Darkest Dungeon II

 PC
User Score
5.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 101 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 101
  3. Negative: 39 out of 101

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. ViSCrAL
    May 11, 2023
    9
    Following in the wake of the first game would have been easy, for me it is perfect that there is a game that has taken risks and left the comfort zone to offer other options. It's not as deep as the first one but it's still a great game and I appreciate the bravery of change.
  2. savvym
    May 10, 2023
    8
    Darkest Dungeon 2 is a sequel to an 8 year old game. It didn't hold over its side-scrolling nature of travelling through dungeons, nor its management of many characters. The city where we used to find new heroes is a thing of the past.

    We're travelling in a stagecoach with 4 heroes, moving to the left and right and we get to choose 1 of 3 paths. Stagecoach can seem unresponsive but    Darkest Dungeon 2 is a sequel to an 8 year old game. It didn't hold over its side-scrolling nature of travelling through dungeons, nor its management of many characters. The city where we used to find new heroes is a thing of the past.

    We're travelling in a stagecoach with 4 heroes, moving to the left and right and we get to choose 1 of 3 paths. Stagecoach can seem unresponsive but turning speed can be increased. We're getting some extra loot from hitting objects on the road sometimes.

    Some paths are slightly more dangerous and there are even watchtowers which reveal the rest of what's ahead. There are mission objectives that give us rewards after fulfilling these simple tasks that can be failed very easily by choosing the wrong paths or not fighting enough enemies.

    At the end of each run there's an inn where our heroes rest, buy consumables only used here, combat consumables which are free actions during hero combat turns and we can upgrade skills, each skill only once. Here, we can also buy trinkets, which are hero equipment boosts, and stagecoach upgrades which provide us with more slots or stacks in inventory.

    We can not sell anything in the whole game which may sound like a bummer but we're gaining Torchlight after discarding items. Torchlight is still crucial and works similarly to what we've known already, when lit to full, provides the heroes with minor buffs but when poorly lit, it's the other way around.

    There are events on the road where I get to decide what my character does, influencing the relationships. Sometimes two characters want pretty much the same thing but only some hero will react to that positively, it is a bit of role playing here, some like each other naturally. Negative relationships also affect which abilities worsen it, so occasionally, you are forced to play outside of your comfort abilities.

    Another novelty here is a focus on narrating hero stories. They were just fodder in the previous game. Here, they seem more important. Once we choose the hero in the shrine, the narrator tells us a little bit of their backstory. We either get a new free skill or we need to win a mini combat to get it.

    Sometimes after winning a combat, the game offers us to fight the second and then another "round" for even better loot. There's a loathing system which increases the strength of enemies and affects the Torchlight. The more fights we attend, the lower it goes so it's better to fight early against weaker enemies.

    Finally, there is also a new type of burning enemies. We also get a new hero with burning skills. We can still use stuns but more often than that we'll daze enemies instead, which changes their speed to the lowest for that turn

    Some enemy types, especially bosses will sometimes hang on the Death's Door, like heroes usually do when they reach 0. Characters also lose any debuffs, dots and replenish some HP with stress after combat. I've had my number 1 frontliner on death's door most of the time so he eventually died because his relationships were all negative and despite him having the biggest HP pool, he tanked the most damage and stress.

    Heroes also receive quirks which I can cure or lock the good ones. It's only happening on the road when reaching "ward stations". Here I can also replenish the HP and buy some items.

    Game is very good at explaining all its features. Not only is the tutorial extensive, I can come back to it from the main menu, and I can also hold ALT and G for icons.

    We can prepare before combat. The combat is either a barricade on the road or inside a building and there's really no way we can walk around it or go back. When I enter a building, I can choose to escape and I have failed only once in my last fight.

    I spent 8 hours on my first run and almost reached the final destination. After that the game evaluated my hope, I jumped from level 1 to 6, unlocked two heroes and many more items and quirks. There are a total of 50 profile levels to unlock which could possibly result in 80 hours of gametime.

    It's way too different from the first one, only the characters, their skills and atmosphere remain the same. There's no hometown to come back to but inns on the road while travelling. It's also got simpler micro management and focuses more on relationships between 4 heroes.

    It's slow paced but less epic, and I would say it will find a niche audience as a prequel as it is slightly more story oriented and less repetitive.

    I find more diverse enemies and still many fights and even more boss fights with similar combat mechanics to Darkest Dungeon 1    … Expand
  3. Jt0429
    May 24, 2023
    8
    Good-
    The jump from 2D to 3D is stunning, while the aesthetic remains as grotesquely detailed as ever. Excellent soundtrack and voice acting. New combat mechanics provide more agency without diminishing danger. Rogue-lite structure affords some interesting choice-based gameplay and resource management. Plenty of replay value thanks to unlocks.
    Bad- The structure, especially with its    Good-
    The jump from 2D to 3D is stunning, while the aesthetic remains as grotesquely detailed as ever. Excellent soundtrack and voice acting. New combat mechanics provide more agency without diminishing danger. Rogue-lite structure affords some interesting choice-based gameplay and resource management. Plenty of replay value thanks to unlocks.

    Bad-
    The structure, especially with its difficulty, makes replaying the same Acts repetitive at times. Some enemies feel like they need more tuning, especially when Ordained. Story starts interesting but grinds to a halt due to being drip-fed over runs. Lacks some of the original's charm.

    Thoughts-
    Overall, I feel like Darkest Dungeon 2 works well, though I’d appreciate some node variety and finer tuning of some enemies. It may not exactly inspire a wave of pretenders like the original but adds its own disturbing twist on familiar genres while providing plenty of replay value. Ruin may have finally found players with its exit from early access, but it’s an enjoyable road to redemption regardless.    … Expand
  4. kleberson777
    May 27, 2023
    9
    While I prefer party/army building like DD1 or Xcom style. This game still manage to hooked me with Darkest Dungeon roguelite style
  5. dversion
    May 9, 2023
    10
    This game is so deep. There's such growth from the first game. It's not easy, but if you are up for the challenge you'll get an education in RPG gaming. Check out the streams on Youtube and you can see the number of buff's, rebuffs etc. In the last game runs took 40 hours with 12-15 characters and now you take 4 characters on a 3-5 hour run. With the candles you can build yourThis game is so deep. There's such growth from the first game. It's not easy, but if you are up for the challenge you'll get an education in RPG gaming. Check out the streams on Youtube and you can see the number of buff's, rebuffs etc. In the last game runs took 40 hours with 12-15 characters and now you take 4 characters on a 3-5 hour run. With the candles you can build your characters.

    PS - Don't believe the haters. They gave Redfall a 10/10!    … Expand
  6. Hutopu
    May 10, 2023
    10
    Love it! The game kept the spirit DD 1 but changed enough to be very innovative and refreshing! I played a lot in EA and I'm just impressed how well they implemented the feedback.

    Especially the graphic is just astonishing and the unlock mechanism is very rewarding.

    I loved DD1 and now love part 2 even more!
  7. Drizzzzit
    May 9, 2023
    9
    DD2 is a true work of art. Redhook created something refreshing while staying true to the world and art direction they created in the first game. This game has great replay value and can appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers.
  8. PanteraHouse
    May 10, 2023
    10
    Review bombers are sub-human trash.

    The game is different, but it's also fantastic. DD1 isn't going anywhere, now we have 2 different games with different styles that both live up to top quality turn based combat. Thank you RedHook!
  9. MikeG4G
    May 11, 2023
    10
    Love it! The game kept the spirit DD 1 but changed enough to be very innovative and refreshing! I played a lot in EA and I'm just impressed how well they implemented the feedback.

    Especially the graphic is just astonishing and the unlock mechanism is very rewarding.

    I loved DD1 and now love part 2 even more! love love love
  10. Young_Fawn
    Jun 21, 2023
    8
    After seven or eight years, the long awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed Darkest Dungeon has finally arrived and a lot has changed.

    There is a lot to love about this game but there is also a lot to hate/dislike, perhaps I am just writing this in the heat of the moment but as the game stands and as for what happened to me personally, I cannot say I recommend it. The gameplay    After seven or eight years, the long awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed Darkest Dungeon has finally arrived and a lot has changed.

    There is a lot to love about this game but there is also a lot to hate/dislike, perhaps I am just writing this in the heat of the moment but as the game stands and as for what happened to me personally, I cannot say I recommend it.

    The gameplay has changed dramatically, this is both a good thing and a bad thing.
    The game plays as follows: You select a confession (This is basically difficulty level) and then select four heroes with different skillsets to venture forth through different zones in order to get to the mountain where a boss lies in wait for you to defeat or die to.
    The core gameplay loop lies in that each time you succeed or fail, you get candles to upgrade your characters and unlock items which are now permanently in the game, this is what makes the game very rogue-like. As opposed to the original where you would be playing a 50-60 hour long campaign with nearly 30 heroes, you'll be stuck with four for the entire run. This isn't a bad thing as the best part about this way of doing things is that you get to play around with comps a lot and see what works and what doesn't.

    Combat has sort of been overhauled. What I will say is, combat feels so much more RNG than the original and a lot of damage feels very out of your control in this one. Instead of accuracy vs dodge stats, it's been simplified to "50% chance to hit" with blindness, or they can mititgate 50-75% of damage instead, etc.
    The only good thing to come out of this is that you know when you'll hit, there is no random chance to just miss like in the first one, if you're clean of debuffs and they're clean of buffs, you'll hit every time but the damage is still at the mercy of the dice.

    Some of the most satisfying parts of Darkest Dungeon 2 is when you find that comp that has a lot of synergy. Buffing and debuffing to set up for big hits or a lot of heals and dot damage, once you find a comp that works for you, you'll begin to enjoy the game a lot.

    My biggest criticisms is that at the end of each zone there's a thing called a "Rampart" which is basically cultist type enemies. These things are absolutely horrific to deal with. They are completely and utterly no fun at all. They hit way too hard, buff themselves into next week and it feels like they always crit. All enemies feel like they crit you more than you crit them.

    Some enemies get two turns per round, sometimes even three, and that's fine. But there are some enemies, specifically cultist types and buffing enemies, that have no indication that they get two moves a round, but they do anyway? Why is this? It happens randomly with no rhyme or reason behind it. If they get two moves, that's fine, give them two indicators, don't just randomly have two moves on what should only be one turn. Makes no sense.

    Some of the bosses just seem way too hard, I'm lucky enough to come from the experience of pouring a lot of hours into the first one but some of the mechanics are just wild. Randomly critting the entire party each turn with no point in mitigating cause the damage is well into the 80s.

    The biggest downside to me is that when you fail a run, despite getting candles; because you've been absolutely hammered by overtuned mobs and RNG, is how much time you feel like you've wasted.

    Even if you full party wiped in the first game, yeah you lost some good characters, but you didn't feel like your time was wasted, at least, not four hours worth per run, I think that's what makes the game so frustrating for me.

    The game is meant to be about making the best out of a bad situation, which you absolutely do, but it feels like you have so much less control over what to do in the bad situation in this game than you do in the first one.

    There's so many little niggling issues with this game, like the inability to sell trinkets, even just for one coin a go, instead of just discarding them. When someone dies and you reach an inn, you get a random adventurer joining your party, why can't I select the one that fits best with my party? Do I really need another full tank, or another squishy healer after my tank has been killed?

    However, after almost losing my save due to a power cut, when all hope was lost, when my stress was 10/10 and having a Meltdown for three days, I reinstalled the game and managed to fix and recover my save, allowing myself to start a run without restarting the whole game, a truly virtuous and "Resolute" for myself.

    Darkest Dungeon 2 has a few problems, there's no doubt about that, some balancing needs to be done, some characters probably need a little nerf and some definitely need a buff. I look forward to seeing what the developers are going to do going forth, they've already announced some of the extra content we can look forward to, like the Collector and Origin Skins for the characters.    … Expand
  11. Aubrey_Light
    May 12, 2023
    10
    Good game that gives a new, different twist from the original. Is different than the original so if you loved the original and wanted something similar this is not the game for you, but if you are able to open yourself to new experiences I recommend this sequel.
  12. DividedSanity
    May 11, 2023
    10
    Darkest Dungeon 2 expands much on its previous iteration while also adding a bunch of new unique systems.

    The biggest thing veteran players will notice is that the combat and stress systems have been overhauled and reworked to be much more refreshing and much less RNG focused (there is still some, kind of needed honestly). On top of the fact that the art, animation, and sound design    Darkest Dungeon 2 expands much on its previous iteration while also adding a bunch of new unique systems.

    The biggest thing veteran players will notice is that the combat and stress systems have been overhauled and reworked to be much more refreshing and much less RNG focused (there is still some, kind of needed honestly). On top of the fact that the art, animation, and sound design have been overhauled to the extreme and feel fantastic. Your actions, buffs, and debuffs will have much more impact than raising your blight resistance by 10% or lowering an enemies accuracy by 10%. The new buffs and debuffs work off a hit system rather than turns. Your dodge and improved dodge increase your dodge to the next hit by 50% and 75% respectively; same goes for protection buffs. They can stack up to 2 or 3, but no further. This puts you in a more turn to turn strategy than was the preplanning fest of Darkest Dungeon 1. There is still some pre-planning for party comp and first round turns, but that is where it stops more or less.

    Red Hook has also added a new relationship system that builds off of character interaction in fights and in taverns. Theses relationship can be positive or negative but they heavily impact your teams fighting capabilities. While one bad relationship is not game losing by any means, having two or three negative relationships between characters WILL lose you the run. I highly recommend focusing on this aspect and learning it. It is relatively simple to understand and will take your gameplay to a whole new level once mastered.

    The voiceover by Wayne June, Music, and Sound Design are once again masterful and are absolutely my favorite part of DD2. They set a tone early on of YOU being the last hope. And the character in your party seeking atonement. It speaks to me a lot as a gamer, and even more so as a person.

    I highly recommend you pick the game up if you have never played Darkest Dungeon 1. I will note that the game is difficult and you will lose A LOT before you get the hang of it, but you will have fun doing it. Those that like Darkest Dungeon 1 will be comfortable but have more to master and I recommend the game even more to those people.

    There are more systems and tweaks that I have not touched on here. I assure you they are all for the better and tie the gameplay and theme together quite nicely. I will leave you to play and find those particular changes out yourself. Last, I will leave you with a quote for new players by the Narrator played by Wayne June.
    "Do not despair. There is nobility in the attempt."    … Expand
  13. Vittae_
    May 12, 2023
    10
    The game is goated, it's a very refreshed and improved experience of DD 1, great visuals, great soundtrack and interesting gameplay, nothing to complain about, worth every penny
  14. Castlemaniac
    May 20, 2023
    10
    I'm switching up between Zelda and this. Compared to the first game, I'm not wanting to rage quit so my girlfriend is not complaining about wasting our budget replacing keyboards! I enjoy both DD1 and DD2. They are different but that amazing narration and atmosphere is still there. I wish more Indies made games like this. I loved Tunic, Hades and Vampire Survivors.
  15. PiscisK
    May 14, 2023
    10
    Imagine playing DD1 without all the things that were a slug (like the endless money grind, specially when you lost a max party), with astounding graphics, with an amazing and expanded lore and backstory, and a Journey that you will be happy to re-do either for challenges, experiment and progression

    I played close to 250 HS the EA and was throughout the Journey since Oct 2021 until 1.0 in    Imagine playing DD1 without all the things that were a slug (like the endless money grind, specially when you lost a max party), with astounding graphics, with an amazing and expanded lore and backstory, and a Journey that you will be happy to re-do either for challenges, experiment and progression

    I played close to 250 HS the EA and was throughout the Journey since Oct 2021 until 1.0 in May 2023. The full release is definitely the best iteration of the Game. And from here it will only get even better, just like it's predecessor. Most of the critics the game received are mostly from a comparison POV from fans, like myself, of DD1. The problem these fans have it's that DD2 is NOT basically DD 1.5. 90% of the things that changed in DD2 are a welcoming change. It is true a few things got lost in the change, but that is part of the process. Doesnt matter if you love or not the DD2 formula, it's imposible to give this Game a score below 7. So I would just ignore anyone scoring below that, and would consider the overal score of the Game a Solid 8.5, and probably in 6M/1Y a Solid 9.5    … Expand
  16. MrW40K
    May 16, 2023
    9
    Une vraie bonne suite ,le jeu est toujours aussi bon , la gain visuel et technique montre que ça n'est pas juste un nouveau contenu ,les ajouts et retrait par rapport au premier équilibre l'ensemble
  17. DayDrunkGamers
    May 12, 2023
    8
    A lesser but still worthwhile sequel.
    https://daydrunkgamers.com/reviews/DarkestDungeon2.html
  18. senasrail
    May 13, 2023
    10
    dynamic motion. still dark atmosphere. Some people may feel that it's not enough than the previous one, but the sequel feels much better to me.

Awards & Rankings

85
#85 Best PC Game of 2023
30
#30 Most Discussed PC Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 55 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 55
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 55
  3. Negative: 0 out of 55
  1. Movies Games and Tech
    Apr 11, 2024
    88
    Darkest Dungeon II is a dark turn-based roguelite game characterized by its extreme difficulty, grotesque aesthetics and cruel but enjoyable battles. If you are someone who always loved a great challenge, enjoyed that retro comic style in the 80s or simply have been a soul-like fan, DDII is indubiously going to satisfy your appetite.
    Read full review
  2. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 22, 2024
    60
    It brings a lot of new mechanics and interesting innovations. For fans of the roguelike genre I would definitely not hesitate to recommend the game. It will probably not be a problem to spend quite a few hours in it. However, the problem will arise if you want to compare the second part with the first one. This would probably be met with less enthusiastic ovations. [Issue#329]
  3. Games.cz
    Aug 21, 2023
    80
    Darkest Dungeon 2 is so different from its predecessor. A true roguelike with only one significant problem: The creators should learn how to explain things better. It’s also rather long for the content it provides. But the combat is great, the graphics beautiful, the narrator splendid.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »