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
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  1. Chrysaliarus
    Apr 27, 2014
    6
    Welcome to the drab and boring world of Drangleic. Where there are repeating textures everywhere and graphics that would make Demon's Souls curl up in a ball and cry in a corner. From-soft is the wonderful developer of this massive rpg open-world experience and I don't know how but they balls it up because every time I die I don't feel that it's my fault. Mostly because either I die fromWelcome to the drab and boring world of Drangleic. Where there are repeating textures everywhere and graphics that would make Demon's Souls curl up in a ball and cry in a corner. From-soft is the wonderful developer of this massive rpg open-world experience and I don't know how but they balls it up because every time I die I don't feel that it's my fault. Mostly because either I die from the stupid new implemented jump mechanic or the game designers though that they would have a joke with the player and make him die instantly without warring. This does not make it a bad game, the controls mostly feel responsive, and sometime even the environment can look gorgeous. Just make sure not to go up to that environment to see the **** resolution of the textures. Also, isn't this game supposed to be dark? Most of the time I don't need my torch and I can see everything perfectly clear. In fact, many things are different. The lock-on system isn't colored like in the demo, it looks worse than shown and generally everything that made it unique before has been stripped away. Overall Bright Souls 2 feels like an hollowed out version of Dark Souls with very little effort or though put into it. Poor design choices, horrid textures, a horrible jump mechanic, and sometimes non-responsive game-play is why I think this game deserves a 6 out of ten.… Expand
  2. abraxes
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    It seem a lot of people are upset about the port not being as wonderful as they'd like. I suggest getting a controller (they're like twenty bucks... come on, guys) and get down to business playing this AMAZING game from From Software until your eyes start to bleed... Dark Souls 2 is a worthy successor to an incredible rpg that stands out in the crowd like the absolute gem that it is. IfIt seem a lot of people are upset about the port not being as wonderful as they'd like. I suggest getting a controller (they're like twenty bucks... come on, guys) and get down to business playing this AMAZING game from From Software until your eyes start to bleed... Dark Souls 2 is a worthy successor to an incredible rpg that stands out in the crowd like the absolute gem that it is. If you liked the first two, don't be fooled by people whining about the port-- we should be grateful to be able to play this on PC. DS 2 is everything I hoped for, and more.… Expand
  3. Bladia
    Apr 28, 2014
    10
    I am a PC gamer, but I played DS on my gamepad. I play DS2 with KM, because I my gamepad is broken. I spent over two hours to set keys for mouse/keyboard. And after more than 23 hours in game, not even in the half of the first playthrough I might say, it feels pretty comfortable.

    Graphics are awesome (better than console version, trust me, I could compare it live), FPS is just great, I    I am a PC gamer, but I played DS on my gamepad. I play DS2 with KM, because I my gamepad is broken. I spent over two hours to set keys for mouse/keyboard. And after more than 23 hours in game, not even in the half of the first playthrough I might say, it feels pretty comfortable.

    Graphics are awesome (better than console version, trust me, I could compare it live), FPS is just great, I never recognized any FPS drops or something - game is very smooth. Everything is great, I haven´t a single issue.

    And gameplay? Dark Souls 10/10.    … Expand
  4. PcIsMasterRace
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    As every Souls game it's
    "Hate it or love it"
    If u liked DS1 u will LOVE DS2.
    If u hate DS1 u will hate DS2.
    And don't play this Game without a gamepad, it's not mend to play with a Keyboard so accept it.
    it's the same as playing a FPS with a gamepad on PC.
  5. Docteur
    Jun 22, 2014
    0
    A 0 might seem peculiar to players who encountered the rare, rare case where the game works fine. But let's say it does;
    stop selling us products you made for consoles.
    You have to make something for PC players that is not only porting the game, but adapting the gameplay! Why is there on earth XBox360 buttons prompts in the menu!? "Press B to open"? Who are you kidding? I'd really    A 0 might seem peculiar to players who encountered the rare, rare case where the game works fine. But let's say it does;
    stop selling us products you made for consoles.
    You have to make something for PC players that is not only porting the game, but adapting the gameplay!
    Why is there on earth XBox360 buttons prompts in the menu!? "Press B to open"? Who are you kidding?

    I'd really like if you could provide us the same experience as everyone else; you know, since we're paying, too.

    This is a broken game in all its glory, with so many flaws I wonder how the pro reviewer played.    … Expand
  6. Worldeater_PS4
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    CHANGE THE PROMPTS TO PC CONTROLS !!!! NOT X-BOX!!!!!! "press y" means press enter, Press"a" blah blah blah, cant believe they didnt even bother with that !!!

    I loved no1, i just got a PS4 and sold the ps3, so PC is was !! The game plays very well, and is just as deadly as the last, this is not a charge in swinging game, as it wasnt before, feels like an upgraded extention of the    CHANGE THE PROMPTS TO PC CONTROLS !!!! NOT X-BOX!!!!!! "press y" means press enter, Press"a" blah blah blah, cant believe they didnt even bother with that !!!

    I loved no1, i just got a PS4 and sold the ps3, so PC is was !!
    The game plays very well, and is just as deadly as the last, this is not a charge in swinging game, as it wasnt before, feels like an upgraded extention of the lastone.

    Fantastic............just hurry up and change the prompts................have you done it yet ??.............very very annoying and lazy................................................how about now ???    … Expand
  7. Rokyn
    Apr 29, 2014
    9
    Captures the same atmosphere and difficulty as the predecessor, huge world full of secrets and bosses and many ways to engage in pvp, which works very well. My only problem is that you can't viably go strictly ranged combat, but I also can't imagine how they would pull that off with how the game is built.
    All in all it's a really great game, that I would recommend to anyone that enjoyed    Captures the same atmosphere and difficulty as the predecessor, huge world full of secrets and bosses and many ways to engage in pvp, which works very well. My only problem is that you can't viably go strictly ranged combat, but I also can't imagine how they would pull that off with how the game is built.
    All in all it's a really great game, that I would recommend to anyone that enjoyed the prequel, or who didn't play the prequel solely because of the bad port (much better now whoop!).    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. yogibbear
    May 4, 2014
    9
    I'm only 30 hrs in, and ~30% of the way through my first playthrough. The game is an extension on the previous concepts of Dark Souls & Demon Souls. Probably the most obvious "negative" is that the world is no longer as interconnected as Dark Souls was. This is both due to having the ability to warp between bonfires from the get go, and the increased world size making theI'm only 30 hrs in, and ~30% of the way through my first playthrough. The game is an extension on the previous concepts of Dark Souls & Demon Souls. Probably the most obvious "negative" is that the world is no longer as interconnected as Dark Souls was. This is both due to having the ability to warp between bonfires from the get go, and the increased world size making the interconnect-Dark-Souls level design an impracticality. Ignoring the "world layout", the actual levels themselves, enemies, and atmosphere are spot on. Always something interesting to do and always having multiple paths open for progression. The combat & levelling mechanics have been given an overhaul and they are now super sweet. The changes to agility, poise, adaptability & two attribute required progression for certain stats means the early builds can vary greatly, and the impact on your ability to dodge, hit, and sustain in combat is noticeable as you level up. The PVE & PVP are now both balanced beautifully to encourage both players that enjoy PVE and Co-op, as well as those that want to do PVP. But no longer do you need separate characters for PVE and PVP, and can play the same character through to NG+++ due to the implementation of soul memory.
    TLDR: If you enjoyed any aspect of Demon Souls or Dark Souls then you will love this game. Run flawlessly on my PC, I use the 360 gamepad (because you need to with this game). Yeah the PVP can suffer from lag issues, but that doesn't reduce the game from being at the very least a 9/10. Get it and love it. All builds are viable. All playstyles are viable. Basically the game is exceptional and probably the best game that will come out in 2014.    … Expand
  10. morpj
    May 5, 2014
    10
    I have to add my positive review to help counter the 197 (!) negative reviews. I bought the game about a week after launch and I had none of the initial issues people have reported. I have played maybe 35 or so hours. For me, this is my game of the year so far! Here are some of the reasons why:

    1) Gameplay. This is the most “kinetic” swords and shields game I’ve ever played. Every    I have to add my positive review to help counter the 197 (!) negative reviews. I bought the game about a week after launch and I had none of the initial issues people have reported. I have played maybe 35 or so hours. For me, this is my game of the year so far! Here are some of the reasons why:

    1) Gameplay. This is the most “kinetic” swords and shields game I’ve ever played. Every weapon is modelled not just in appearance but also performance. It gives the game an ultra-realistic feel that I just love. The difficulty level is hard but honestly it makes the game special. I took me hours to beat some of the bosses but the feeling of accomplishment was unmatched.

    2) Design. This game is lovely. Many locations are breathtaking and truly original. The storyline is awesome and the attention to detail amazing.

    3) Performance. I'm running this game on a Razer Blade connected to a TV, and it runs perfectly at high detail with no stuttering and high frame rates. No CTDs, no slow-downs, just excellent performance.

    4) Control scheme. I recommend playing this game with an XBox controller – this is how it's meant to be played! I usually play games on my PC with keyboard and mouse but it just feels so kinetic and natural playing with a controller. I understand the keyboard controls are tough, but this is the perfect game to take that leap and try a controller. A new XBox controller + receiver is about $55 on Amazon.

    5) Community. It’s like a single-player MMO. The messages, the bloodstains, the invasions all come together to deliver a truly immersive experience.

    Overall this is a game that I can see myself spending hundred+ hours playing, moving very slowly through all the levels and experiencing every aspect. I really respect the developers and encourage everyone to buy and play this game!    … Expand
  11. BeanyUndead
    Apr 30, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls II is a great game. It is let down slightly by the fact that the console-port is not as complete as I think many people would have hoped, but it is still extremely well executed. The mouse movement is smooth and attacks/actions are crisp and feel ‘weighty’. The only problem is that the ‘instructions’ the game provides, especially in the tutorial zone, are all console-commands,Dark Souls II is a great game. It is let down slightly by the fact that the console-port is not as complete as I think many people would have hoped, but it is still extremely well executed. The mouse movement is smooth and attacks/actions are crisp and feel ‘weighty’. The only problem is that the ‘instructions’ the game provides, especially in the tutorial zone, are all console-commands, making learning how to play a little tedious at first. But as YouTube offers numerous ‘getting started’ guides, this is not a big problem.
    The game masters atmosphere like no other, presenting a bleak and emotionally crushing fantasy world that looks as though it has reached the end of a very long history and is crumbling before time. The characters are well voice acted, the dialogue provided is excellent given the genre and effect the designers were going for and above all, it all comes together to form a deep and often surprising gaming experience. Combat is exceptional and challenging. Level design is simply inspired!
    The game is hard but with patience you can always master its challenges. Remember one thing! Anyone who gave this game a rating below 7 (which is the lowest score even the most critical reviewer could legitimately justify) is not being a good reviewer. They are allow their own highly specific problems dominate their opinion of the entire game because they are angry. It is an excellent game!    … Expand
  12. jdotjdot7
    May 3, 2014
    10
    Bought this game for $40 from GMG, have to say, highly impressed. Had high expectations and this game met them. The controls? Well they are pretty bad, but spend 5 minutes toying around with them and you can make it almost entirely like Dark Souls 1 controls on PC (Which I am used to and prefer, even over a controller). The MAIN issue I had was if you unbind double left/right click, theBought this game for $40 from GMG, have to say, highly impressed. Had high expectations and this game met them. The controls? Well they are pretty bad, but spend 5 minutes toying around with them and you can make it almost entirely like Dark Souls 1 controls on PC (Which I am used to and prefer, even over a controller). The MAIN issue I had was if you unbind double left/right click, the game still counts them as inputs and so once unbound, your character will stand still if you double left click, just took a bit of time to get used to it and now it's fine.

    Overall, the game got a bit harder in some areas, easier in others. There are a few bosses that are simple and easy, and then some that will have you screaming at the screen. There's a new system that stops respawning enemies after they die 15 times which means technically the game has limited resources (without the use of Bonfire ascetics). Now, when you die, you lose max hp that can only be regained by becoming human again, this debuff stacks until you have 50% hp (or 80% with a certain ring). This can make the game much more difficult as you'll likely have a lower hp at all times.

    Overall, combat is awesome, pvp is alive, and the game's atmosphere is breathtaking. Some people say Skyrim looks beautiful but it has never made me admire it's scenery, whereas Dark Souls has a unique atmosphere that's pretty creative and makes great use of both light and darkness, the story, like before is something you piece together on your own, and it's riddled with mysteries waiting to be solved.

    Great game and I can gladly say I was among the first 2000 to beat it on PC.    … Expand
  13. GRiMtox
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    While the first game was a really bad port and only enjoyable with a controller and the DSFix, the second part only requires the first one. This game is one of the best games ever made, so was the first one. The atmosphere, the gamedesign, the mechanics; everything is extremly well coordinated and makes this game to one of the best RPGs of all time. If you are frusttollerant and have aWhile the first game was a really bad port and only enjoyable with a controller and the DSFix, the second part only requires the first one. This game is one of the best games ever made, so was the first one. The atmosphere, the gamedesign, the mechanics; everything is extremly well coordinated and makes this game to one of the best RPGs of all time. If you are frusttollerant and have a fetish for dark places, this game is for you.… Expand
  14. sniperlawless10
    Apr 29, 2014
    10
    I would give this a 9.8 this game dark souls 2 is a true dark souls game, I started with demon souls though that is the hardest one so far I am glad they made it a little more easier For the first playthrough it is a hard game even so, and if you want to make it even harder you can put a specific item at a bonfire and it will re spawn all the enemy npc in the area, if you killed theirI would give this a 9.8 this game dark souls 2 is a true dark souls game, I started with demon souls though that is the hardest one so far I am glad they made it a little more easier For the first playthrough it is a hard game even so, and if you want to make it even harder you can put a specific item at a bonfire and it will re spawn all the enemy npc in the area, if you killed their respawns 10 times. The bosses also come back after using that item so if you wanted to trade your boss soul for one of the 3 choices you have to get a spear or shield or bow you can do that as well. The Pc graphics are much better than the console version, After the tutorial you will see this excellent artistic area, the water is just drop down jaw dropping and the wind that moves the grass is even a better site, a lot of the levels have fantastic graphic quality. Even at 1600x900 it looks amazing, I can't say it has better graphics than crysis but it has better art. So I plugged it in my TV that is 1920x1080 and it looked even better, resolution changes everything. But then I heard about a tool called Gedosatotool it is a mod that is in alpha stage and it basically means that you can down sample and it is most compatible with dark souls 2 so far it did not crash my game. I set it to 3840x2160 and changed the Anti alaising to ultra and started the game. And boy does it now look better than ever it looks like the game play trailers that were out before down sampling really helps the game look 5 times better than what it is. This game is truly optimized for low end- high end gaming machines a mid end can run this game max settings 60 frames no problem. I am using a old processor back from 2007 called the Intel core 2 Q6600 quad core at 2.4ghz and a gtx 550ti graphics card and 4.5gb ram and the game runs 60 fps with the down sampling enabled. The controls are much better on keyboard and mouse than the previous dark souls game, you are allowed to change keybindings ect. You can also plug in a controller of your choice. I have plugged in my Ds4 playstation 4 controller and it worked like a blast I also downloaded the playstation controller texture pack mod so it replaces the xbox controllers buttons with playstation buttons. The gameplay is really remarkable, one little tiny mistake can get you killed, even against weaker opponents that seem harmless can sneak up to your back and kill you with one back stab, You have to be aware of your surroundings, otherwise you will die a lot. The boss fights are incredible, they are such a challenge especially when you have to fight through tough opponents to reach the fog boss area gate, where no bonfire will be present so if you die you will have to plow through them again and waste healing potions ect. But thanks to there limited re spawn once you go through it about 10 times they will stop spawning. The bosses fight very aggressively you will die a few times before learning there moves and predicting on what they will do next, one of the hardest bosses I though was hard to learn was the looking glass boss I do not look at tutorials and I ended up die about 20 times before being able to predict all his moves and finally kill it. The bosses are very smart and some of the tougher bosses will not allow you to summon npc phantoms which is awesome because I never use phantoms anyways or player help. the souls you gather from bosses can be than traded for their swords, shield, spears, bows ect... which all each have their own special attack that the boss used in the fight against you. The atmosphere of the game is amazing you will hear singing from npcs, awesome voice acting, Excellent music when your fighting bosses that are just epic. You will hear every sword swing that hits a rock or deflects off of a shield in its own way. You also get to level up your character according to how you want to play if you want to be a mage you specifically put most of your souls towards that or, range or melee you do the same to them. This game is truly a souls game that will last 60-100 hours through the first play through and after you beat the game you will get to play it again with all your gear ect.. and start all over with even more of a challenge and after that their is a another NG++ Which is even more difficult hard.… Expand
  15. CodeX96
    May 5, 2014
    10
    Do not believe the people whining about the controls, graphics, or it not working. They are simply not intelligent enough to look at the key bindings, change the resolution in the games video setup section, or bother actually playing the game. This game is just as good as Dark Souls and improves on nearly every aspect of the first game. Devoted servers make the online much easier toDo not believe the people whining about the controls, graphics, or it not working. They are simply not intelligent enough to look at the key bindings, change the resolution in the games video setup section, or bother actually playing the game. This game is just as good as Dark Souls and improves on nearly every aspect of the first game. Devoted servers make the online much easier to handle. The graphics as compared to the Xbox version (I own both) are insanely better. PC: 4k/1080p (As high as your screen allows) at 60fps, and yes, with an AMD video card. Did I mention seamless controls, environment, and no frame skips? Not even lag. The best part is quick loading. Instead of a whole minute on Xbox, it is about a second on PC. Xbox: 720p, 30fps, lag and long load times, with some occasional frame drops.

    This game is the pinnacle version of Dark Souls II. It is easily playable even on low end computers, and works like a charm even with keyboard and mouse. Ignore the low scores, this game is a true gem.

    Xbox/PS3 Version
    9/10
    30fps at 720p, occasional framedrops
    Long load times, annoying when you teleport a lot between areas.
    Online play can be a little messy on Xbox servers, no word for PS3 as I don't have it.
    Ideal controller for gameplay

    PC Version
    10/10
    60fps at 1080p / 4k resolution
    Seamless loading and no lag anywhere
    Great online play if you have decent internet
    No real complaints, it is by no means a bad game

    The game is perfect for anyone desiring a true challenge, but not an impossible one. The game will push you and punish your mistakes, but not agonize you. It just doesn't hand hold you like most modern games. Skyrim is great, and it is an example of a game where a map and guidelines are necessary. But Dark Souls is not one of those games. It requires skill, patience, and intelligence to truly enjoy, but it will be an experience you will not regret.

    If you really wish to experience whether or not this game will work, then torrent the game and play it. If you enjoy it, please buy the game and support this small company. Besides, you won't have any online play if you don't buy it.    … Expand
  16. deviantdizzy
    May 11, 2014
    5
    Game is pretty, I'll give it that much (excluding clunky characters)-- this is a TERRIBLE port- they couldn't even bother to change the onscreen prompts from console control commands, the keyboard bindings are nigh impossible to get a good config on (shift+click?! to use actions unless it's a left or right click- which we all know is attack, etc?!-- why must it have 2 motions to useGame is pretty, I'll give it that much (excluding clunky characters)-- this is a TERRIBLE port- they couldn't even bother to change the onscreen prompts from console control commands, the keyboard bindings are nigh impossible to get a good config on (shift+click?! to use actions unless it's a left or right click- which we all know is attack, etc?!-- why must it have 2 motions to use something?!) Disappointed, don't like the dying penalty- I'm here to have fun, not drive myself nuts over dying..… Expand
  17. Mirgil
    May 4, 2014
    9
    The majority of this review is focusing on other complaints, especially on the controls of the game. However for the sake of an actual review, I have to say Dark Souls II is almost all around the perfect sequel to Dark Souls I. It falls short in World-Structure and boss variety, but largely makes up for this by creating a beautiful atmosphere and perfect combat system. In response to manyThe majority of this review is focusing on other complaints, especially on the controls of the game. However for the sake of an actual review, I have to say Dark Souls II is almost all around the perfect sequel to Dark Souls I. It falls short in World-Structure and boss variety, but largely makes up for this by creating a beautiful atmosphere and perfect combat system. In response to many complaints, it really makes me upset that people are willing to give a game a "0-3" rating based on a single thing. Yes, I'll admit it is quite ridiculous that the prompts in game are not in keyboard/mouse layout. However this does not excuse as low of a rating as I'm seeing it get. I've had 0 issues playing with the keyboard and mouse, and changing button layouts is such a straight-forward concept you would have to play the game for 5 minutes and then give up to complain. I would expect it to take less than an hour to optimize the controls for your preference and then get used to those controls. One hour so you can enjoy a game that would probably take you 50+ hours to beat through once, and then replay an endless amount. It's simply childish and honestly laughable that people are so closed-minded that they can't figure out how to fix something that is right there in the options.

    Just to summarize, the game exceeds its self as a sequel. People are simply dense and arrogant to fix a single problem they're having and base their first few moments of gameplay without really getting anywhere. Don't sit there and complain because you didn't take the time to fix a single problem. Almost every negative review I've seen has only complained about one problem. That would be the same as saying, the game is great overall but I don't think the graphics are very good: 2/10. Take a few moments to locate the source of the problem, and then fix it. I'll guess that 8 out of 10 of your problems can be fixed without any headache or effort. It is extremely childish to cry and whine about something that you on your own can fix if you would only put in the minuscule effort to address the problem at hand.    … Expand
  18. JEK
    May 14, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls 2 is a very good game. It might be frustrating at first but as you increase your Level it becomes good and easy to play. The port is good (unlike the dark souls 1) 10/10 to this game and this is to compensate to those who scored 0 to this game.
  19. TFORPULLONE
    May 13, 2014
    8
    I'm not in to these games but Dark Souls II is just different. The movement is the best. Everything feel so smooth but not so easy. The difficulty is a class of its own. Bosses what you have to fight are interesting and they there own weaknesses. The game is cool.
  20. Valaridan
    Jul 17, 2015
    10
    Player reviews doesnt matter anyway critic reviews matters only and all of them are positive just like this game this game doesnt deserve less than 10 great story great gameplay I love everything about this game
  21. SimpleReviewz
    May 4, 2014
    9
    Well, here we are with my first game review! Dark Souls 2. Man, is there alot to say about this massive game. Even the main story by itself will take you about 50 to 60 hours to beat, and even more if you explore hours for items, covenants, and etc. Does it sound like TOO much? Guess what? It's not! DKS2 is an amazing, unforgettable experience with only a few flaws holding it back fromWell, here we are with my first game review! Dark Souls 2. Man, is there alot to say about this massive game. Even the main story by itself will take you about 50 to 60 hours to beat, and even more if you explore hours for items, covenants, and etc. Does it sound like TOO much? Guess what? It's not! DKS2 is an amazing, unforgettable experience with only a few flaws holding it back from being one of the best games on the PS3 and X360. The difficulty of this series is the main eye-opener. It presents tough but fair combat and punishes you for every tiny mistake. Yet still, DKS2 remains a fun game. You have to time every block and dodge correctly, otherwise you may pay with your life. And that sounds brutal. Believe when I say it though, you can overcome any challenge the game throws at you, it just takes time and patience. One new addition of the game is that every time you die, you lose a little bit of your health. However, it can be prevented by using a Human Effigy. It is still a hardcore feature, though. There are 2 ways to approach the combat in this game: Ranged (ex: sorceries, hexes, pyromancies, etc) and Melee (ex: blades, axes, spear, etc). I highly recommend starting out with melee if this is your first Souls game. I've played both, and each class is overall pretty balanced because you still have to block or dodge the enemies' moves. I love how the Souls games utilize multiplayer so differently. You can't just invite people to a game, but you can summon people with the signs. You can also leave messages and bloodstains with give other players great hints. And then there's the evil part: people can invade and kill you. Don't worry, though. You won't encounter many of them this time around. Have I forgot to talk about the graphics? They are amazing, too! It perfectly fits the atmosphere of the game. In Dark Souls 1, the bosses were a constant highlight. Here, there are alot. Most of them aren't extremely hard, though. I remember a few that only took me under 5 tries to beat. Their designs are psychotic and awesome to add. Now we come to the part when we talk about the flaws. At times, you won't always be able to trust the mechanics. There's gonna be many attacks that really shouldn't have connected, and sometimes if you want to raise your shield up, it's not exactly going to. Because of this, I felt like FromSoftware was too focused on making it hard in some points rather than truly accurate. Another disappointment is that the whole world isn't actually connected like in Dark Souls 1. It was so unique finding shortcuts to other areas previously, and it's sad that it's not here. However, Dark Souls 2 is worth every penny if your a fan. It's possible to sink so many hours here. It perfectly combines quantity and quality. If you're a newcomer, there's no better place to start than here. It is worth $60.… Expand
  22. LaserMoose
    May 6, 2014
    9
    Dark souls 2 is a great sequel, although it has some flaws. Playing this game with keyboard & mouse is incredibly hard. From Software clearly meant this game to be played with a xbox/ps controller. In the "tutorial area" the game never explains how to play with keyboard & mouse and figuring out all the bindings is a challenge of its own.

    The game looks great compared to its prequel, but    Dark souls 2 is a great sequel, although it has some flaws. Playing this game with keyboard & mouse is incredibly hard. From Software clearly meant this game to be played with a xbox/ps controller. In the "tutorial area" the game never explains how to play with keyboard & mouse and figuring out all the bindings is a challenge of its own.

    The game looks great compared to its prequel, but its certainly not next gen graphics, but this fact did not stop From Software to provide this game with some awesome and beautiful scenery. The level design feels as natural as the first Dark Souls where you're not exploring different levels, you're exploring a world. Fast traveling is something that unfortunately removes some of the depth of exploring and adventuring, but it makes Dark Souls 2 harsh punishments more tolerable. Fast traveling also lets you easily jump back in to where you left of so you can continue progressing.

    Thankfully the combat system we Dark Souls veterans loves has not changed to much. It has only improved. Now dual wielding is a valid way of playing the game, and you can parry with two-handed weapons. Jumping is much easier this time around as well, as you can choose to bind the jumping button to the "Left Control Stick Button". If you preferred the old way, you can still jump with the same button you run with.

    The online features is a big step up. You can now very easily and quickly summon or be summoned by players. The waiting time for engaging in jolly co-operation has shortened greatly. I've spent about 50 hours on this game and only been invaded by a real player about four times which is disappointing. The reason for this seem to be their new online matching system, which not only takes your characters level in consideration, but also your soul memory. I am still very unfamiliar with how it works so i will leave it at that.

    The game is hard but fair. Something new players will have to learn is that you will die many times. It's trial and error. The game punishes you for dying, so there's an actual fear from dying. Dark souls 2 throws you off the birds nest without teaching you how to fly first. But once you get the hang of it, this game will give you some amazing and memorable moments.    … Expand
  23. Jost
    May 13, 2014
    10
    After the Fix for VAC the Games freaky **** awesome! I hope there will come some more games like this game from Bandai Namco Games. Realy good, good.... good jop!
  24. Philbo
    Jun 4, 2014
    4
    I'm new to the Dark Souls franchise. I was taken in by the overwhelmingly positive reviews and a few videos I watched. I've logged 9 hours in the game and can say with a great deal of certainty; this game is NOT 'open world' as I was lead to believe. Not even kind of. Calling a game 'Open World' is almost all you have to tell me to compel me to pull out my wallet. Needless to say, I wasI'm new to the Dark Souls franchise. I was taken in by the overwhelmingly positive reviews and a few videos I watched. I've logged 9 hours in the game and can say with a great deal of certainty; this game is NOT 'open world' as I was lead to believe. Not even kind of. Calling a game 'Open World' is almost all you have to tell me to compel me to pull out my wallet. Needless to say, I was very disappointed with the "vast open world" (quote from the Steam description) of Dark Souls 2. I'm really only writing this review to clear up the apparent confusion about what open world means in a game.

    If you can look off in the not too far distance in a game and see terrain that you cannot travel to.... the game is NOT open world. In Dark Souls 2, I'm constantly faced with rocks, cliffs, fences, etc. that guide me down a very narrow path. What's on the other side of those obstacles? Nothing, because it's not open world. Open world means; you hop over the fence and find your own way to point B. It means there's not just one or maybe two ways to reach point B, but TONS of ways with plenty of side adventures along the way. There are a few wide open areas where I can see far off areas that I can travel to.... and those areas are covered in water hazards still forcing me down a straight and narrow path. (I guess if I could swim, I could swim past all the giant sentry dudes instead of fighting... and we certainly can't have that now can we?) There is no real exploring in Dark Souls 2. That's my gripe. There's only one path to really follow. That's not to say that you won't overlook a cave entrance covered in bushes, but that's console-style exploring as far as I'm concerned. The only way I can think of that they got away with calling it "open world" is the lack of loading screens between the very well defined zones. That's it.

    All in all, Dark Souls 2 does have some very neat features and is very challenging. I'm just upset about the verbage used in so many descriptions I read before spending $50. If you're going to call Dark Souls 2 "open world", you may as well call Devil May Cry, Fable, and God of War open world as well. If you want to know what an open world game really is, play Skyrim, Fallout 3New Vegas, any GTA game, or DayZ (if you like pain).    … Expand
  25. goodgoy
    Sep 6, 2014
    4
    At the time of writing, Metacritic ranks Dark Souls II as one of the top 100 PC games ever released, with a critical reception comparable to that received by landmarks such as Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, and the original Deus Ex. However, unlike the aforementioned masterpieces, and contrary to what this game's advocates would have you believe, this is a game which is certainlyAt the time of writing, Metacritic ranks Dark Souls II as one of the top 100 PC games ever released, with a critical reception comparable to that received by landmarks such as Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, and the original Deus Ex. However, unlike the aforementioned masterpieces, and contrary to what this game's advocates would have you believe, this is a game which is certainly unworthy of its hype. Discounting the issues resulting from what is essentially a quick and dirty console port (which are detailed extensively in many other reviews), the game soon reveals its many lacklustre gameplay aspects.

    This series' main claim to fame is its relentless difficulty; however, Dark Souls II seldom presents any challenge containing what could be regarded as "legitimate" difficultly. That is to say, all that is needed to overcome any given enemy is to exploit its very predictable AI; to learn its attack pattern, and by extension, learn when to move, when to dodge, when to block, when to attack, etc. and repeat until said enemy is defeated. The only other difficulty comes from plain unfairness in the NPCs' advantages over the player; enemies are able to attack the player through walls and through other enemies with no consequence, have infinite ammunition, often have an extremely disproportionate amount of health and/or damage potential, and so forth.

    By resetting enemy spawns and returning the player to the start of an area upon death, the game could appear "hardcore" to a gamer growing up playing games with checkpoints and regenerating health, but this does not add any inherent difficulty to the actual gameplay; it only serves to increase the gameplay time without increasing progression, and thus increase tediousness and frustration. Neither of the two aforementioned elements (predictable AI, often with an unfair advantage over the player, and a reset of progress after failure) are anything new; countless arcade games did the same thing more than 20 years ago. So why has this game attained such an astounding level of critical and commercial success? It certainly can't be from the sub-par visual quality, bland art direction, directionless, pseudo-nonlinear environment, or the brain-dead friendly NPCs.

    The answer is that, prior to the Souls series, console gaming had not seen a critically acclaimed revival of such arcade mechanics, in the skin of a AAA RPG (published by Namco Bandai), in a significant amount of time. In the age of hand-holding and blinking arrows, a game like Dark Souls II is seen as revelatory. Critical acclaim begets hype, and hype begets popularity. And of course, the average "real gamer" is unwilling to call out this game's vapidness in fear of others insinuating that they found the game too difficult, calling their legitimacy as a "real gamer" into question. And so the resounding opinion is that of how glorious the emperor's new clothes are. However, those either secure in their own gaming ability or just not stupid enough to care about such trivialities, and old enough to have owned an SNES, will see games such as this for what they are.    … Expand
  26. StaticSpine
    Oct 18, 2014
    10
    Spent tons of hours here after Dark Souls and Demon's Souls. The mechanics seems more polished this time, though the atmosphere is not that gloomy as it was in previous games. Won't make a lengthy review, I just say this: a solid entry in the series, very fun to play and worth your money/time.
  27. ELemppu
    Jun 13, 2014
    10
    This game is just so good there hasn't been too many games that has been released whit in the years that have been this rewarding and fun. the game has a TON of weapons and a lot of different weapon types. the combat is just so good. the graphics are pretty good (just waiting for the enhanced graphics mods)
  28. wildemu
    May 17, 2014
    9
    Stop being bad,

    mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmkayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
  29. gannicus
    Oct 22, 2014
    10
    this game is a true test for the serious gamers... Its not casual in any sense of the word.. you will feel tortured and punished but successful completion will give you a sense of pride. The game is meant to be played with a controller and the standard graphics leave something to be desired but with the Gedosato mod downsampling from 4K it looks amazing... Seriously impressed
  30. Wedgeta
    May 16, 2014
    9
    Great game! Graphics: 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Story: ?/10 (No coherent story lol) Challenge 10/10

    If there is one thing I should criticize, it would be K&M support, although its already a huge improvement from the last Dark Souls. Highly recommended
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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

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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.
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