Dark Souls II

 PC
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 3117 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,992 out of 3117
  2. Mixed: 521 out of 3117
  3. Negative: 604 out of 3117
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Denistzur
    Jul 30, 2014
    3
    This game is the most ANNOYING RPG game i ever played (and i'm a huge fan of Skyrim and WoW) Where in those games things went smooth and reasonable, here everything is crappy, EVERYTHING : respawn mechanics are bad, key binding are just terrible and after 3 days i sent a mail asking to money refound: i'm done with this crap
  2. Jannus
    Jul 30, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls, can there be any argument this is the most innovative entry to the RPG genre in a very long time? It may be low on direct narrative and high on twitch gaming skill demand, but It also requires grasping the games solid character stats basis, and a continual piecing together of the deep, subtly hidden narrative (e.g. in NPC backstory & item provenance), requirements immediatelyDark Souls, can there be any argument this is the most innovative entry to the RPG genre in a very long time? It may be low on direct narrative and high on twitch gaming skill demand, but It also requires grasping the games solid character stats basis, and a continual piecing together of the deep, subtly hidden narrative (e.g. in NPC backstory & item provenance), requirements immediately reminiscent of 'oldskool' and implemented faithfully here, even though the gameplay is very much a new beast.

    The technical triumph of Dark Souls is its melee combat, each weapon type (~20 in all) has its own moveset enabling wildly differing combat depending primarily on what the player chooses, although being comfortable swinging them all pays off as adapting beyond your comfort zone will be required and weapon set knowledge transfers an advantage (logically) against the many devious enemies on your path. No other game has accomplished such a consistent portrayal of hand to hand combat, it has a high learning curve, but once peaked it becomes intensely satisfying.

    And for me personally thats where the real triumph of Dark Souls resides, utterly regardless of normal narrative techniques to involve the player emotionally, this games combat (incorporating the whole death-hallowed-life cycle) has managed to make me identify closer with my nameless & voiceless avatar than the vast majority of all the great cRPGs of the past.

    It's a Masterpiece, get it & don't give up !

    DS2 (vanilla) is moderately better than DS1 (fully patched & modded) in PC responsiveness, DS1 remains the more difficult game, arguably slightly better on that score, and a more interesting hallowing mechanic, but I imagine some of the "streamlining" for 2 is probably a good thing designed to ease new people into the world better.

    Make no mistake, these games will challenge & disturb you !    … Expand
  3. SunSparc
    Jul 27, 2014
    5
    About once or twice a year I will pay full price for a game instead of waiting for it to be on sale or discount a year later. I did that with this game and it was a huge mistake. Great graphics, great story, terrible game play and setup. Lots of dying and repeating which is a huge waste of time. It didn't need to be like this and would have been a great game.
  4. Ivan665
    Jul 26, 2014
    0
    The PC port of Dark Souls II is just bad. The interface and controls are not prone to any customisation, and the interface is unintuitive. This is not and RPG game!!! Period. There are 28 GREAT RPGs released in the last 15 years, not counting any expansions and the MMOs, if you want an RPG, play some of those. This game doesnt have the essentials like a map, journal, party, real towns withThe PC port of Dark Souls II is just bad. The interface and controls are not prone to any customisation, and the interface is unintuitive. This is not and RPG game!!! Period. There are 28 GREAT RPGs released in the last 15 years, not counting any expansions and the MMOs, if you want an RPG, play some of those. This game doesnt have the essentials like a map, journal, party, real towns with merchants and quests. The item pool is really small. A couple of NPCs here and there and thats pretty much it - a big effing desert with lots of textures and little substance!!! This game is unengaging. The story is bland. The world is dead, theres nothing to do really, except exploring boring levels that look spectacular from afar, battling patches of tough enemies here and there, and killing bosses. Thats the whoe game - adventure with action and RPG elements. Theres more action than RPG. The game is not hard!!! Its simple. Mechanics are simple and easily abusable. The challenge comes from that, that there is very little info in the game on mechanics, no real map, no journal, lore or quests, and the player needs to figure what to do on his own, which is not going to happen because he has internet. Its just stupid to think otherwise because we are not living in 1998. Once you learn the drill, you are guaranteed success. All the challenges that the supposed "pros" are blabbermouthing about boil down to this - slow down your pace, dodge and have patience!!! You will see some people talk about depth and nonsense like that, when the game is really just mutilating the player of a map and a journal, to distract him from its simple mechanics, boring world devoid of meaning and towns, lack of content, items, and poor story. And the game is truly ugly, it looks like a late PS2 game, art direction should go back to graffiti sketching.… Expand
  5. Jman88s
    Jul 23, 2014
    10
    This game is so hard, i died on the main menu. Beware that if you play this masterpiece, you will die repeatedly. Still a really good game. Get this, right now.
  6. DrakeMofugu
    Jul 23, 2014
    8
    Really fun but sometimes it's bull if you know what I mean, wish the death was a little less harsh but really fun you know. There's a sound bug on the lightning guy so cover your ears
  7. miked125
    Jul 16, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls 2 is a masterpiece. Well, almost a masterpiece. Dark Souls 2 is VERY challenging. However, not as challenging as the first, and probably more approachable to newcomers of the series. First off, the gameplay is amazing. I found myself sitting through late hours of the night mashing away at cruel and punishing enemies. I died, ALOT. But thats a part of the games appeal. WhenDark Souls 2 is a masterpiece. Well, almost a masterpiece. Dark Souls 2 is VERY challenging. However, not as challenging as the first, and probably more approachable to newcomers of the series. First off, the gameplay is amazing. I found myself sitting through late hours of the night mashing away at cruel and punishing enemies. I died, ALOT. But thats a part of the games appeal. When you finally get through that tough boss that took you hours to finish, its one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever feel. Besides the gameplay (which is near perfect), the lore is also a very interesting part of the game's story as well. Dark souls 2 isnt direct with its story line at all. In fact, the only way your going to end up understanding most of the story behind different bosses, or the land of Drangilec, is by reading up on the history of specific items and souls you get through the game. You'll also be able to talk to different npcs during your playthrough. The reason im not giving this game a perfect score is because doesnt feel all that original. Many bosses, weapons, and even some different areas of the game all feel like they were almost copy and pasted from the original Dark Souls. Also, the game doesnt always feel 100% fair like the first one did. What i mean by this, is that in some areas of the game, you'll encounter enemies or bosses that'll slide and move in your direction as you try to evade. You'll understand if you play the game, and i HIGHLY recommend that you play this near masterpiece.… Expand
  8. Jimjam6494
    Jul 15, 2014
    10
    I think that these negative reviews are probably just from people who can't figure out how to play the game! This is a masterpiece of a game, the graphics are beautiful and the challenge can be rage inducing but when you beat it, there is no greater feeling in the world.
  9. Stilloffside
    Jul 11, 2014
    9
    I give this a 9.5 but there are no .5's here...

    The souls games are arguably the best RPG games on the market (in my opinion). Neither title apologize from start to finish...They both have their technical short comings and can be cause for frustration but the core of each title, the depth, the literal...OK GO aspect to the games mentality separates them from other RPG's period. I am    I give this a 9.5 but there are no .5's here...

    The souls games are arguably the best RPG games on the market (in my opinion). Neither title apologize from start to finish...They both have their technical short comings and can be cause for frustration but the core of each title, the depth, the literal...OK GO aspect to the games mentality separates them from other RPG's period.

    I am so mentally exhausted over RPGs highlighting the path...making *the thing to pickup glow...Dark Souls series games literally show a lovely cut scene and then like I said basically boot you in the ass and tell you to go like you would a teenager who needed to find a job.

    Dark souls II made up for a lot of the PVP short comings and connection issues that Prepare to Die had (on PC). The PVE felt very similar and was only made *easier due to the face that most people sort of knew what a souls game was. Dark Souls perpare to die was vicious... almost like a Great White Shark swimming in chum. Dark Souls II however was still vicious but a lot more fun...like a Great White Shark wearing a Party hat..

    I have over a 115 hours into this title...two level 130 + characters and almost every day I still get the urge to start again...try a different build and really just be in that Dark Souls world. The atmosphere created especially with a could ENB tweaks (PC again) literally make me "Praise the sun!" around almost every corner.

    The sound...the voice acting...the depth are all second to none. Sure the NPC characters mouths dont move but the pure voice acting is spot on...The complexity you can find in this world if your patience is high is unmatched.

    Some people moan about having to use a controller on a PC game...(insert cricket noises here). I have had a controller in my hand since my first DX 4-100 that I built in the late 80's...they are for gaming and PC's are the master race of gaming...so no big issue for me there.

    I can only hope for more souls games...at a minimum DLC content soon.

    I have heard that Demon Souls may get a part II which would be epic considering I never got the chance to play (never came to PC)

    Dont miss this game if your a true hardcore RPG fan...    … Expand
  10. Fanaro009
    Jul 11, 2014
    9
    Few times you're going to cross with such a well constructed game. There are critics to it but in this rare case none can ever change the fact that this is an absolute masterpiece, enjoyable from the begining to the end. It is a hardcore game and if you don't want challenges, this is not for you. The game is mysterious and unforgivable, you're going to die a lot. But don't worry, thereFew times you're going to cross with such a well constructed game. There are critics to it but in this rare case none can ever change the fact that this is an absolute masterpiece, enjoyable from the begining to the end. It is a hardcore game and if you don't want challenges, this is not for you. The game is mysterious and unforgivable, you're going to die a lot. But don't worry, there will be plenty of rewards and each weapon or costume you receive will look like water in the desert, an eternal relief and a great hope for the future of your journey.

    Now, to the criticism. Firstly, the multiplayer: it is enjoyable for a while, but then you encounter the inevitable jerks who are virtually undefeatable due to overpowered weapons. Secondly, the ending is just so vague, sudden and anti-climatic... it is not the same as the first one where vagueness gave it a certain charm or glamour, now it feels like someone ran dry of ideas and tried to terminate the project before it went downhill.

    Nevertheless, a collection item, one day this will be remembered certainly as one of the best games of the decade.    … Expand
  11. Violett
    Jul 11, 2014
    10
    Amazing game! Unusual and incredibly hard! I cant remember how many times I felt so frustrated in a single game. Hundreds of deaths, ton of butthurt and fun! I played on my big tv at the evening with gamepad and I didnt meet any problems other people talk here. That was awesome! It is super cool if the game is hard.
  12. maxim1996
    Jul 10, 2014
    7
    Dark souls 2 at the bottom line was an over-hyped game that doesn't deserve all the high scores that many reviewers gave it, but in the same time the game doesn't deserve all the extremely low scores that some users gave it. Dark souls 2 is an improvement over the disaster port that was dark souls 1 that was literally unplayable on PC. One of the first issues that bothered me with thisDark souls 2 at the bottom line was an over-hyped game that doesn't deserve all the high scores that many reviewers gave it, but in the same time the game doesn't deserve all the extremely low scores that some users gave it. Dark souls 2 is an improvement over the disaster port that was dark souls 1 that was literally unplayable on PC. One of the first issues that bothered me with this game is the promise of the developers to make an original PC game and then port it to the consoles. During the first dark souls game play videos we saw a much more impressive graphical game that had a beautiful lightning engine, but unfortunately all we got in the final product is a slightly improved graphical version dark souls 1. Dark souls 2 in its core is all about over coming challenges and getting rewarded for it. Dark souls 2 is a game that is challenging, but can be easily exploited in many ways to make it easier. For example when you die in dark souls 2 your are revived as a hollowed undead that looses a part of his total health bar. The more you die the more health you loose until you drop to 50% of your total health. To reverse this process you must use a rare item that is called human effigy, but you can easily avoid all of this by wearing the ring of life protection that not only protects you from turning hollowed, but also saves all of your souls that you will loose when dying. And to use the ring again you just need to pay 3000 souls to repair it(not a large amount of souls). Dark souls 2 pvp in the bottom line is just broken. The poor connection causes awkward situations in which you might do a direct hit only to see how your enemy ignores your attack and back stabs you from behind. On the other hand their is a large variety of pvp engagements. There is a large verity of pvp covenants that you can join to experience your pvp from a different perspective. Dark souls 2 doesn't treat you like a child, you can kill who ever you want to kill and bear the consequences. Dark souls 2 lacks 1 huge key element that the previous 2 games did, interesting bosses. Most of the bosses in dark souls 2 are your typical RPG bosses. For the most part the only way the game manages to make the boss battles more difficult is by adding a couple of more enemies on your screen that you cant follow because of the poor lock on system in the game like the Ruin sentinels or the twin dragon riders. In those fights you always find yourself fighting the camera more than the actual bosses. The other way dark souls 2 makes difficult bosses is by adding just annoying abilities or raising the boss health stats to ridiculous levels like old king Vendrick that is just boring to fight with or the Royal Rat authority that can break your armor instantly with its toxic liquid. On the other hand there are a couple of fun bosses like the Smelter Demon or the Pursuer that can give you a fun and a challenging fight . The plot of the game sadly falls apart. The amount of unknown mystery and the amount of unanswered questions in the game give you the impression that the developers were just too lazy to write a proper story for the game and just decided to cover everything with "mystery". When you reach the end of the game and face Nashandra that we know very little about her true story and reasons for her hostility to you (honestly we know almost nothing about who she even is). After a very boring and a slow fight in which if you are a ranged character you might find this the easiest boss in the game while every melee character will probably get cursed by her curse fog that is around her. After you finish her off you go to the throne room to sit on the throne because? And then you pretty much hear the following message that tells you that no matter what you choose it will result in the same cycle that was in dark souls 1 or in other words the whole game was pointless from the start to finish. For me this killed dark souls. From that very moment I stopped taking a game seriously and just continued to play to finish my build to find myself quitting the moment I finished building it. I wont even bother to discuss the rest of the characters of the game because they became pointless the moment I reached the end of the game. In conclusion dark souls 2 might be a challenging game that you might find fun if you like challenges, but you cant take it seriously because of the almost none existing story(lore does not count if your actual plot does not exist). I believe that dark souls game is still a pretty good game despite all the flaws in the game because when dark souls 2 does it right. IT does it perfectly right and it leaves you with a satisfaction that will stay with you for a long time.… Expand
  13. Molec_man
    Jul 9, 2014
    10
    Wow... I've been hooked again! Dark Souls 2 is a great game. Yes... the soul memory system is a bit of a negative, but it was implemented to keep gankers from twinking low level toons (It still happens... but less). I recommend using an Xbox 360 controller. It makes the game so much easier to play and a much more enjoyable experience overall. I give this game a 10 because it doesn't giveWow... I've been hooked again! Dark Souls 2 is a great game. Yes... the soul memory system is a bit of a negative, but it was implemented to keep gankers from twinking low level toons (It still happens... but less). I recommend using an Xbox 360 controller. It makes the game so much easier to play and a much more enjoyable experience overall. I give this game a 10 because it doesn't give in to making things easy on the gamer. Is it as hard as Dark Souls 1? No. But, it still is not easy. And only the true hardcore go solo on every boss fight. Solo boss fights make this game frustrating but rewarding. The only thing I wish it had was more achieves for doing things the hard way instead of using summons.

    Great game... Great gameplay... Looking forward to replaying it several more times!    … Expand
  14. markp368
    Jul 9, 2014
    8
    Do not be disheartened by the other low reviews, this game is a lot of fun. If you do indeed run into problems and or bugs, what many people seem to not understand is that the internet ie google will fix them in no time. The game is a solid 8.5, not the best, would be amazing if there was a hint of story.
    If you try to play with keyboard you will fail.
  15. kobriks
    Jul 9, 2014
    5
    Huge disappointment. I didn't finish the game. It was nothing like first 2 games, only soul DS II has is in its title. I couldn't believe how plain and empty world felt. Not even a single memorable location in 25h of gameplay, non-existing plot (not like it was good in DS I but at least you had idea of what you are doing), boring repetitive enemies and very poorly made boss fights (screwHuge disappointment. I didn't finish the game. It was nothing like first 2 games, only soul DS II has is in its title. I couldn't believe how plain and empty world felt. Not even a single memorable location in 25h of gameplay, non-existing plot (not like it was good in DS I but at least you had idea of what you are doing), boring repetitive enemies and very poorly made boss fights (screw creativity! Let’s make one average boss and make player fight 5 of them at once! That will be 5 times more fun!). 25h from which I enjoyed maybe 2-3 hours. I'll better just finish ng+5 in DS I.… Expand
  16. kotgaf
    Jul 9, 2014
    3
    I really enjoy hardcore games sometimes.
    But...
    Don't say a f*****g word about hardcore when talking about this game! Control on PC is totally broken!
    After all - average graphic, terrible interface,bugs, poor amount of ingame information - what, you call THIS hardcore?! You'd better try to win ADOM, you know.
    Hardcore and stupidity isn't same thing.
  17. ReviewBros
    Jul 8, 2014
    10
    if your looking for a epic soulless demon killing game this is for you.even after raging over 100 times it still makes this game brilliant.half the demons you fight are 10 times the size of you.and if there not they have unique weapons.the online is perfect and it has fairly balanced weapons that suit your playsyle this game is truly brilliant.
  18. iansarmy1
    Jul 8, 2014
    3
    Bare bones fantasy role playing/fighting game, with ugly graphics and no story or characters worth mentioning. Some people like it purely for the very challenging combat and character creation elements, but there is absolutely nothing else going on in this game to make me want to come back to it after dying a few times. Most negative reviews focus on the poor quality of the work done toBare bones fantasy role playing/fighting game, with ugly graphics and no story or characters worth mentioning. Some people like it purely for the very challenging combat and character creation elements, but there is absolutely nothing else going on in this game to make me want to come back to it after dying a few times. Most negative reviews focus on the poor quality of the work done to optimize this game for the PC, but its not worth buying on any system unless you just want to grind through some gratuitous fantasy combat.… Expand
  19. WryMouth
    Jul 7, 2014
    5
    Nothing like the Original. The changes to riposte or back stabs are just junk. Mobs don't even re-spawn after you try to farm them for an item. Story is not that great or even the Lore. Kinda sad but still playable.
  20. guccibrane
    Jul 5, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls 2, when compared to its predecessor, falls slightly short. Granted that some key members of the developer team for Dark Souls 1 did not work on Dark Souls 2, the game plays and feels different from the first game. The combat is still great, but the level design is lacking. Furthermore, the player is seldom rewarded for exploration, often only receiving junk after making a trickyDark Souls 2, when compared to its predecessor, falls slightly short. Granted that some key members of the developer team for Dark Souls 1 did not work on Dark Souls 2, the game plays and feels different from the first game. The combat is still great, but the level design is lacking. Furthermore, the player is seldom rewarded for exploration, often only receiving junk after making a tricky jump that took 20 or so attempts.

    There are major improvements, however, when it comes to the UI and PVP/co-oping with a friend. Your summoned allies can heal themselves via estus flasks and lifegems, so it's much easier to run through an area with a buddy. For this reason, among others, the game is much easier than its predecessor. It seems that From Software sacrificed quality for quantity, as there are a whopping 27 bosses in the game but none are very memorable or very challenging. Even the optional Ancient Dragon, often deemed the hardest boss in the game, can be cheesed. Once you learn how to dodge a bosses attacks and where your window is for a counter attack, nothing is really that difficult. Due to the surplus of healing items in the game, you are able to take a hit or two from a boss, back off, pop a lifegem, wait a few seconds while dodging attacks, then reengage.

    Overall, the game is far superior to most other games on the market. I would definitely recommend it. Just be warned that if you're expecting something identical to DS1, you may be a bit disappointed.    … Expand
  21. Piggles
    Jul 4, 2014
    0
    This is the real hardcore game that hardcore gamers play. OK. Lets actually call this what it is. Trial and Error. Apparently that's "Hardcore". Well OK.

    I'll expand: So you come to something you haven't seen before. It'll kill you. over and over again. Till you learn what to do. Like a QTE without the screen prompts. Once you know what to do for these - Then you can deal with    This is the real hardcore game that hardcore gamers play. OK. Lets actually call this what it is. Trial and Error. Apparently that's "Hardcore". Well OK.

    I'll expand: So you come to something you haven't seen before. It'll kill you. over and over again. Till you learn what to do. Like a QTE without the screen prompts. Once you know what to do for these - Then you can deal with these - no problem. And you proceed - Till you meet the next thing you don't know - and nothing you learnt from before will help - because they'll just throw a game play mechanic into the bin that you had been relying on or maybe they'll make a new mechanic you obviously don't know about that doesn't work anywhere else but you need to use now. And so on. And so on. Trial and error. The boss fights are a Joke - they are QTEs without screen prompts that last for 5 minutes - this is not an exaggeration. If you like being frustrated. . or if like doing the same thing over and over again. . step on up. I think it is actually total garbage, (game play wise).

    This game looks lovely - aesthetically - the terrain graphics are rubbish though - but the characters are gorgeous. I love the Lore. it is better than Game of Thrones. The move set for the weapons is awesome. But. . That's about it. And that's actually a lot of really great stuff in there. i'd loved for them to have played Mount and Blade - and then they'd really know how to actually make a decent "Hardcore" game. In parts this is actually a plat-former. . . I mean - really. . . Hard jumps - you start from the camp-fire if you die - you need to do these one after another and you die if you miss one. Good luck!

    You will get invaded and die instantly to cheat-engine / twinks. Nothing from DS1 was improved here. If you waste a single soul on something you don't need then you will be sub-optimal in PvP against normal opponents - and you will die because of it - skill has nothing to do with it. In DS1 if you were hitting someone and doing no damage - or they could one shot right through your Havel's shield - you'd think they were cheating. Not in DS2. Like I say - you build PvP or you don't. And if you haven't because you were just playing the game. . . . Then you will be invaded and you will die. (VAC isn't fixed yet and personally I think it won't be now. . . And people who didn't want banned for cheating before. . . well - they've been playing for almost three months now without VAC - 4 by the end of July - and they don't give two hoots about a ban now because they won't even still be playing in another month regardless - so yeah - cheat engine is coming back big style. Twinks with gear passed down to circumvent the Soul Memory mechanic is a big deal)    … Expand
  22. dvzon
    Jul 4, 2014
    1
    This game has a lot of potential but it's trash in the end. You will be dying more than playing. Nothing wrong with dying, but when you die because the controls and controllers are so god damn quirky, and unpolished, it's frustrating and a huge issue with the game.
    The movement controls are awful because it's not seamless or smooth, and this comes into play when you have to battle or kill    This game has a lot of potential but it's trash in the end. You will be dying more than playing. Nothing wrong with dying, but when you die because the controls and controllers are so god damn quirky, and unpolished, it's frustrating and a huge issue with the game.
    The movement controls are awful because it's not seamless or smooth, and this comes into play when you have to battle or kill an enemy mob. OH MY GOD, you will hate it. If you have ever played a smooth movement controlling game like WOW, diablo 3, call of duty, battlefield or any other high polish game with extremely smooth and seamless movement controls, YOU WILL HATE THIS GAME!
    Every time you engage an enemy or a boss you are praying your attacks will hit because you have no idea what the range is. You have the option of locking into an enemy or not locking. Either way you are **** If you lock into an enemy your character will move but not where you tell it to move and it looks like he developed a case of severe dementia because even though you are telling it to move away from the attacking enemy, this is all happening while you are getting beat up by the way, he stays around it, move towards it or just sits there. If you choose not to lock on to the enemy, pray to god that you can land hits. You will press to attack, somehow, even though you are facing the enemy, you attack air and your attack misses.
    Also, you will find that whenever you are about to engage an enemy, somehow they get to attack you first, EVEN THOUGH YOU PRESSED YOUR BUTTON TO ATTACK WAY BEFORE THEY STARTED ATTACKING YOU. This game is buggy as hell! and of course...you die!
    This game is all about progression yet they make it cheatingly impossible for you to progress. There is this thing called souls which is like in-game currency, which you can use to buy pretty much everything in the game. You can collect as many souls as you want! but if you die, you lose them all. After you die you can run back to the spot you died and re-collect them at once! great! BUT...BIG BUT! if you somehow die again after you just died, ALL THE SOULS YOU SPENT HOURS COLLECTING CAN NOT BE COLLECTED AGAIN so make sure to just die once...just once because the game doesn't give 2 **** about your spent time.

    If you want to spend hours progressing and then spend more hours trying to re-collect the souls you lost because you died, and then on the way to re-collect the 100k souls you worked very hard collecting you couldn't kill that guy with 1 knife because your attacks kept missing him because the game controls SUCK! hey, be my guest!

    trash game, don't waste your money.

    Spent over 50 hours playing and trying to like the game, but im no massochist..    … Expand
  23. Sneaksby
    Jul 3, 2014
    10
    The game runs very well. Dark Souls 2 is superior to Dark Souls 1 in every way except they don't have Solaire. But besides that, you can still praise the sun. Dark Souls 2 had more memorable characters that you can relate to. Not everything is all Dank and Dark. There are some very bright places which make you want to go back there again. However, the story is still strong with its lore,The game runs very well. Dark Souls 2 is superior to Dark Souls 1 in every way except they don't have Solaire. But besides that, you can still praise the sun. Dark Souls 2 had more memorable characters that you can relate to. Not everything is all Dank and Dark. There are some very bright places which make you want to go back there again. However, the story is still strong with its lore, but just like the original Dark Souls, it's presentation is terrible. It's as bad as the original game that you need to look up Youtube videos explaining it. The game could have used more cut-scenes. But unlike most games, this game puts up a decent challenge but Magic is still overpowered. And too many **** spam it all the time that you need a big ass magic shield to carry with you. It's a great game. A worthy successor. I only wished that they had better storytelling.… Expand
  24. Acidworm
    Jul 3, 2014
    8
    This was a game I was eagerly anticipating as I really enjoyed the first one. I heard mixed things, and eventually picked it up on Steam. Dark Souls 1 was a favorite of many hardcore gamers and so this one had high expectations to live up to. It met most of these expectations. While it improved on some aspects of Dark Souls 1 it also took some steps back. The port to PC is muchThis was a game I was eagerly anticipating as I really enjoyed the first one. I heard mixed things, and eventually picked it up on Steam. Dark Souls 1 was a favorite of many hardcore gamers and so this one had high expectations to live up to. It met most of these expectations. While it improved on some aspects of Dark Souls 1 it also took some steps back. The port to PC is much improved this time around and it is much less hassle to get the game up and running without the horrid GFWL.

    The storyline like DS1 is fragmented, and it is told through the interactions with the NPCS whom are more numerous this time around. The storyline isn't really forced on the gamer in the DS series and I don't pay much attention to lore in games anyway, but I have heard the lore is worse than the predecessor.

    Being familiar with the DS1 feel I died many times till I got the hang of the feel of this one as it is a bit different. Once you get used to it though, it is very enjoyable. With a 360 controller the jump mechanic has changed but is still quite cumbersome to press the left stick as you run forward, and has resulted in me dying a few times. The kick mechanic has been replaced with a shield break and this was an interesting change.

    While DS1 had excellent hitboxes, the hitboxes in DS2 are frustrating at times. You get hit sometimes when enemies clearly miss you visually from attacks that have no AoE. In a game where the slightest mistakes are so costly this can be quite problematic. The hitboxes for arrows are even worse with arrows getting blocked by obstructions that are not visually in the way. This is a minor part of the game though so not too big of a deal, but worth noting. Enemy tracking has been upped a few notches since DS1 for a few enemies and bosses. Enemies will change direction mid swing to counter you moving out of the way which is frustrating, and causes you to adapt more. Invincibility frames for rolling has been changed so you have less leeway to dodge when you roll out of the way of an enemy, and it now scales with a stat.

    The durability mechanic has been greatly improved adding more depth to the game. Weapons degrade quickly but automatically repair upon refreshing at a bonfire. This means that it is a good idea to level up more than one weapon so you have a back up when the weapon gets close to breaking.

    The world was very organic in DS1 with everything being interconnected. This is no longer the case, and while zones run into each other there is not this interconnected feel. Warping between bonfires can now be done from the start. This all does make it harder to get immersed in the atmosphere and while it is still ok, the atmosphere is superior in DS1.

    Soul farming and twinking has been greatly discouraged this time around. Enemies have a limited number of respawns now discouraging farming them, and if you keep dying to a boss you won't have to kill all the regular enemies anymore leading up to it. The new soul memory mechanic calculates your total souls earned and matches you in pvp this way. While it prevents players leveling up being completely outmatched by twinks it makes it frustrating for those at higher soul memories who have been struggling. When you die and lose a lot of souls and fail to return to your bloodstain regaining them it is still calculated. This system makes it very frustrating on those that have struggled a lot in this way, and also those that do not spend their souls efficiently.

    The game is still difficult, unfortunately much of the difficulty in this game is due to the game throwing many enemies at you at once more often than the first one. The game is slightly friendlier to those who are not familiar with the souls games while not making it too easy for seasoned players. This is a nice change. There are more options to heal now with the addition of lifegems. I personally find this a bit overkill as it causes me to be less careful about being hit, as they come in abundance. The boss difficulty as a whole has been lessened. I died many times to almost every boss in dark souls 1 before getting the hang of a strategy and downing them. This time around it only took me a few attempts at most for the majority of bosses. The bosses as a whole are less creative and memorable this time around.

    The netcode leaves much to be desired with a lot of lag in pvp where players still hit you even after you have moved away. This is a big problem and happens in too many encounters. However finding summon signs, and getting into encounters is much improved over DS1.

    The game is poorly balanced between playstyles. Casting builds have a much easier time in pve than melee does for the majority of bosses. This is quite frustrating.

    Overall this is a great game but don't go in expecting it to be too much like DS1.    … Expand
  25. Saltank
    Jul 3, 2014
    9
    This is an excellent example of a fantastic gaming experience.

    The gameplay is challenging, sometimes even controller breaking, yet it seems like it was designed to enhance the human psyche. Anyone that didn't come out a stronger human being after DS2, should be ashamed of themselves. Excellent graphics on the PC, very responsive controls. The only downside is the occassional    This is an excellent example of a fantastic gaming experience.

    The gameplay is challenging, sometimes even controller breaking, yet it seems like it was designed to enhance the human psyche.

    Anyone that didn't come out a stronger human being after DS2, should be ashamed of themselves.

    Excellent graphics on the PC, very responsive controls.
    The only downside is the occassional bland environments, but that should hopefully be improved in any future instalments.    … Expand
  26. McHagge
    Jul 2, 2014
    9
    The game is diffycult and surprising in many ways.
    Dark Souls 2 drives you crazy and frustrates you at the same time.
    For everyone who is looking for a hardcore adventure and a difficult game should totally go and get it. I recommend to use a gamepad or you try to find out all keys you need while playing on Keyboard + Mouse as I did. It is challenging but you can do it (played with    The game is diffycult and surprising in many ways.
    Dark Souls 2 drives you crazy and frustrates you at the same time.
    For everyone who is looking for a hardcore adventure and a difficult game should totally go and get it.
    I recommend to use a gamepad or you try to find out all keys you need while playing on Keyboard + Mouse as I did. It is challenging but you can do it (played with Keyboard + Mouse to NG+2)
    Dark Souls 2 may not be as hard as the first Dark Souls game, but still it is a challenge every gamer should atleast have tried.    … Expand
  27. AlexTaranov
    Jul 2, 2014
    9
    Игра хороша.Подобных игр мало,да что уж там...их вообще нет :D
    Я не пожалел,что приобрёл её и на PC и на PS3.
    Да,нервов у меня не осталось,но играть меня никто не заставлял. В общем - мне понравилось! НО!! Кто купит мне новую клавиатуру и мышь?    Игра хороша.Подобных игр мало,да что уж там...их вообще нет :D
    Я не пожалел,что приобрёл её и на PC и на PS3.
    Да,нервов у меня не осталось,но играть меня никто не заставлял.
    В общем - мне понравилось!
    НО!!
    Кто купит мне новую клавиатуру и мышь?
  28. Mordeo
    Jul 1, 2014
    5
    I have played Dark Souls II for many hours completing a full play through and half of NG+. The most annoying thing I have noticed is the lack of boss variation. Most of the bosses are some form of humanoid creature or knight. There is the big Jabba The Hut looking thing and also the rat king boss but other than that they are all the same. I beat 90% of the bosses by either strafing to theI have played Dark Souls II for many hours completing a full play through and half of NG+. The most annoying thing I have noticed is the lack of boss variation. Most of the bosses are some form of humanoid creature or knight. There is the big Jabba The Hut looking thing and also the rat king boss but other than that they are all the same. I beat 90% of the bosses by either strafing to the left or right because of this. If you some how could not beat a boss you could always summon the phantom NPC to help you which are there for most bosses and since it is really easy to stay human that option is always there and make the fight an almost guaranteed win. The dragons were just plain weak which was very disappointing. There really were no mini bosses that were a challenge. It seems the developers made it sound like it was going to be much more difficult to get more sales because it was definitely not a challenge. The boss weapons were all crap. No point in even saving the boss souls for them because the ones that were good had some major flaw like the durability was low or something. Dying is not a big deal in Dark Souls II because you only lose a very small fraction of your health. On my third character I was able to make it through the entire game and only died about 7 times due to stupidity such as falling off a cliff or something. The conditions, such as poison or curse, barely do anything to even a character that is not resistant to them. On top of that the targeting system is jacked and rarely works how you want it to. The covenants are great if you love multiplayer but if you do not there are only a select few that will benefit you offline. With that being said there are a few things that were good about the game.

    One thing I thought was a major improvement was the PC controls. They are a little confusing at first but after a while of messing around with them it is just like playing any other game. The graphics are awesome and the developers did an amazing job on that but can also be scaled down far enough to work on a crap PC. The bonfire jumping, although it makes the game easier, I thought it was an improvement. There are also many easily missed secrets which may keep you interested through your second play through.

    I would rate the individual parts of the game as follows.
    Graphics 10/10
    Controls 9/10
    Gameplay 2/10
    Difficulty 1/10
    Multiplayer 5/10

    To sum this up I would say it is a fun game but if you want a true souls game play Demon Souls or the first Dark Souls because the developers like many others are just pumping these things out for money now.    … Expand
  29. KannedFarU
    Jul 1, 2014
    10
    I consider myself a casual gamer and I absolutely hate super difficult games. I don't have the time or patience for such things. And then I played Dark Souls...this game...even better than the first one.

    Piece of advice. Don't play this game. It will consume your life.
  30. Birds
    Jun 30, 2014
    6
    This is a good RPG game, but if you are expecting a game that succeeds dark souls with the same experience or better you will be disappointed. It doesnt live up to the souls series, if you are a big fan of the souls series however i would suggest buying the game it fills some blank spots in our knowledge of the lore in dark souls but the difficulty has completely dissipated. My firstThis is a good RPG game, but if you are expecting a game that succeeds dark souls with the same experience or better you will be disappointed. It doesnt live up to the souls series, if you are a big fan of the souls series however i would suggest buying the game it fills some blank spots in our knowledge of the lore in dark souls but the difficulty has completely dissipated. My first time playing through the game there was no O&S there was no Four Kings it was just an easy experience and if you are a pvper id say PVP in both the previous soul games surpassed it, poise may as well not exist and there is no dead angling anymore and you cant aim rolling attacks behind you if you are unlocked anymore, very disappointing PVP experience… Expand
Page:

Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2014
8
#8 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
12
#12 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 36 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2014
    95
    This game’s playability puts to shame everything that’s been released for the new generation of consoles. [06/2014, p.54]
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 6, 2014
    90
    The definitive Dark Souls II experience, the latest entry to The Souls series shines on the PC. [June 2014, p.50]
  3. Riot Pixels
    Jun 5, 2014
    80
    If you’re a fan of hardcore games, try Dark Souls 2. It is not as memorable as its predecessor, and yet it is still a phenomenal experience.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »