
    Jan 1, 2021
    9
    Amazing sequel to the original Dark Souls, but that's it. After playing DS1 I got used to this type of gameplay, so I knew what to expect gameplay-wise. The early game zones were my favorites of the game, along with some end game zones. The map isn't as cohesive as Lordran, it has a lot of incongruences with zone transitions. Gameplay is ok, I never had any problems with hitboxes orAmazing sequel to the original Dark Souls, but that's it. After playing DS1 I got used to this type of gameplay, so I knew what to expect gameplay-wise. The early game zones were my favorites of the game, along with some end game zones. The map isn't as cohesive as Lordran, it has a lot of incongruences with zone transitions. Gameplay is ok, I never had any problems with hitboxes or anything, as I've seen other people point this out. There are more bosses than in the first game, but some of them are just normal enemies or something you wouldn't expect to be a Dark Souls boss(I prefer to call some of them "Mini Bosses"). Overall I had a really good experience with this game, playing DS1 made my journey across Drangleic a lot easier because I learn how to play this type of games(Whether they have good gameplay or not) But yeah, if you've never played this game or any FromSoft game, you definitively should give it a try! (DLCs are awesome btw)… Expand
  37. S3XU4LH34L1NG
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    This is a **** masterpiece, yeah you can see the not 100 % perfect polish in some corners but imo this a more then fitting worthy succesor to DS1. Its a really chucky game. Depending on your speed and skill a 30-40h is realistic. Worth playing in 2021.
  38. nietzfk
    May 20, 2023
    9
    I love now. It's full of content. Gameplay can be troublesome sometimes, but it's all good.
  39. Jonnymetter
    Nov 3, 2021
    9
    My favourite game of all time. I don't give it a 10 because it has flaws (a lot of them if I have to be objective). But the only game that has this kind of ambient, sensation and emotion put into a world.
    Majula is like a second home, Drangleic is like a reflection of our world and Aldia is what resides in what makes us human. I cannot express how this game has accompanied me these years.    My favourite game of all time. I don't give it a 10 because it has flaws (a lot of them if I have to be objective). But the only game that has this kind of ambient, sensation and emotion put into a world.
    Majula is like a second home, Drangleic is like a reflection of our world and Aldia is what resides in what makes us human. I cannot express how this game has accompanied me these years.

    Truly, a masterpiece,    … Expand
  40. prostopopez
    Mar 29, 2022
    9
    Unlike first and third games in the series, Dark Souls 2 dives into local history, which is mesmerizing if you like castles, knights, and the Middle Ages. Loses in smoothness to the third game, to the story of the first, but still a great experience. Music, combat system, atmosphere are wonderful. The only thing that annoys you if you have little free time is the presence of manyUnlike first and third games in the series, Dark Souls 2 dives into local history, which is mesmerizing if you like castles, knights, and the Middle Ages. Loses in smoothness to the third game, to the story of the first, but still a great experience. Music, combat system, atmosphere are wonderful. The only thing that annoys you if you have little free time is the presence of many nondescript locations and bosses. Recommended to play with friends.… Expand
  41. Andrewblank610
    Sep 28, 2021
    9
    In my opinion, the best of dark souls mechanics. DS3 and anything in the future could be better with power stancing and hexes being its own class of spells. While DS3 is obviously a much more beautiful and dark game, DS2 is definitely good in its own right. Don't let the complainers turn you away.
  42. Gliphy
    Oct 7, 2022
    9
    Моя первая часть Dark Souls, которую люблю больше прочих, но какой же это кривой кусок кода. Во всем эта игра намекает, что должна быть Demon Souls 2. В итоге мы получили, что сюжет непонятный набор концепций; локации никак не связаны, а если и связана, то ну просто крайне нелогично. Боссы очень медленные, а рядовые враги очень слабые, но их настолько много, что пердак прям разрывается.Моя первая часть Dark Souls, которую люблю больше прочих, но какой же это кривой кусок кода. Во всем эта игра намекает, что должна быть Demon Souls 2. В итоге мы получили, что сюжет непонятный набор концепций; локации никак не связаны, а если и связана, то ну просто крайне нелогично. Боссы очень медленные, а рядовые враги очень слабые, но их настолько много, что пердак прям разрывается.

    Но я люблю эту часть Душ. Люблю за ее посыл, люблю за ее персонажей, люблю за ее атмосферу и музыку. Лукатиэль навсегда останется в моем сердечке, как и Изумрудная Вестница    … Expand
  43. Khinzer
    Jan 6, 2022
    9
    Nice game, not a Miyazaki creation but it's really good and challenging anyways, but for me it's a 9/10 because of f*cking Frigid Outskirts, it's the only area in the franchise that really hate.
  44. Zallen
    Sep 9, 2022
    9
    Лучший соус с кучей контента и добротными боссами (в семье не без уродов) - которые задают челлендж, а главное - повышение сложности для тру хардкорщиков. Из минусов откровенно прохладный лвл дизайн.
    9ть и точка из 10ти.
  45. kcotten
    Apr 4, 2015
    8
    TLDR: Scholar of the First Sin is much closer to the mark than vanilla Dark Souls II, and worth the upgrade or the initial investment.

    Better than the base game in every way imaginable. However, it does have some issues that spark annoyance such as the unfixed item durability problem. Compared to Demon's Souls or Dark Souls the world still feels lifeless and barren, the story too up    TLDR: Scholar of the First Sin is much closer to the mark than vanilla Dark Souls II, and worth the upgrade or the initial investment.

    Better than the base game in every way imaginable. However, it does have some issues that spark annoyance such as the unfixed item durability problem.

    Compared to Demon's Souls or Dark Souls the world still feels lifeless and barren, the story too up front, spelling events out. The mystique inherent in it's predecessors is just plain missing.

    Twenty dollars is a pittance, and if that is a problem might I suggest a career change? It's far better than the four hundred and fifty dollars chumps shelled out to play Bloodborne. And I can't recall a recent game other than Europa Universalis IV or Skyrim that will provide the amount of content Scholar of the First Sin will.    … Expand
  46. smahlt
    Jan 20, 2023
    8
    Pretty solid game, nice follow up to the first though not quite as polished.
  47. Amfibios
    Apr 19, 2015
    8
    It's a great game that improves in many aspects over dark souls 1 but falls short when it comes to story, meaningful bosses, enemy placements etc. even though the gameplay is great, compared to dks1, it feels like it doesn't have a soul, if u know what i mean.
    I enjoyed scholar of the first sin more than the original and you're getting your money's worth since it includes all of the dlc    It's a great game that improves in many aspects over dark souls 1 but falls short when it comes to story, meaningful bosses, enemy placements etc. even though the gameplay is great, compared to dks1, it feels like it doesn't have a soul, if u know what i mean.
    I enjoyed scholar of the first sin more than the original and you're getting your money's worth since it includes all of the dlc content for a decent price. if u've played the original & dlcs though it's still the same game even after the enemy remix which is refreshing but it's not worth buying all over again.
    the dark areas are fixed and now the torch is actually useful!!!
    if u've never played a souls game before, this is the game you should begin with    … Expand
  48. Steeldude
    May 1, 2017
    8
    + Longer
    + More bosses
    + Bigger variety in areas + Harder + You have to find Estus Shards to get Flasks - Still a bad port showing xbox buttons - The **** delay between pressing a button and blocking/attacking (this warrants at LEAST -2 points) - Similarily to DS1, target switch is horrible - there is none - Sometimes the difficulty is plain insane, definitely the hardest game    + Longer
    + More bosses
    + Bigger variety in areas
    + Harder
    + You have to find Estus Shards to get Flasks

    - Still a bad port showing xbox buttons
    - The **** delay between pressing a button and blocking/attacking (this warrants at LEAST -2 points)
    - Similarily to DS1, target switch is horrible - there is none
    - Sometimes the difficulty is plain insane, definitely the hardest game I've played yet
    - gave up, way too difficult...

    This would have been a 10/10 game for me if it wasn't for the **** DELAY that makes some parts downright stupid, unfair, impossible and makes the game million times harder.
    Situations that XBOX players would be able to deal with without serious problems will murder you because you have to wait 2 seconds for your character to block or attack. You'll get
    used to the crappiness after some time, but that does not mean that you will not die because of it. You will die because of it, you will die lots.
    It's better than DS1 in practically everything, but the stupid delay makes this game fall to the same level as DS1. There is no official fix for that, unfortunately. 8/10
    A 10/10 game ruined by stupid delay and artificial difficulty in many places.    … Expand
  49. TharosTheDragon
    Apr 24, 2018
    8
    I enjoyed it for a while but eventually it was just a grind. Progress became too slow so I quit.

    Maybe my experience was skewed because I made it too hard by choosing "deprived."
  50. jsizzle
    Dec 10, 2016
    8
    Newly found appreciation for Dark Souls II has been acquired with this re-work called 'Scholar of the First Sin'. Approximately two years having not played Dark Souls II and after I had moved on to Bloodborne and Dark Souls III - finally, I decided to go back to see how it has changed and hopefully improved. I have come to realise the new placement of items and enemies works way betterNewly found appreciation for Dark Souls II has been acquired with this re-work called 'Scholar of the First Sin'. Approximately two years having not played Dark Souls II and after I had moved on to Bloodborne and Dark Souls III - finally, I decided to go back to see how it has changed and hopefully improved. I have come to realise the new placement of items and enemies works way better than how it originally did. For example, I really loved the new placements for the Suspicious Shadow enemies. They were only featured in New Game+(almost certain) and that, in my opinion, was a waste. They are really fun to fight and obtaining their gear was pretty satisfying. Also, the addition of the Forlorn Dark Spirit is a good one - he has an interesting background albeit not much is known. I've been invaded five times and received his gear and scythe. I think he is fun to fight but Drangleic Castle is by far his toughest encounter; try to move to a more open room. As for The Pursuer haters, are they not meant to pursue you? It is silly to think they only have a small handful. They aren't that tough, anyway.
    The new NPC antagonist is really cool, won't spoil too much but it raises just as many questions as it gives answers. Well, maybe not even so. PvP is still pretty great besides the ridiculous lag backstabs but I don't get that so often. I am pretty surprised that I still get summoned a lot - getting the Sun Sword was easy! The DLC still remains to be the best part of this package but I'll admit that I really started enjoying this game after the halfway point - just before Drangleic Castle and onwards.

    I will keep my gripes with this game such gripes being the 'Agility' attribute - I need to phase through every attack nonsense. Not smart design. Also, 'Soul Memory' still continues to just be horrible. All in all, this is a great game and I think all Souls fans should get this and doubly so if you've still yet to play Dark Souls II in general. I bought this as a $12 upgrade from the original a while back - I don't think that's so bad. $50 is fair for full price if you've yet to play, in my opinion. However, it has been significantly discounted many times throughout the past year and a half. I would just wait a few months.    … Expand
  51. SolidCenturio
    Jan 27, 2017
    8
    Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is a difficult game and I appreciate the new challenges that FromSoftware presented before me but the overall experience from someone who played the previous title can only be described as lacking. Don't get me wrong, this game is good but bearing the Souls name and its status as a follow-up to a very phenomenal video game probably didn't help withDark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is a difficult game and I appreciate the new challenges that FromSoftware presented before me but the overall experience from someone who played the previous title can only be described as lacking. Don't get me wrong, this game is good but bearing the Souls name and its status as a follow-up to a very phenomenal video game probably didn't help with the overall reception. There's just too many retreads which may make the game a bit too familiar with longtime players and a change in design philosophy believing that "more is harder" instead of "less is more" like in the first game. The changes that they've introduced gave me a polarizing reaction especially on how they handled poise and some RPG elements. If you've adored the first game's consistency and how FromSoftware made Lordran's crumbling and desolated locales look lived in, prepare to be disappointed because the kingdom of Drangleic is a hodgepodge of geography and terrain locations. I know that suspension of disbelief is a necessity when playing video games but you've got to admit that placing an iron castle surrounded by a sea of lava above a windmill is kind of silly. Simply put, Dark Souls II is a game made to punish its players and will do anything to achieve that goal instead of inviting them to a land of strafe that's inhabited by seasoned warriors and brutal monsters.

    The situation's a lot different for newcomers though. If you're looking to get into the Souls series, this is a good entry point because it's more accessible than its two older brothers. A cleaner and better UI than the previous game, a more straightforward progression system, and an easier time to connect and cooperate with stronger people should get the going a lot more tolerable.

    Overall, I recommend this game because I enjoyed it and the difficulty is as good as ever. A lot of things didn't bode well with me but the prospect of finding new discoveries kept me playing for hours. Veterans of the Souls series might not get the same satisying experience as with the last two games, but it's still worth a try if you're meaning to test your wits once more against a cast of larger and more powerful enemies.

    And there you have it.    … Expand
  52. xRabia
    Apr 18, 2020
    8
    Metacritic forces me to write a seventy-five character review so that I can have my notes listed without searching game by game.
  53. PappyBakesCakes
    Jan 17, 2018
    8
    My favorite part of this game is the replayability that the other Souls games hold. Although this game does have some beautiful moments it fails a bit in the environmental storytelling and design. There is little evidence of an interconnecting world like in 1 and that follows suite for the enemies. Each area has its own little story which can be very interesting but this feels more like aMy favorite part of this game is the replayability that the other Souls games hold. Although this game does have some beautiful moments it fails a bit in the environmental storytelling and design. There is little evidence of an interconnecting world like in 1 and that follows suite for the enemies. Each area has its own little story which can be very interesting but this feels more like a well-designed AAA than a Souls game. The combat and diversity of spell, weapons and armor is very generous and interesting and this is what really keeps the game alive. The Souls combat style is still there, if not reigned in a bit in some areas that were a bit unpolished. All together a great game and a decent Souls game.

    Also, if for some reason it is still possible to get the original version of 2, don't even if this is more expensive as this has the DLC and Scholar came out with a recoordinated enemy layout, which was great btw, so this version is a lot less "artificially difficult". (and has some NG+ enemy changes too)    … Expand
  54. Jreload123
    Sep 30, 2018
    8
    Not the best Dark Souls out there but compared to DS1 and DS3 this is a breath of fresh air. New game mechanics like bonfire astetics, little changes in NG+ cycles which adds a lot of replay value, Rewards exploration discovering NPCs more Estus Flasks and other stuff, New stats like Vigor and Adaptability (agility), Dual wielding weapons was perfected by powerstance, Nonlinear areas, aNot the best Dark Souls out there but compared to DS1 and DS3 this is a breath of fresh air. New game mechanics like bonfire astetics, little changes in NG+ cycles which adds a lot of replay value, Rewards exploration discovering NPCs more Estus Flasks and other stuff, New stats like Vigor and Adaptability (agility), Dual wielding weapons was perfected by powerstance, Nonlinear areas, a lot of builds possibilities with Soul Vessels to rearrange your stats, Great areas like Dragon Shrine, Iron keep, and Forest of Fallen Giants, Best fashion souls, And for last the great optional areas and the best of the game is the 3 DLCs Great bosses, Interesting areas with alot of secrets and Great level design (except the for the optional area of Eleum Loyce my ghad...) In my opinion the base game is decent but the dlcs are the pinnacle. Ah and I almost forgot the great challenge of The illusory Rings only for the hardcore fans.
    The bad: Worst level design and connectivity in the souls saga, rolling vulnerability is different, bad bosses; some of them the worst of the trilogy, Decent soundtrack not so memorable as the other games. Horrible areas like The Gutter, Black Gulch and man #$%& that Eleum Loyce optional area.
    Well lets move on; after completing the game three and a half times, Earn all Achivements, kill all bosses and earn one illusory ring. I got to say that DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin was a great and fun experience. If you are having troubles advancing in the game just raise your adaptability to 25 this will make you more agile to avoid damage while rolling.

    Graphics: 8/10 (Very Good)
    Story and DLCs: 7/10 (As a whole good lore)
    World design: 7/10 (average in the base game, better in the dlcs)
    OST or Soundtrack: 7/10 (Good but not memorable.)
    Entertainment: 9/10 (IMO)
    Final Score: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ | Very Good    … Expand
  55. ChosenUndead99
    Apr 29, 2018
    8
    The developers have focused completely on difficulty, with a lot of group battles against strong enemies. However it is still a great game with lots of content. Controller required.
  56. SwitchReview
    Jul 2, 2020
    8
    The worst game of the series? Perhaps. Not a bad game however, in fact it's a great one. I was impressed with the amount of content, my first playthrough clocking in around 37 hours and that's without the DLC. My initial impression was that the game is HARD, even moreso compared to DS 1 and 3. You health lowers each time you die, you're often forced to fight multiple hard enemies at aThe worst game of the series? Perhaps. Not a bad game however, in fact it's a great one. I was impressed with the amount of content, my first playthrough clocking in around 37 hours and that's without the DLC. My initial impression was that the game is HARD, even moreso compared to DS 1 and 3. You health lowers each time you die, you're often forced to fight multiple hard enemies at a time, and you start out with 1 Estus. Even after getting some decent equipment and levels, I still found myself being challenged by some of the areas such as Iron Keep and Shrine of Amana.

    PROS
    NPC summons - you can often find 1 or 2 summons to help you with bosses and hard areas
    Content - A lot of memorable areas, beautiful scenery and music. The lockstones and branches are a nice touch.
    Difficulty - The difficulty felt more consistent throughout compared to the other Souls games. I wasn't just breezing through after upgrading my equipment.

    CONS
    Combat - somehow felt even slower than DS 1 combat. Locking on is atrocious, it glides and is extremely slow. I haven't struggled so much to kill crystal lizards until this game. If you weren't a magic user during your previous Souls playthroughs, better start now.
    Bosses - a lot of bosses that were honestly kinda forgettable. There were a lot of NPC summons for bosses that didn't need them because they were just that easy.

    Overall, DS 2 was not my favorite game of the series but still a great game. I would highly recommend playing DS 1 or 3 first, because this game has a much different story and has the hardest early game in my opinion.    … Expand
  57. DJKrimson
    Nov 1, 2020
    8
    Easily the worst of the soulsborne games imo, but it's still really good. takes some time to get used to if you've played bb and ds3 before. While those games are more fast paced action, this game is more about being patient and strategic. Bad management of stamina feels way more punishing in this game.

    It has some very cool areas. I'm only happy with a few of the bosses though.
  58. rezo_21
    Sep 18, 2021
    8
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 80 IIIIIIIIII====================
  59. RomanGor
    Nov 7, 2019
    8
    Крутая часть серии, которая раскрывается далеко не сразу. После первой части показалась шлаком, но наиграв более 100 часов начинаешь смотреть на нее совсем иначе
  60. Genek13
    Nov 15, 2019
    8
    Second in the trilogy and also very good.
    Sooo much to do in this game. Challenge is satisfying :) Great visuals and some new mechanics.
  61. tobivv
    Nov 26, 2019
    8
    Weakest entry in the dark souls series, but still largely enjoyable, especially in co-op
  62. BoomerZoomer
    Jun 30, 2022
    8
    You know where to go next without using wikipedia and its actually fun and has most location variety of all dark souls games
  63. Mortmawt
    Feb 5, 2020
    8
    Dark Souls 2 is a really strange title in FromSoftware's Dark Souls series.

    Dark Souls 2 is actually not a bad game. The issue with Dark Souls 2 is that it does not feel like a Dark Souls game. I mean every time I play Dark Souls 2 I just feel like I am playing a different souls game and not really Dark Souls. This is the main reason why you will see people saying this is the worst Dark    Dark Souls 2 is a really strange title in FromSoftware's Dark Souls series.

    Dark Souls 2 is actually not a bad game. The issue with Dark Souls 2 is that it does not feel like a Dark Souls game. I mean every time I play Dark Souls 2 I just feel like I am playing a different souls game and not really Dark Souls. This is the main reason why you will see people saying this is the worst Dark Souls game and others saying this is the best Dark Souls game. It just does not feel like you are playing the same game.
    I am one of those who consider it to be the worst Dark Souls game but if I compare it to other games I still find it fun to play. Actually, I can even say it's one of my favorite games.

    If you liked Dark Souls 1, 3 or Bloodborne there is still a decent chance you will like Dark Souls 2 thus I say give it a try as you might very well like it once you get used to all the different aspects of the game.    … Expand
  64. Fatryon
    Jun 28, 2020
    8
    Como muchos dijeran, un buen juego, pero un mal Dark Souls, sin tener al Mayazaki como director podiamos hacernos una idea que todo no seria perfecto, y en efecto, la mayor dificultad en lugar de ser los enemigos en si, son la cantidad de ellos, Dark Souls al no ser un Hack and Slash en toda la regla rompe un poco con su esencia implementado la dificultad de esa manera, otra cosa molestaComo muchos dijeran, un buen juego, pero un mal Dark Souls, sin tener al Mayazaki como director podiamos hacernos una idea que todo no seria perfecto, y en efecto, la mayor dificultad en lugar de ser los enemigos en si, son la cantidad de ellos, Dark Souls al no ser un Hack and Slash en toda la regla rompe un poco con su esencia implementado la dificultad de esa manera, otra cosa molesta es que el arma se rompa después de 3 golpes, realista? si, divertido? no, contra los jefes era increíblemente frustrante, pero en general fue un solido juego… Expand
  65. amazingmold46
    Jul 2, 2020
    8
    Although Dark souls II is definitely the weakest in the series overall, it does outshine the others in a couple of ways. It has the most stable and well rounded pvp in the series and also introduced omnidirectional rolling into the series. It also has my personal fourth favorite boss in the series, fume knight. Sadly, the game overall suffers from poor boss quality compared to others inAlthough Dark souls II is definitely the weakest in the series overall, it does outshine the others in a couple of ways. It has the most stable and well rounded pvp in the series and also introduced omnidirectional rolling into the series. It also has my personal fourth favorite boss in the series, fume knight. Sadly, the game overall suffers from poor boss quality compared to others in the series and an over reliance on a large amount of enemies while traversing the environment. Still a great game, just not on par with the rest of the series.… Expand
  66. bancandrei
    May 12, 2020
    8
    For me this game is the best in the souls series, although a lot of people seem to be of the opposite opinion.
    The world is not very interconnected, but the fact that it opens up very quickly in a lot of directions (you don't even need to defeat a tutorial boss) and is sprawling make it the best of the series from an exploration point of view. It also has some of the best settings    For me this game is the best in the souls series, although a lot of people seem to be of the opposite opinion.
    The world is not very interconnected, but the fact that it opens up very quickly in a lot of directions (you don't even need to defeat a tutorial boss) and is sprawling make it the best of the series from an exploration point of view. It also has some of the best settings (skyboxes) and bosses (in general the community complains that they are mostly knights, but then will rate knights as the best bosses in the series anyway).
    Playing with a controller is recommended, if not necessary. Combat feels better that Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, but worse than Bloodborne or Dark Souls 3.
    None of these games have much of a story (they are however great at worldbuilding), but at least this one has an engaging intro and first impressions seem to have mattered for me.
    Changing enemy and item placements feels unnecessary and cheap (it is marketed as a new version of the game) though.    … Expand
  67. Estonix
    Jun 24, 2020
    8
    Атмосферно, реиграбельно, эспада ропера имба
  68. ReviewTime
    Jul 28, 2020
    8
    By far the worst Dark Souls but still one of the best games ever.
    I played DS3 / DS1 and DS2 was the last one.
    80% of the Bosses are just **** and this is just the truth. There are 3 types of Bosses in this game. [Multiple enemies] The devs realized how hard it is to create a good hard boss. Miyazaki wasnt there so they made a boss themself. Devs fought the boss and thought "this    By far the worst Dark Souls but still one of the best games ever.
    I played DS3 / DS1 and DS2 was the last one.
    80% of the Bosses are just **** and this is just the truth.
    There are 3 types of Bosses in this game.

    [Multiple enemies]
    The devs realized how hard it is to create a good hard boss.
    Miyazaki wasnt there so they made a boss themself.
    Devs fought the boss and thought "this is too easy lets just put him 3x into the room and lets design the next boss"
    I mean this aint a game which is meant for fighting a high amount of enemies.
    Fighting multiple enemies is just a bit luck and praying you land a good hit.
    As a mage this is maybe less of a problem but most people play with close range weapons.

    [Boss?]
    And here you can see why this "Multiple boss" exist.
    I swear I killed almost every 1 vs 1 boss first time.
    They behave like normal enemies
    They just do their combo, you dodge and hit him 1-2x.

    [Dark Souls Boss]
    And the actually good bosses.
    Tbh the best one was Fume Knight.
    Bonfire was directly next to him for a good reason.
    He was fast, he had a lot of combos, he had a second phase and forced me to upgrade my weapon.
    His gift to me was his Ultragreatsword which I wanted.
    Basically everything was perfect about him but I found out he is DLC.
    And im 100% sure Miyazaki saw some of the RELATIVE bad reviews on Dark Souls II and worked on the DLCs because he agreed.

    But dont get me wrong this is still a insane game which even has some things which are even better than DS1 and DS3.
    For example Backstab animation and Build variety.
    But the Bosses and some gameplay changes are just weird ways to make something harder.    … Expand
  69. ErayTellezi
    Jan 16, 2023
    8
    Elden Ringi saymazsak ilk defa bir Souls oyununda büyü yaptım. Özellikle DLC'lerdeki boss yolları için hibrit bir karakter tavsiye ediliyordu ama neticede çok gerekli olduğunu düşünmüyorum. Çok az büyü kullandım. Elden Rİng'te de böye hibrit, kara büyü atan bir karakterim vardı ama orada daha çok büyü kullanıyordum. Bunda stamina falan da kastığım için ağır zırhlı oynayabildim ve yakınElden Ringi saymazsak ilk defa bir Souls oyununda büyü yaptım. Özellikle DLC'lerdeki boss yolları için hibrit bir karakter tavsiye ediliyordu ama neticede çok gerekli olduğunu düşünmüyorum. Çok az büyü kullandım. Elden Rİng'te de böye hibrit, kara büyü atan bir karakterim vardı ama orada daha çok büyü kullanıyordum. Bunda stamina falan da kastığım için ağır zırhlı oynayabildim ve yakın dövüşe daha rahat girdim.

    Dark Souls Remastered ve Dark Souls 3 ile kıyaslayacağım. Core mekanikler aynı zaten, farklılıklara değinmek lazım. İlk farklılık ilk oyundan sonra artık bir üssümüz var. Bazı satıcılar başka yerlerde olsa da genelde bir yerde toplanmış durumda. Oyunun lineer ilerlememesi yine ilk oyundaki gibi. Sürekli geri gitmek, doğru zamanda doğru şeyi yapmak gerekiyor. İlk iki oyunu rehbersiz bitirmek imkansız.

    Alanların ve mekanların çeşitliliği ilk oyundaki kadar olmasa da başarılı. Bölgeler bazen zorlayıcı olabiliyor. Bu durumda bazı bonfire'ların gizli duvarların arkasına koyulmuş olması saçma durmuş.

    Atmosferi Bloodborne ya da Dark Souls 3 kadar kuvvetli değil. Bunda görsel kalitenin biraz kötü olması etkili tabii. Yoksa çizimler, konseptler yine şahane.

    Düşman çeşitliliği yine epey üst seviyede. Boss çeşitliliği de iyi ama dönemin teknik imkanları nedeniyle olsa gerek, hareketleri o kadar çeşitli ve akıcı değil. İlk oyuna göre daha iyi, üçüncüden kötü. Ayrıca çok zor bir boss da yok. Akılda kalıcı değiller.

    Neticede 57 saat süren macera, yine ağzımda hoş bir tat bıraktı. Şimdiye kadar oynadığım From Software oyunları arasında bir tık zayıf kalsa da 2023 yılında bile iş görüyor.    … Expand
  70. gotterpotter56
    Oct 10, 2021
    8
    По сравнению с первой частью, в этой части очень много контента, и как по мне, это главная проблема игры. Уже близко к концу, просто хочется чтоб игра быстро закончилась. В некоторых местах игра стала лучше, а в некоторых хуже. Сама стилистика и атмосфера игры, если честно мне не понравилась. А так, криминально плохого в игре нет. Оценка 8.6 из 10По сравнению с первой частью, в этой части очень много контента, и как по мне, это главная проблема игры. Уже близко к концу, просто хочется чтоб игра быстро закончилась. В некоторых местах игра стала лучше, а в некоторых хуже. Сама стилистика и атмосфера игры, если честно мне не понравилась. А так, криминально плохого в игре нет. Оценка 8.6 из 10
  71. AgentLvi
    Jun 19, 2023
    8
    Great game. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing
  72. Emirkartal
    Jan 6, 2022
    8
    bosses were not difficult but i hate this map design. I'm tired of fall down and die...
  73. C4NAB1Sx
    Jan 27, 2022
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff… Expand
  74. namelessrequiem
    Feb 8, 2022
    8
    8/10, after playing ds1, the experience of this game feels like just capitalization of the 1st one
  75. KermitTheReview
    Mar 22, 2022
    8
    I once had to refund this game after only 2 hours of experience. But after a while, I decided to give this game a second chance and it was the right decision. This game has many weaknesses, but after learning that Miyazaki is not involved in this game too much, I lowered my expectations and I enjoyed the game. The game is quite difficult at the beginning, but after reaching the mid-gameI once had to refund this game after only 2 hours of experience. But after a while, I decided to give this game a second chance and it was the right decision. This game has many weaknesses, but after learning that Miyazaki is not involved in this game too much, I lowered my expectations and I enjoyed the game. The game is quite difficult at the beginning, but after reaching the mid-game stage and getting used to the mechanics of this game, Dark Soul II is quite good. Especially the DLC with extremely high quality. This is worth trying.… Expand
  76. Yukhta
    Jun 8, 2022
    8
    The game is good addition to original DS2. If you enjoyed DS2 original you should play this.
    Fresh experience.
  77. Aqualonuss
    Nov 5, 2022
    8
    "Schlechtestes Spiel der Reihe, trotzdem sehr gut!"

    Ich hatte enormen Spaß, bin aber von vielen Sachen kein Fan. Bosse sind zum Teil grauenhaft und Welt hat nicht so schönes Design wie noch die Teile davor.
  78. r0m4n0
    Dec 15, 2022
    8
    Good Game : A lot of features & mechanics make this opus interesting !
    if u like Elden Ring, this Dark Souls II has the same spirit ...
  79. farrrullll
    Jan 27, 2023
    8
    Dark Souls Dark Souls Dark Souls Dark Souls Dark Souls Dark Souls Dark Souls
  80. Naked_Snakee
    Apr 7, 2023
    8
    Just text (crutch) to save the game to the list. Such things. Maybe I'll do a review later.
  81. Masterhummel
    Apr 2, 2015
    7
    The pricing policy aside, Scholar of the First Sin sucesfully attempts to fix some of the originals shortcomings like uninspired enemy placement, simple ai and behavior. For the most part, it succeeds. The new placement probably won't challenge veteran players too much but the slightly altered encounters will be very enjoyable for the regular player.

    So, why just a seven you may ask?    The pricing policy aside, Scholar of the First Sin sucesfully attempts to fix some of the originals shortcomings like uninspired enemy placement, simple ai and behavior. For the most part, it succeeds. The new placement probably won't challenge veteran players too much but the slightly altered encounters will be very enjoyable for the regular player.

    So, why just a seven you may ask? It's because of the graphical sidegrade. While it is true that certain areas or encounters in the game look much better now (especially dark areas where a torch now is a viable option), there overhelming majority of the exterior just looks... off. Sometimes it even looks like you just loaded some low-effort SweetFX config. Colors are burned, shadows have the wrong saturation, textures are far too bright and washed out. Majula for example is so bright, you feel like you're on the surface of the moon (not kidding). I'm not really sure what to make of this, but it makes the game look far worse then the Original in some areas.    … Expand
  82. Reshish
    Aug 12, 2015
    7
    Just a note that as a PC gamer who does not own (and has no intention of owning) a console control pad, 'A' does not confirm, and 'B' does not take you back in menus. This is a PC game, a lot of effort has gone into making it run well on PCs, don't tarnish that by have Xbox button prompts.
  83. Dudraug
    Apr 2, 2019
    7
    It is not so epic as dark souls 3, it is not so prefect as dark souls 1, it is not so beautiful as bloodborne but it's still good game.
  84. Hack
    Apr 29, 2016
    7
    After finishing Dark Souls III I wanted a little more so when I saw Dark Souls II: SotFS up for sale I jumped on it and for the most part I'm glad I did.

    First I want to talk about the port, which is great this time, the complete opposite of Dark Souls I: Prepare To Die on PC which we all know has a laundry list of issues and is only made somewhat playable by DSFix but I'm happy to say    After finishing Dark Souls III I wanted a little more so when I saw Dark Souls II: SotFS up for sale I jumped on it and for the most part I'm glad I did.

    First I want to talk about the port, which is great this time, the complete opposite of Dark Souls I: Prepare To Die on PC which we all know has a laundry list of issues and is only made somewhat playable by DSFix but I'm happy to say that's not the case here, I was getting a locked 60fps throughout on max settings and I didn't have a single technical issue in over 40 hours. The game looks, sounds and runs really nicely.

    Content wise it's a big game with the included DLC, I actually still have two optional bosses left to kill and I've sunk 43 hours into it already so you're getting plenty of bang for your buck (I'd highly recommend shopping around, I picked it up for £9.59). On the whole the game is enjoyable in a Dark Souls sort of way, but there were a few areas that went past "Dark Souls" and just ended up being extremely tedious, not hard or challenging just plain boring and those areas did tarnish the overall game for me a bit, but thankfully there's only a few truly poorly designed areas in the game so in the grand scheme of things it's not too bad.

    I found the bosses to be on the whole too easy, the base game bosses especially. I killed every boss in under 5 tries apart from a select few. The DLC bosses are much harder in general though, and the final boss of part II is currently kicking my ass after many tries, he's by far the hardest boss in the game and one of the hardest I've faced in the "Soulsborne" universe. I haven't been using phantoms or summons either, so I imagine if you do get truly stuck using these options will help you out a lot.

    For me it's worth playing if you enjoy these types of games, I actually put it above Dark Souls I purely because of the quality of the port, it was just more enjoyable to play without all the issues, but it's a few pegs behind both Bloodborne and Dark Souls III which is the top of the pile IMO.    … Expand
  85. Vzhik
    Dec 7, 2021
    7
    Итак.. Не знаю почему ничего не написал ранее... Наверно потому что и так всё понятно - лучшая игра трилогии. :-)
    Да, хоть она и была у меня первой в серии, но я возвращался в неё и после Bloodborne, и после Demon's Souls с Dark Souls 3. Прошел еще на PS3 и PS4, в отличии от...
    Отличнейший визуальный стиль. Это главное в играх, что б глазу было приятно а душе комфортно. Нелинейный мир.    Итак.. Не знаю почему ничего не написал ранее... Наверно потому что и так всё понятно - лучшая игра трилогии. :-)
    Да, хоть она и была у меня первой в серии, но я возвращался в неё и после Bloodborne, и после Demon's Souls с Dark Souls 3. Прошел еще на PS3 и PS4, в отличии от...
    Отличнейший визуальный стиль. Это главное в играх, что б глазу было приятно а душе комфортно.
    Нелинейный мир. Как прекрасно искать, заблудиться, не знать куда идти.. а потом найти новый проход. Как прекрасно когда начинаешь прохождение и еще не знаешь куда пойдешь.
    Самая лучшая магия в серии. А люблю играть магами. Тут прям со старта посох и вперед. Далее прогрессии очень адекватная - новые заклинания, новые посохи.. Разные навороты и буст урона, и отвлекающие, защитные.
    Отличные арены боссы. Как интересно пробовать убить Преследователя баллистой, Увидеть невидимого Аву и ломать голову что это такое, удивиться наполнению воды у Гибкого часового, случайно узнать что Алчного Демона можно отравить кувшинами рядом, узнав что пауки на Фрее отгоняются факелом и можно пройти проще, когда не получается пройти Дымного, одеть шлем, отключив первую фазу, и пройти почти сразу, случайно в компании на Сере Аллоне увидеть как он делает себе сепуку... Офигеть от яда на Мите и случайно найти мельницу..
    Прекрасные локи. Как офигенно после душного Дранглика очутиться в умопомрачительном Храме Аманы.. С песнями, безмятежностью..
    Самое лучшее разнообразие тактик и подходов, построения перса и методик прохождения.
    Ну и конечно Маджула...
    Это все первое прохождение. А сейчас? Сейчас самое лучшее вторжение за синего - когда кидает на всю игру и не знаешь куда попадешь.
    Но объективно, конечно, игра не без недостатков. Прекрасно помню ощущение, что игра пустышка и бросить бы её нафиг, но это относится к любой серии DS.
    Но оценка такая же как и для остальных частей серии 7/10 .    … Expand
  86. Dartflight
    Apr 12, 2015
    7
    I've always been a huge fan of the souls series but this "add on" is not really what i expected.

    For me Demon Souls was great, Dark Souls as well and the prepare to die addition was ok. When finally dark souls 2 came out I played through it in around 30h but I rushed through the very end because I messed up a side quest-line. Anyways, the game took away the need, my need, to play it    I've always been a huge fan of the souls series but this "add on" is not really what i expected.

    For me Demon Souls was great, Dark Souls as well and the prepare to die addition was ok.
    When finally dark souls 2 came out I played through it in around 30h but I rushed through the very end because I messed up a side quest-line.
    Anyways, the game took away the need, my need, to play it again and to start all over because they included an item called "Soul Vessel". It allows you the relocate all your skillpoints!
    In the end, that was the reason why I did not purchase any dlc.

    Now i decided to upgrade my version to the "Scholar of the First sin" one.
    They changed the graphics, the mechanics and the environment.
    I like the design of the game but I am not going to judge the graphics because I just don't care.
    To the mechanics: They changed the backstab and the counter attack. Not the way they are executed but the way they work.You used to be invulnerable while the backstabbing animation is running. Now you take dmg! For me that completely destroys the flow of the game.
    My starting class is always the naked man... So my attributes just allow me to use a dagger at the beginning if im not lvling up. In dark souls 2 the normal version this weapon is enough make your way to the first boss and to kill him. After that I would normally lvl up with a decent amount of souls ( you need souls to lvl your character up).
    But now that i constantly take dmg when i parry and backstab enemies I can't do that anymore.

    To the environment:
    They decided to relocate half of the enemies... I have no idea why, it doesn't make the game harder, it doesn't make the game easier, they just did it.

    To conclude: Its still a good game eventhough you cant backstab and parry your way through it that easily anymore.. :( There is no way in a million years its as good as its prequel.
    The characters are still unique and the voiceacting is gorgeous. But I am not 100% convinced about upgrading when you already own ds2 + dlcs.

    Im well aware that my English lacks but since Im not a native I don't give a *** ;)    … Expand
  87. Cech
    May 16, 2017
    7
    Продолжение серии соулс под порядковым номером 3

    Почитав многие обзоры, у меня складывается ощущение, что существует много людей, которым эта часть ДС нравится больше, чем первая. Нет, у этой игры большое количество минусов Техническая часть Лучше: в отличии от 1ой части можно запустить без бубна и плясок. Но у неё проблемы с разрешением.. при его номинальном Full HD система    Продолжение серии соулс под порядковым номером 3

    Почитав многие обзоры, у меня складывается ощущение, что существует много людей, которым эта часть ДС нравится больше, чем первая. Нет, у этой игры большое количество минусов

    Техническая часть
    Лучше: в отличии от 1ой части можно запустить без бубна и плясок. Но у неё проблемы с разрешением.. при его номинальном Full HD система воспринимает его как HD, отсюда все иконки рабочего стола и окна разлетаются туда, где им не место. Также у неё проблемы с запоминанием графических настроек

    Графика
    Для ремастера в 2015 году средне. На дальних дистанциях от пейзажей могут вытечь глаза, но.. это рост относительно ДС 1
    UPD. DLC Ivory King делали другие люди и глаза не вытекают от фона

    Сюжет
    В первой части его нет, тут можно даже проследить, но нет

    Мультиплеер/Ко-оп
    Из-за "относительной старости" игры я не ощутил этот экспириенс в ДС 1, тут это было здорово, особенно когда оставил знак призыва и помогал человеку, общение через жесты забавно и очень атмосферно

    Главная проблема игры - это самокопирование

    Боссы
    Нужен больший уровень прокачки, отсюда рост сложности, но уникальности в боссфайте 0 - десяток одинаковых боссов - большое разочарование, но бо'льшая проблема - это 90% копирование боссов из ДС 1
    UPD. DLC делали другие люди (2), тут хоть сложный босс есть Сэр Алонн

    Локации
    Что-то новое в плане локаций игра не превнесла, и, опять же, самокопирование. НО.. локации имеют ещё большую проблему.. ДС 1 был почти цельным миром с парой ответвлений, здесь же это куча ответвлений, без цельности. За прохождение ни разу не было ВАУ эффекта от шортката, возвращение в некоторые места в ДС 1 просто разрывало шаблоны, а тут куча срезов, которыми вы даже не воспользуетесь.. Очередной перебор с анусами подземелий, но тут хоть с наличием света проще. Одно радует - перемещение между кострами есть изначально и вам не нужно бегать 30 часов для получения такой возможности.

    Персонажи
    Колоритные NPC и забавные враги - забудьте, я был влюблён в людей-грибочков, из-за которых я когда-то купил ДС 1. Колоритом ни от боссов, ни от NPC тут и не пахнет, запомнился только Вождь Венгарл, но остальные..

    Ачивменты
    Очень расстроило то, что я не знал, что нужно было обязательно призывать NPC фантомов на бои с боссами для получения пары ачивментов. Ну етить, серьёзно?    … Expand
  88. GabriMH19
    Apr 21, 2021
    7
    Tenia muchas ganas de seguir descubriendo la saga Dark Souls. Anteriormente había conseguido completar la tercera entrega de la saga y la verdad que me dejo con muchas ganas de seguir conociendo mas acerca de la saga Dark Souls. Asique también decidí completar Dark Souls II y la verdad que estoy bastante contento con el resultado. De oídas siempre había escuchado que Dark Souls II era elTenia muchas ganas de seguir descubriendo la saga Dark Souls. Anteriormente había conseguido completar la tercera entrega de la saga y la verdad que me dejo con muchas ganas de seguir conociendo mas acerca de la saga Dark Souls. Asique también decidí completar Dark Souls II y la verdad que estoy bastante contento con el resultado. De oídas siempre había escuchado que Dark Souls II era el hermano feo de la saga y que en su día no tuvo una buena acogida por gran parte del publico. Pero después de pasarme esta entrega denominada Scholar Of The First Sin que en si es una versión mejorada y adaptada de la entrega he de decir que estoy bastante satisfecho. Creo también que no llega a estar a la altura de Dark Souls III pero en si no es una mala entrega. Si es verdad que la dificultad no esta tan bien medida y en muchas ocasiones es demasiado sencilla. Pero sigue contando con una buena historia, unas buenas mecánicas y una apta jugabilidad que son los pilares inconfundibles de la propia saga. Pero si que entiendo que puede pecar de no ser tan imaginativo o de descuidar algunas aspectos del juego. Creo que un contenido mas medido y pulido hubiera podido aportar mas y convertirlo en mejor juego. Pero en si me parece una gran entrega y una opción muy recomendada si quieres disfrutar de un desafío a lo Dark Souls. Muy recomendado.… Expand
  89. FromTheBonfire
    May 31, 2020
    7
    The weakest of the series, but still a game above average no doubt. Miyazaki, we missed you in this one.
  90. ppytry
    May 19, 2021
    7
    Многие ругают эту часть знаменитого сериала за частые баги в игре.Да,есть такое скажу я вам но это же не критично! К тому же компания FROM software извинилась за это и подарила каждому кто купил эту игру большое DLC "Crown of the Sunken King" совершенно бесплатно!!! Как итог игра в целом весьма хорошая получилась,окружающий живой мир оставил очень положительные эмоции.Лично я игрой доволенМногие ругают эту часть знаменитого сериала за частые баги в игре.Да,есть такое скажу я вам но это же не критично! К тому же компания FROM software извинилась за это и подарила каждому кто купил эту игру большое DLC "Crown of the Sunken King" совершенно бесплатно!!! Как итог игра в целом весьма хорошая получилась,окружающий живой мир оставил очень положительные эмоции.Лично я игрой доволен и советую ее тем кому этот жанр нравится.Теперь собственно что в нутри коллекционного издания "Маджула" Красивая железная коробка в нутри которой сама игра на диске,красочный артбук,литографии и саундтрек на CD.Все очень красиво и по привлекательной цене у Озона.… Expand
  91. FRIST_008
    Jun 14, 2021
    7
    Наверное самая бодрая часть серии соулс, которая получает заслуженные 7 балов, за геймплей и графику соответствуенно.
  92. Jenkip
    May 6, 2021
    7
    Ну, что сказать, Миядзаки пришёл, и сделал всё немного лучше чем было в оригинале. Игра стала сложнее (хотя, всё ещё самая лёгкая часть серии). И в целом ощущения более приятные (хотя баланас всё ещё убитый, ага, бесконечные (99) хилки)

    7/10.    Ну, что сказать, Миядзаки пришёл, и сделал всё немного лучше чем было в оригинале. Игра стала сложнее (хотя, всё ещё самая лёгкая часть серии). И в целом ощущения более приятные (хотя баланас всё ещё убитый, ага, бесконечные (99) хилки)

    7/10.
  93. dislove
    Nov 9, 2021
    7
    Ordinary locations with a large number of identical enemies, a very large number of bosses, but most of them are similar and easy, an incomprehensible balance of characteristics and levels
  94. botardi
    Jan 1, 2023
    7
    dark souls was appraised for it's fair and rough difficulty, putting you through a difficult challenge that is truly rewarding when beaten
    dark souls II is hard because the gameplay is much more limited, and very frustrating, as you're not fighting the hard bosses, but the more-than-supposed punishing mechanics that make those bosses so goddamn hard, killing the satisfaction of slaying a    dark souls was appraised for it's fair and rough difficulty, putting you through a difficult challenge that is truly rewarding when beaten
    dark souls II is hard because the gameplay is much more limited, and very frustrating, as you're not fighting the hard bosses, but the more-than-supposed punishing mechanics that make those bosses so goddamn hard, killing the satisfaction of slaying a boss and replacing it with relief sometimes
    still, this game shines on many other aspects, as the world is greatly built (not the level design) and the variety of playstyles is even bigger than on the first one    … Expand
  95. crablebable
    Feb 19, 2023
    7
    Dark Souls II feels like the twilight zone of dark souls games. This game never comes close to the highs of the other two souls games, with a different approach to level design and extremely underwhelming bosses. Some people will complain about enemy placements and level design, but I found that it made for an interesting challenge in how you approach certain areas, with this in mind, aDark Souls II feels like the twilight zone of dark souls games. This game never comes close to the highs of the other two souls games, with a different approach to level design and extremely underwhelming bosses. Some people will complain about enemy placements and level design, but I found that it made for an interesting challenge in how you approach certain areas, with this in mind, a new mechanic which drains your max hp each time you die seemed to discourage me from experimenting a lot of the time, which is something that I greatly disliked. When it comes to bosses, it feels as if they went with quantity over quality and many of them feel underwhelming and extremely easy, there are very few times where I felt I needed to think when fighting something when simply circling around mindlessly was the best approach for 90% of them. On top of this certain character attributes such as ADP completely skews with the balance of the bosses from player to player, and its unclear that such a stat is vital to upgrading in order to make the game feel "normal". Overall I appreciate what the game does with it's story, taking it in a very unique direction from 1 & 3, but its issues shine through to an unbearable degree that are hard to ignore. By itself it is a "good" game but compared to the other masterpieces fromsoft has put out it stands out and not for the better.… Expand
  96. Eyean
    Aug 5, 2023
    7
    This game really lived up to the whole "this game is the hardest thing ever" marketing that surrounds the Dark Souls franchise. The amount of awfully designed areas and bosses is impressive. That being said, the core gameplay and amazing DLC's do somewhat redeem it.
  97. Silentwalker
    Apr 14, 2016
    6
    Big improvement over the last game, the game runs smoothly and game is fun to play. This is my favourite Dark Souls game out of them all.

    I don't know why people dislike this one, it's the best one I've play so far.
  98. Blackdragon666
    Apr 4, 2015
    6
    The game is still a buggy mess when the framerate goes over 30 FPS. I don't understand how dare they charge anything from this update. They basically just added more mobs to f#!k you over and sweetfx.
  99. fludziom
    Dec 18, 2016
    6
    Having platinumed the game I think it's trash. Not even closely as good as the original Dark Souls. The atmosphere of the orginal is gone. Replaced by uninspired yellow grayish setting. 90% of the game's locations are deadly boring. In the orginal I loved to parry. In DS2 parry sucks all the way. Enemy placement cheap annoying frustrating. Poor knock off
  100. krispintin
    Apr 7, 2015
    6
    By far the worst game From Software has produced in the "demons,souls,blood" games.

    After playing through the other games this one just feels awful and mediocre at best. The environments lack detail, the geography has no connection (area transitions are terrible). The story is even more vague than previous games and incredibly generic and lame once you understand it. Bosses are    By far the worst game From Software has produced in the "demons,souls,blood" games.

    After playing through the other games this one just feels awful and mediocre at best.

    The environments lack detail, the geography has no connection (area transitions are terrible).

    The story is even more vague than previous games and incredibly generic and lame once you understand it.

    Bosses are probably the biggest let down, very few are original and are mostly just reposts/reskins of previous bosses.
    for some reason in this game they are no more complex or difficult than strafing around them in circles and blocking, the hit boxes on many attacks are very strange so rolling is usually riskier, but even then the bosses can mostly be beaten on the first try with ease. The only idea of difficulty they add is by just adding mobs to the fights which really doesn't fix the fact that none of the bosses on their own are even remotely tough.

    Mobs are tougher than the bosses.

    to cut it short it blows my mind that people think this is a good souls game, let alone a good game.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

76
#76 Best PC Game of 2015
29
#29 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
87
#87 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. RPG Fan
    Feb 20, 2017
    72
    Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin offers only minor tweaks to serious gameplay issues of the original game. Nonetheless, it still remains a wholly enjoyable online experience, just don't expect much from the singleplayer experience.
    Read full review
  2. CD-Action
    Jun 29, 2015
    95
    It’s a freaking masterpiece! Do yourself a favor and experience it if you haven’t done it yet. [06/2015, p.68]
  3. Games.cz
    May 4, 2015
    80
    A pleasant combination of revised version of Dark Souls II with excellent DLCs offers a brutal difficulty and a fantastic atmosphere - even more intense than ever. Although the Scholar of the First Sin is not a purchase for everyone, if you try you will not be disappointed.
    Read full review
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