Dark Souls II

 PlayStation 3
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1483 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,133 out of 1483
  2. Mixed: 182 out of 1483
  3. Negative: 168 out of 1483
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  1. Gamingnerd
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    I would give this game a 9.8.....Well what can I say really...... This is Dark Souls with Demon Souls sprinkled on top....Controls take a bit of getting used to as they are not exactly the same as the other games..... It loses a couple points because to be honest I feel that the movements of the player do not feel quite right, hard to explain, best I can describe it would beI would give this game a 9.8.....Well what can I say really...... This is Dark Souls with Demon Souls sprinkled on top....Controls take a bit of getting used to as they are not exactly the same as the other games..... It loses a couple points because to be honest I feel that the movements of the player do not feel quite right, hard to explain, best I can describe it would be ..light.....There is still no hand holding in this game (good thing) however the tutorial section is more in-depth than the other souls games...There are a lot of surprises in this game that I will not spoil but I'll just say that fans of the series will like it very much.....However the game is not for you if you enjoy hand holding, and arrows pointing you to your next objective.... If you are a gamer that likes challenge and learning from your mistakes, this is for you.......... Graphics are updated in this game as well.... There are even more bosses this time around, and there are more variety of enemies as well...... This is Dark Souls at it's finest....... I will say that the lore in this game is there.......but it is lacking compared to the original in my opinion...... I liked how in the first game you had to put the pieces together to figure out the lore behind the game....... In this game as you progress through new areas you find out more about the areas while you play it..... I liked Dark Souls 1 way of doing it better......The boss music in this game is well done as well......
    So if you are a fan of the other souls games, you will not be disappointed, if you are a newcomer, I will just tell you that, you will die a lot, and if you do not like games like that or if you like hand holding, this isn't for you....I think this game is the best so far in the soul series and hope that Dark Souls 3 keeps it up.......    … Expand
  2. Makaveli
    Aug 18, 2014
    7
    Changing my review based on the hype train that I was on before.. I beat the game many many times.
    I will say that it isn't nearly as good as the first Dark Souls in my opinion..
    The world itself is really linear and some of which does not make sense ( elevator up to a volcano) It lacks the creative excellence of the world design from Dark Souls 1.. Dark Souls 1s world was expertly    Changing my review based on the hype train that I was on before.. I beat the game many many times.
    I will say that it isn't nearly as good as the first Dark Souls in my opinion..

    The world itself is really linear and some of which does not make sense ( elevator up to a volcano)
    It lacks the creative excellence of the world design from Dark Souls 1.. Dark Souls 1s world was expertly crafted so everything interconnected with each other and actually comparing the map viewer of these two games, you can clearly see that Dark Souls 1 was well thought out while Dark Souls 2 was not.

    The bosses do not compare to the first Dark Souls either. Most bosses are boring to fight, you can circle almost every boss without consequence . All bosses pretty well have the same move-set if you pay attention.

    Hitboxes are worse in this game than the first, and a game that is centered around its combat it has to be good, and in Dark Souls. Also, enemies spin/track you without moving their feet, it looks pretty bad.

    The game was just fan-service, I am also tired of people talking about difficulty as if that was the thing that made the series good... NO!.. Veterans of the series who watched interviews from Miyazaki would know that the series was never suppose to be about its difficulty, it was about overcoming a challenge and then being rewarded for it. They were very challenging games, but Dark Souls 2 tries too hard to be difficult just for the sake of being difficult. It is not a difficult game but you can clearly see that they tried to make it hard just by adding hoards of enemies that you have to fight, and most people will not fight them with melee so they cheese the hell out of these enemies, making it boring...
    In Dark Souls 1 you could cheese everything too, but you actually wanted to fight stuff int hat game, not like Dark Souls 2 where you either cheese an enemy or you just run passed everything.

    For people who like to manage their soul level ( which was a big part of Dark Souls and Demon Souls) are forced to level up or try and run from all enemies in the game because they do not want to increase their soul memory. For these people there is little to no reason to fight any of the enemies, or even help people with bosses.
    They broke their own mechanic of hollowing, you can now have a ring that if you die, you will not lose anything, Dark SOuls had this too but once it broke it was gone forever, Dark Souls 2 you could just keep repairing the ring which most people do and thus ruining the effigy system.

    There is no fear of losing your souls once you get that ring and as I said before, most people will use it , as you can tell because every time I invade someone you hear their ring break when they die.

    The duel wielding/ power stance weapons are very cool and I'm glad they finally implemented it.

    Now, don;t get me wrong it is still a good game but Dark Souls 2 lost its "soul" and I can go on and on about the faults of this game, but I will leave it there. I still like the game but it just feels like it has hit casual status( not talking a but difficulty)

    --- I will note that this has nothing to do with "Rose tinted glasses" I played Demon Souls 1st and I enjoyed the first Dark Souls slightly better. I fail to see how anyone can think Dark Souls 2 is better. Dark Souls 2 has more content but half the quality, and I take quality over quantity any day..    … Expand
  3. Gamer4life1985
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    All ready a few hours in; and I can tell you if you enjoyed Dark Souls or Demon Souls, you will most definitely enjoy this entry. Most of the features that make it so awesome and exciting remain; and ever so much the challenge is intact. Definitely the game that still gives life to the now "older" systems.
  4. thegamer1
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Easily one of the greatest RPGs of this generation. If you are a gamer that wants to explore and figure things out by yourself you will love it, if you aren't then you won't like it. Like Dark Souls, this game does not hold you hand. It encourages to seek answers for yourself. But it has a more advanced tutorial section than Dark Souls. So it will be helpful to newcomers of the game.TheEasily one of the greatest RPGs of this generation. If you are a gamer that wants to explore and figure things out by yourself you will love it, if you aren't then you won't like it. Like Dark Souls, this game does not hold you hand. It encourages to seek answers for yourself. But it has a more advanced tutorial section than Dark Souls. So it will be helpful to newcomers of the game.The difficulty level is even higher, and the penalty of death is even severe than its predecessor. But if you have the will, you will overcome it. The combat is excellent. It is more fluid and smooth than DaS. I have played almost 20 hours and haven't felt so excited and terrified at the same time playing a game ever before. The enemy design is quite intimidating. You won't just rush into enemies, like other games, before planning what are you going to do. I think this is the most unique game I have played in a LONG time. If you don't have the patience or just play games casually I won't recommend this game. This game needs your time. But if you overcome the challenges of it you will experience a sense of accomplishment like never before. I yelled when I beat the second boss, because he was tough and I died like 15 time trying to beat. But when I did I was overjoyed. So be prepared to die, again and again.… Expand
  5. Norfel
    Mar 25, 2014
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is my first time writing a review for this site. Dark Souls 2 was one of the games I was most excited to play, as a fan of the series in general I looked forward to what the future would bring. In some respects, it delivered, the challenge was mostly intact, and the ability to customize, and gear out your character is better than ever.

    I initially held back on writing a review, however as I have now finished the game, I feel i can judge it more appropriately. It may sound bad, but it is more a symptom of being disappointed, and let down in critical areas.

    I suppose it feels somewhat devoid of the 'soul', which comes as little surprise to me, though I had hoped it would not be so despite the needless removal of Hidetaka Miyazaki, who directed both the previous Souls games. This manifests itself in a number of ways.

    The area design, both in aesthetics, and connectivity to one another feels disjointed and uninspired, like many areas would not really be able to connect to one another unlike in Dark Souls, where the connections were more or less reasonable and made sense. There is also a lack of awe, sorrow, fear, or desolation, and the locations feel more like video game levels, than places people may have once lived in, long ago. The washed out look created by having to axe the impressive lighting does not help. Whereas previously, many of the locales could somewhat tell you their story, as you traversed them. Discovering the bodies in New Londo, and seeing the sacrifice that was willingly made to keep the Darkwraiths entombed, that sort of thing.

    The bosses and npcs this time around, there certainly are a great deal of them, however it feels a lot as though the designers opted for quantity over individual quality. There is a depressing disposability to them, not one of them is seemingly as memorable as the characters met in either Dark Souls, or Demon's Souls.

    The bosses and enemies especially have disappointed me in many ways, the biggest disappointment being the apparent overuse of large, armored humans with polearms in place of more unique, grotesque/strange designs. Nashandra, Vendrick and the Ancient Dragon have the dubious honor of being possibly some of the worst bosses in the entire series, the Ancient Dragon especially being rather terrible and disappointing after Kalameet, who was a fantastic dragon boss from Dark Souls.

    The art design and style in general does not feel as inspired, or interesting either. I know, that with the previous games Miyazaki had quite a hand in the designs, he would speak with designers at length, and approve each design based on his ideas and sensibilities. The story itself also feels less developed, like it was made intentionally vague and obtuse in such a way to emulate Miyazaki's style without understanding it.

    On the more technical side, issues are prevalent as well. With the announcement of dedicated servers, many assumed it would alleviate previous problems with lag. Not so apparently. Lag and connection issues still rear their ugly heads, and the performance of the game on PS3 is especially heinous, with worse overall framerate and loading times than even the first game.

    I am perplexed as well by some other issues, some that were fixed in the first game and seemingly forgotten for the second. Namely:

    1. Non-respawning enemies such as the crystal lizards no longer give you their loot as soon as you kill them, if you die you can miss the loot forever.
    2. Lock on radius had to be patched to be greater.
    3. Scaling had to be patched to be stronger and not so inferior to elemental.
    4. Pyromancy, was too powerful and adjusted.
    5. Drop-rates in general of both armor and upgrade materials had to be patched so it was not abysmally low.

    There is also the scandalous issue with the graphics downgrade, while not a major problem to me, is clearly a form of false advertisement, and a more critical problem for others.

    In all, I won't say I didn't enjoy the game, or that I hate it. I'm just disappointed by many of the design choices and the state of the final product. In many ways, it feels not like a 'Souls' game, but a mod, or interpretation of what someone thinks a 'Souls' game should be, an interpretation given by someone who does not fully understand it but tries to emulate it anyways.

    People were right to doubt with the change in presentation seen in the very first reveal trailer, and the way the game has been marketed since.    … Expand
  6. Gamelore
    Mar 31, 2014
    6
    Compared to prior work, Dark Souls II is pretty awful. I feel bad that I waited 2 years and invested as much into it. I feel worse that the savior of traditional video game design sold out.

    - There is no character build specialization (there is abundant "respec") -- in one swoop, this completely removes the primary strategic level of the game. - Enemies not respawning removes most of    Compared to prior work, Dark Souls II is pretty awful. I feel bad that I waited 2 years and invested as much into it. I feel worse that the savior of traditional video game design sold out.

    - There is no character build specialization (there is abundant "respec") -- in one swoop, this completely removes the primary strategic level of the game.
    - Enemies not respawning removes most of the difficulty from regular areas catching you off-guard.
    - While at the same time, NPCs *DO* respawn, so you don't have to be careful around them.
    - Free, unlimited warping anywhere, right from the start, removing the challenge of layout memorization.

    The sad thing is these are all *features* the development team spent resources *adding* to the game. This isn't failure due to a lack of resources. This is intentional failure injected into the game by decision makers (i.e., making it more "accessible" to the much larger playerbase weened on post-16-bit games wanting fast content consumption, always-increasing "progress" and no developed appreciation for RISK AND IMMERSION): In other words, SELLING OUT.

    If you have not played a From Software title, do yourself a favor and don't introduce yourself to their work with this train wreck. The features vainly attempting to appeal to "new" players ironically make it unworthy to be a player's first exposure.    … Expand
  7. Arran97
    Apr 15, 2014
    6
    Dark Souls 2 was a disappointment, it's not a bad game; on the contrary it's quite good, even peaking greatness in some areas. Just comparing it to Dark Souls 1 it falls short; DS2 has more content but has tedious game mechanics, DS2 has a better engine but doesn't look any better, it adds new features (such as touches) but never really fully realizes them. DS2 has more bosses than itsDark Souls 2 was a disappointment, it's not a bad game; on the contrary it's quite good, even peaking greatness in some areas. Just comparing it to Dark Souls 1 it falls short; DS2 has more content but has tedious game mechanics, DS2 has a better engine but doesn't look any better, it adds new features (such as touches) but never really fully realizes them. DS2 has more bosses than its predecessor but the majority of them are either blatant rip offs (playing of nostalgia) or plain, old unoriginal. Even some of the level design are boring. You know the thing which made DS1 a house hold name; its level design. It's a fun game and if you want something for your Dark souls fix, pick this game up. But if you're a new comer, go for the first game. I wanna give this game a 6.9 but Metacritic won't let me.… Expand
  8. AlienSpaceBats
    Apr 10, 2015
    5
    To preface, I've played Demon's and Dark souls extensively, have finished both as numerous classes, and would rate them as two of the best games ever made. It's pretty telling that 4 hours into my first game of DaS II, I ejected the disc and started playing Demon's Souls again.

    This sequel has nothing that the previous games did that made them great, none of the tone and atmosphere is    To preface, I've played Demon's and Dark souls extensively, have finished both as numerous classes, and would rate them as two of the best games ever made. It's pretty telling that 4 hours into my first game of DaS II, I ejected the disc and started playing Demon's Souls again.

    This sequel has nothing that the previous games did that made them great, none of the tone and atmosphere is present, the lucid, elegant design is gone and it looks like a dull, generic, "dark (derp) fantasy" RPG which happens to have the words "Dark Souls" on the box. It's more Dark Souls for the sake of Dark Souls, and it feels like it was made by people who didn't 'get' why the original game(s) were so good. It doesn't feel like a Souls game, and it doesn't really look like one. So as if it could get any more unoriginal, the player is dragged through yet further iterations of the Valley of Defilement/Blighttown and Lost Izalith/Demon Ruins.

    Somehow parry/riposte and backstab has been ruined, enemies have the most ridiculous, insulting tracking, even when landing an overhead blow (they can literally follow you 360 degrees), hitboxes are an absolute joke, weapons and armoured characters act as though don't carry any weight and world progression is catastrophically obtuse. A lot of the time I had no idea where I was going, why I was going there, or what was going on. The game is constantly wanting me to guess what it's thinking which results in my most hated solution: boring and systematic elimination of possibilities. I constantly had to refer to a guide because there are so many leaps in logic/impasses I felt stunned into disbelief. Contrast with DaS, which subtly and economically keeps the player informed of where they need to be going next, either by means of a short cutscene, or talking with a certain NPC.

    AI is incredibly stupid, especially on NPC summons, who are borderline useless and seem to just crane their necks to watch whatever 30ft tall monster we're fighting smash them into a Drangleic pancake. You could never accuse DeS or DaS of cheap, artificial difficulty, but this game has loads of it, introducing awkward mobs of enemies (even in bossfights) instead of actual challenge. Most bosses are unimaginative and repeated (Gargoyles, Ornstein, Queelag's Scorpion cousin) and some, like the Iron King and Royal Rat Authority verge on cheap bullsh*t. FromSoft obviously heard everyone loved the Ornstein & Smough fight, so every other bossfight is a fu*king tag-team, also, most of them seem to have the exact same moveset. Do not get me started on the latency, lag filled puddle of watery faecal matter that is PVP.

    So the first 5-10 hours were most offputting, just awful bland areas and dull enemies. However in places it does become a semi-enjoyable dungeon crawler. Co-op is still good, in fact I had the most fun helping others defeat bosses, except where the game forbids you from dropping your sign because 'f**k you, you're doing this one solo". If it had a different name on the box, reception would be completely different. Dark Souls II does NOTHING better than the first game(s), and gets most of what it should get right, wrong. Bad design, bland, forgettable, most irritating game I played in 2014/15. Thankfully, this one has high resale value, I have no desire to ever touch or even finish it ever again.    … Expand
  9. Tirekyll
    Jun 25, 2014
    7
    A good game, not the greatest, but good.
    The start is a little rocky, you quickly learn that Dark Souls 2 is entirely linear and some areas can't be accessed early in the game. That's fine and dandy though annoying when compared to Dark Souls and Demon Souls which allowed the player to choose the path they wanted to take.
    As you can tell by the rating though, it isn't all bad, or even    A good game, not the greatest, but good.
    The start is a little rocky, you quickly learn that Dark Souls 2 is entirely linear and some areas can't be accessed early in the game. That's fine and dandy though annoying when compared to Dark Souls and Demon Souls which allowed the player to choose the path they wanted to take.

    As you can tell by the rating though, it isn't all bad, or even close. The game maintains its difficulty from the previous two incarnations by FromSoft even though at times to a more casual gamer, some deaths seem cheap. The new menu layout is a huge upgrade from DS/DkS, however I personally find it a bit less twitchy.

    I don't really want to give much away, but I will say having friends for this game will make it a lot more enjoyable. If you can, do yourself a favor and get the limited edition of the game for some extra equipment that will save you a lot of frustration at the beginning of Dark Souls 2.

    Overall, my ratings are
    Gameplay: 7/10 I never had the issues most people seemed to, but it still felt a bit clunky on PS3
    Graphics: 9/10 The game looks really good compared to its predecessors
    Sound: 6/10
    Fun: 9/10 If you have friends, 6/10 if you don't
    Replayability: 2/10 I can't see playing this game again, beating it once alone is enough for me    … Expand
  10. James_Russell
    Apr 21, 2014
    7
    I kept waiting for moments like:

    -the Asylum Demon dropping down minutes after starting the gane -the drake landing in front of you in the undead berg -the taurus demon running at you -barely making it to the first blacksmith -queelag appears -ringing both bells -iron golem -TARKUS TARKUS TARKUUUUUUUUUUUUUS -the rafters in anor londo -the archers -bulk and skull -Sif's intro    I kept waiting for moments like:

    -the Asylum Demon dropping down minutes after starting the gane
    -the drake landing in front of you in the undead berg
    -the taurus demon running at you
    -barely making it to the first blacksmith
    -queelag appears
    -ringing both bells
    -iron golem
    -TARKUS TARKUS TARKUUUUUUUUUUUUUS
    -the rafters in anor londo
    -the archers
    -bulk and skull
    -Sif's intro
    -fighting artorious
    -kalameet
    -getting your souls back after being rused by Seath
    -gwyn's fight and the music

    I could go on, but nothing grabbed me in 2 like those moments, I kept waiting for something big to happen but it never did. For me, there was a lot more content in 2, but a lot less substance.    … Expand
  11. Dikano
    Mar 23, 2014
    10
    Rarely does a game deliver on its every promise. Dark Souls II does that and more. From the outstanding melee combat, to the subtle character development, going through a battery of unique and vicious environments, Dark Souls II has everything one could ask for from one of the best RPGs ever made.
  12. Gravypie
    May 18, 2014
    5
    I've played and completed Demon's Souls three times and Dark Souls twice, so I was looking foward to Dark Souls 2 a lot. I have been very disappointed with what From Software have the nerve to call a sequel.
    It's clear that most of Froms' staff had been put onto working on the new PS4 ip and the unlucky few have been left to throw out this unimaginative, bland and lacklustre excuse. Where    I've played and completed Demon's Souls three times and Dark Souls twice, so I was looking foward to Dark Souls 2 a lot. I have been very disappointed with what From Software have the nerve to call a sequel.
    It's clear that most of Froms' staff had been put onto working on the new PS4 ip and the unlucky few have been left to throw out this unimaginative, bland and lacklustre excuse. Where are the huge majestic monsters? Where are the haunting imaginative locales? Why am I bored? Yes BORED!
    The environments are plain. There is a massive over-use of the same scenery...another burning body boulder anyone? And the regular enemies are just humanoids in armour over and over again. Also, most of the scenery looks like a good effort on a PS2.
    Two words explain this pitiful mess. Rush Job.
    Pull your finger out From Software, this is too good a franchise to get lazy with. Other software houses will make their own versions and we'll all go elsewhere.    … Expand
  13. GlobalNightmare
    Apr 10, 2014
    6
    I loved Demon's souls. I loved Dark souls. So much so, I felt the compulsion to grab all those tricky trophies and finish them both completely. I had high hopes for the sequel.

    I was able to look past the graphical downgrade, because lets face it, it's not all about looks is it? As bad as it looks, I carried on regardless. I quite liked the hollow/human system, and the fact that you    I loved Demon's souls. I loved Dark souls. So much so, I felt the compulsion to grab all those tricky trophies and finish them both completely. I had high hopes for the sequel.

    I was able to look past the graphical downgrade, because lets face it, it's not all about looks is it? As bad as it looks, I carried on regardless.

    I quite liked the hollow/human system, and the fact that you can warp bonfire to bonfire at the get-go. I also liked the vast amount of places to visit. Unfortunately, I felt unsatisfied upon finishing the game.

    The game becomes less enjoyable and confusing the deeper you get into it. There is only a vague explanation to what it is you're doing in Drangleic, and there is a great lack of explanation on where to go to finish your quest. Sure, there is plenty of lore to find and read through but it's all too vague. It is so easy to become lost and frustrated on where to go next it can become a real pain. For example I had no idea where to find the final boss, and I didn't understand the relevance of the "giant souls" as it was not explained. As least in the original you had a clear idea of what you were doing, and who you had to defeat in order to link the fires and end the curse to finish the game.

    An introduction to "soul level" restricts multiplayer and invader interaction. Infusing weapons is far too easy, and boss soul weapons are weak and too easy to craft. There not even worth creating as they're so underpowered

    I must say though the combat was pretty solid, if a little glitchy at times.

    All in all, Dark souls 2 feels rushed, unfinished, and disappointing.

    It's not a complete disaster mind you, there is some fun to be had here, I just wish more time had been spent of it's flaws.    … Expand
  14. dalefryer
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    If you're a fan of Demon Souls and Dark Souls you are going to love this game! Very frustrating at first but you'll learn to appreciate the difficulty and the huge environment. Best game on PS3, should have been out for PS4 too.
  15. aadms
    Jul 6, 2015
    5
    Let's be honest here. The difficulty level in this game is mostly the clunky combat. And even when you have that done to a fine art of clunkyness, you have to go to your campfire and reset the whole level while you rest your weapon. Yes, your weapon isn't very good for a while so you have to take your time, attack the same enemies, rinse and repeat. It has its moments of satisfaction,Let's be honest here. The difficulty level in this game is mostly the clunky combat. And even when you have that done to a fine art of clunkyness, you have to go to your campfire and reset the whole level while you rest your weapon. Yes, your weapon isn't very good for a while so you have to take your time, attack the same enemies, rinse and repeat. It has its moments of satisfaction, but those time are literally few and far in between. Plus, the Japanese have a very strange sense of story telling. Not bad, just strange. It's like watching one of their commercials. Not a bad game overall, but I just don't have the patience to go through hours of boredom to finish this game.… Expand
  16. mrnice
    Dec 1, 2014
    6
    Update: Having now played the predecessor, I found much of the lore, visuals, and even level concepts to be reused in DSII. It makes way less sense in terms of world design, and everything that seemed carefully thought out in Dark Souls seems thrown into II as "hey this idea could be pretty cool too!". Ultimately, Dark Souls is a more artful game. For this, I subtract one point from theUpdate: Having now played the predecessor, I found much of the lore, visuals, and even level concepts to be reused in DSII. It makes way less sense in terms of world design, and everything that seemed carefully thought out in Dark Souls seems thrown into II as "hey this idea could be pretty cool too!". Ultimately, Dark Souls is a more artful game. For this, I subtract one point from the score.

    ( written July 2014: )
    Even after nearly 50 hours, there were still a few optional areas to beat, plus multiplayer battles. That kind of longevity is impressive in such an intense action game. The areas are varied and offers many surprises. The game rarely moves focus from the action, however, and there are loads of action games for PS3, so I'm not sure DS2 is a standout. In terms of artwork and scope, it's phenomenal, but the story and the non-action gameplay could have been more expertly crafted and brought more into focus.

    One optional but significant puzzle was so unintuitive that I feel inclined to subtract a whole point for it. The whole non-combat part exists in the background and only pops up when you interact with the environment, or when the story takes a subtle turn. The game ended abruptly, beautifully but without much closure. There's a Youtube critique done by 'Matthewmatosis' which explains very well how DS2 is far from perfect. It contains spoilers, so I'm just gonna tell you that there are lots of little things, and that the story doesn't really make any sense apart from the very broad strokes. Oh yeah, and the bosses are similar, and pretty much all enemies require the same approach in melee, no strategies or variations required. Just dodge, strike and repeat, with an occasional healing item thrown in.

    Overall, the game is a pretty, bombastic, fantastic spectacle. But is that all we should expect from visual media, eye candy?... When it could be a problem-simulator, a laboratory, a true playground. Instead, it forces you through hours of slashing and bashing on similar objects. It pretends to be more serious and deeper than a CoD game, but in the end, it plays on the same strengths, which is to impress with spectacle. There could be a deep message in there, as well as some playful and curious mechanics. Maybe that stuff is just reserved for other genres    … Expand
  17. EverFortune
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    I see a lot of tens across the board, but I don't really find that fair for a game with no story, battle animations that don't match up with enemies' hit range, and painfully long loading times (this is key due to the amount of times you will die). I'll grant that the landscapes are gorgeous, the weapon selection is vast, and leveling system is pretty gnarly, but that's not enough forI see a lot of tens across the board, but I don't really find that fair for a game with no story, battle animations that don't match up with enemies' hit range, and painfully long loading times (this is key due to the amount of times you will die). I'll grant that the landscapes are gorgeous, the weapon selection is vast, and leveling system is pretty gnarly, but that's not enough for anywhere near a perfect score.

    The fans of this game always try to make it out that if we don't like it, we just don't "get it" as if the fault lies with us, but if a game doesn't motivate me to keep pushing forward even though i just paid 60 dollars for it, some of the blame has to be with the game itself    … Expand
  18. tortoos
    Apr 19, 2014
    8
    Let me open by saying that Dark Souls II is a plenty good game, so take what you hear here with a grain of salt. Firstly the game plays as you would expect having played the souls series before, and is a challenging game in many respects. However, there are problems I feel must be addressed. Starting with the campaign. The story in my opinion isn't nearly as strong as the original darkLet me open by saying that Dark Souls II is a plenty good game, so take what you hear here with a grain of salt. Firstly the game plays as you would expect having played the souls series before, and is a challenging game in many respects. However, there are problems I feel must be addressed. Starting with the campaign. The story in my opinion isn't nearly as strong as the original dark souls. It manages to be much more generic than the original, but if you're here for the gameplay this shouldn't be a problem. There are several bosses that rely on gimmicks to increase their difficulty instead of having actually challenging ai. In addition to this, several bosses are VERY similar to ones in the previous game. Not that that's a bad thing, but it does make you wish for some variation. The ideas on the whole feel less inspired, as we have more knight bosses than ever. Including one that appears twice, only this time with TWO of them instead of one. I feel like that's definitely a failing on the creativity front. But I'm going to address my biggest problem with the game now. It's multiplayer is heavily flawed. The new director seems to heavily dislike invasions, as invaders are punished harder than ever before. The host can heal, but you cannot stop them. They can usually roll out of the way, preventing any sort of reasonable punish. In addition, lloyd talismans are limited, and you cannot ever get an infinite invasion item of any kind. The PVP has several balance problems, including absurd levels of stunlocking, the inability to punish hosts from healing, and certain stats soft cap so early on everyone is going to have a very cookie cutter build. Weapons do not scale well at all, so you are essentially encourged to go to the soft caps for your stats, then enchant and buff your weapons with spells to get any sort of damage out of them. If you wanted to play a pure str/dex character, prepare to be disappointed. Not only are invaders punished, as the host will almost always have the advantage now, but they get nothing meaningful from actually invading. For the host, death is a slap on the wrist, as they can equip the ring of soul protection and lose nothing if they die. The invader however is doomed to an uphill battle, and faces constant invasions from this game's equivalent of the dark moon covenant, which becomes extremely tedious. If one of your main draws for the series is PVP and invasions, prepare to be extremely disappointed.

    As a singleplayer game however it is fine. Not as good as the original, but certainly a solid game in most respects. What I do not understand however, is the design decision to make certain item sets nearly unattainable without hours of farming. This is a determent to the series, and has no place in the game itself.

    on the whole we have:
    - A poorly balanced PVP system that punishes players for invading
    - A more generic storyline than the previous games
    - a poorly balanced stat system that encourages users to spread their stats everywhere instead of specializing
    - a ridiculous item farming mechanic.

    however, despite this games myriad of problems, it is still a solid title if you're looking for a single player experience. Just don't expect it to be nearly as good as the last game. between the pvp being broken and skewed against the invader, to death being a slap on the wrist. I can't honestly claim this to be as good as dark souls or demons souls. However if you just want more of the series itself, than look no further.    … Expand
  19. ihatecheez
    Apr 14, 2014
    8
    the game is great! but if you're expecting dark souls "2" then this isnt it. it feels more of a hybrid of demon and the first dark souls thats a bit easier. its still fun though and it still plays like the others.
  20. UCA
    May 5, 2014
    5
    It's a diffcult game. But I think this game is too simple because you really only can be two skills, dodge an attack and attack with your weapon or magic.
  21. blue_wat
    May 27, 2014
    6
    This game is good, but it's not without its problems. The game has some serious audio issues, menu issues, and issues rendering players (host/invader) from afar. A great game no doubt and worth the price of admission, but having played it for 200+ hours I feel like it should have been a next gen title.
  22. MaxPayneIsGod
    May 21, 2015
    5
    I see what they're trying to do here I really do, problem for me is that I've seen it all before. Being a Souls veteran, as veteran as one can be, after putting well over 100 hours into DS1 I just simply fail to see any significant forward progress in DS2. The best way to put is is DS2 lacks the atmosphere of DS1, the exploration is gone and the horror of encountering a new enemy or bossI see what they're trying to do here I really do, problem for me is that I've seen it all before. Being a Souls veteran, as veteran as one can be, after putting well over 100 hours into DS1 I just simply fail to see any significant forward progress in DS2. The best way to put is is DS2 lacks the atmosphere of DS1, the exploration is gone and the horror of encountering a new enemy or boss is lost, because I've seen it all before. Technically DS2 is marginally better than DS1, and so it should be, but these things do not interest me, core gameplay does, problem here is, I've seen it all before. I thought, I thought and I tried to get into DS2 but I couldn't, because I've been there and seen it all before. I did get that same Souls buzz after offing the bosses but sadly its just not enough any more. It is apparent that there is a new genre of game being pioneered by the Souls style of hardcore difficulty and grinding. Its just not for me. Dark Souls 1 was a masterpiece in every way, Dark Souls 2 is like it's younger brother, trying to live up to what big brother achieved. To summarize Dark Souls 2 is ONLY for gamers who play and enjoy this type of game and who're die hard fans of the franchise or new to it and want something to push their limits of gaming. Lastly Dark Souls 2 is NOT too hard, it is about learning patterns and upgrading stats.. Not my idea of enjoyment, any m.ore… Expand
  23. JMD
    Oct 30, 2014
    7
    I see below someone describing the game as "easily one of the greatest RPGs of the generation" when the game isn't even the best game in the series. In fact, its the least good of the three.

    I should follow that by saying that Dark Souls II is a good game. If your expectations were low, it will meet them. But as a fan of the series I was disappointed by how little it innovated upon the    I see below someone describing the game as "easily one of the greatest RPGs of the generation" when the game isn't even the best game in the series. In fact, its the least good of the three.

    I should follow that by saying that Dark Souls II is a good game. If your expectations were low, it will meet them. But as a fan of the series I was disappointed by how little it innovated upon the franchise. It seems pointless to praise the game as its virtually just a carbon copy of Dark Souls with a new locale and new enemies to fight. I can't give the game any NEW praise that I haven't already given to the previous two entries which are both superior.

    The game ultimately fails in three key areas.
    1 - The graphics that were displayed prior to the game's release are not the graphics you will see in the game. There are countless side-by-side screenshots that depict this. It's something that's becoming more and more common sadly in the industry, but in my opinion this was the worst case of it ever. I noticed it from the very moment the game started.
    2 - The bosses are all serviceable but are nothing we haven't seen before. They are by far the weakest bunch in the series and I struggle to name one from the game that I would put amongst the Top 10 Bosses throughout the series.
    3 - I wore the same piece of armour the entire game. I really have nothing to add other than that. This pissed me off so much. Part of an RPG is finding loot and equipping it. A piece of armour I found very early in the game was statistically unbeatable for my character class throughout the whole game. This deprived of a huge slice of fun from the first two games.

    Dark Souls II is a good game. If you liked the first two, buy it. But I completely scoff at it's Metacritic of 91. I really don't understand how it achieved that score. If we are to go by Metascore, it is the highest of the three games. And yet it's user score is the lowest of the three games. Why the disparity? Perhaps the hardcore fans were the ones that noticed the minor flaws, and not the reviewers.    … Expand
  24. Ishi123
    Feb 17, 2017
    8
    Dark Souls 2 was my first Souls game, so keep that in mind as you read this. As a person who had avoided the Souls series at all costs due to the seemingly rabid fanbase it had acquired over the years, I was skeptical about delving into what was supposedly only for "harcore" gamers. And the marketing campaign certainly didn't help. However, one day I chinned up and went "screw it", andDark Souls 2 was my first Souls game, so keep that in mind as you read this. As a person who had avoided the Souls series at all costs due to the seemingly rabid fanbase it had acquired over the years, I was skeptical about delving into what was supposedly only for "harcore" gamers. And the marketing campaign certainly didn't help. However, one day I chinned up and went "screw it", and picked up Dark Souls 2, and I never went back.

    Dark Souls 2 isn't as good as the original Dark Souls, I'll put that right out there just to be completely uncontroversial, however, in and of itself, it is still a fantastic game overall. I could go on and on about how I took my first tentative and frightened steps into the Dark Souls world, facing death at every turn, dying over and over again and wanting to give up all the time. But that's the thing. I never did. I didn't give up, even though at times I wanted to. The game is just as gripping as the first, refusing to let me go and telling me that I'm better than that. It'll gut punch me then say "you can take it", because I damn well could, even when I thought I couldn't, and it took me taking it to prove it, time and time again.

    The game's level design is... lacking. They're basically straight lines, let's not kid ourselves, here. But they still do look rather nice. Some places look downright gorgeous, so much so that I didn't really mind the fact that they were just straight gauntlets of enemies. Despite that, Dark Souls definitely did have better level design. Larger, open ended, and shortcuts abound. You won't get that here.

    Combat is more refined, that's for sure, for better or for worse. Dark Souls combat worked in a way, and Dark Souls 2's combat works as well, just in a different way. Veterans of the first game will say it feels awkward and someone like me, who went from 2 to 1, will say that Dark Souls's combat feels awkward. However, I do prefer 1's combat to 2. It feels more refined for what it's made for. It works better for what it's built around than 2's is for what it's built around... if that makes any sense. Also, PARRYING IS POSSIBLE IN 1.

    Bosses are... forgettable. If I had a dollar for every dude in armor boss in the game, I'd have at least 13 bucks or so. There is just one boss in the main game that I can remember off the top of my head. Even the final boss wasn't anything special. And the boss music is just as forgettable. I don't even hear the boss music in most cases... all cases, because it's just so boring and generic. Dark Souls 1 had amazing boss music that I can just listen to even when I'm on wikia or, oh, I don't know, writing a review for Dark Souls 2 on Metacritic, just to give a purely hypothetical example.

    Mechanically the game is fine, save for the two points I'm bringing up the mechanics for, and that's the completely broken hitboxes and the auto-tracking overheads. They say Dark Souls also has terrible hitboxes, but if that's true I didn't notice them nearly as much as I did here. Some enemies will hit you from the next room over a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. I'd get flattened by a sword the size of a double-decker bus and I'd clearly see the sword a good 3 in-game feet away from me. If you're playing without a shield, God help you. And then there's the auto-tracking overheads, which approximately 100% of enemies, including bosses, have. When an enemy raises their huge impractical stick to whack you with, they will swivel like they're on a turntable in order to hit you while you're strafing, something I though was physically impossible because by then you'd just be performing a horizontal swipe, wouldn't you, turtle knight? But nooooo. It's actually not possible to strafe to avoid attacks in this game like it was in 1. You HAVE to dodge. No exceptions, they will hit you even if they have to spin right round, baby, right round to do it.

    The multiplayer is the Souls multiplayer. You know what that's all about, and the story is just as cryptic as ever, and does offer a different take on the Dark Souls lore. However, it's not quite as gripping as the first game's plot was, and I never really found myself engrossed in the lore when a lot of it just felt... forgettable. How forgettable? I'VE FORGOTTEN!

    All-in-all, the game is flawed, yes, but did I still have a ton of fun with it? Oh, Lord, yes, I did. For a Souls newbie, this game was the perfect entry point. It introduced me to the world, the combat, the nature of the game itself, the brutal bosses, and though not as complex as Dark Souls in any regard that I can think of off the top of my head or given several hours to come up with one, I'm still grateful to it for what it taught me, and giving me the confidence to go to Dark Souls 1 and give that a try. Without it, I would've never gotten into the Souls series and I would never have gotten to experience some of the best gaming moments I have ever had.    … Expand
  25. 00Liteyear
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    The game is hard, no lie. It's not the kind of game where you enter a room full of zombies and blast them away first try. Dark Souls 2 teaches critical thinking: When to attack, which weapon is most suited, how to use your stamina efficiently.

    There's plenty of roleplaying. As soon as you find a weapon or spell, you'll want to use it immediately. Go dual swords, become grim reaper like,    The game is hard, no lie. It's not the kind of game where you enter a room full of zombies and blast them away first try. Dark Souls 2 teaches critical thinking: When to attack, which weapon is most suited, how to use your stamina efficiently.

    There's plenty of roleplaying. As soon as you find a weapon or spell, you'll want to use it immediately. Go dual swords, become grim reaper like, whip people into submission, the choices are unlimited.

    This is one of those games that in order to enjoy fully, you have to walk in blindfolded with no guide or wiki. Every secret passage discovered and enemy you kill gives self-satisfying confidence and encourages you to believe "I carve my own destiny!"    … Expand
  26. Carrottoes
    May 25, 2014
    7
    Having now spent over 100 hours in Dark Souls 2 I can firmly say that it is inferior to it's two predecessors in most every way imaginable. The map is atrocious, the enemies attacks hit you when you aren't near them, the online is terrible with the addition of soul memory. Two notable features which are neat on the outside looking in being NG+ having new items and Soul Vessels (the abilityHaving now spent over 100 hours in Dark Souls 2 I can firmly say that it is inferior to it's two predecessors in most every way imaginable. The map is atrocious, the enemies attacks hit you when you aren't near them, the online is terrible with the addition of soul memory. Two notable features which are neat on the outside looking in being NG+ having new items and Soul Vessels (the ability to reset stats) actually kill any hopes for multiple PvP builds which you could easily do in the previous games. Some of the bosses are okay but some are just an enemy in a small church. In NG+ the bosses apparently get harder however it appears that instead of changing the boss From just added more enemies in the boss area and called it a day. The story and overall atmosphere, which made Demon's and Dark Souls unique, is all but missing in this. Dark Souls 2 isn't a bad game, don't get the wrong idea I have had some amount of fun playing this but also frustration when I die from the poor hitboxes as well. If you've played the other games I recommend giving this one a try otherwise you should play the others and ignore this one.… Expand
  27. sabaothkelly
    Jul 30, 2020
    0
    Demon Souls 1? Legendary.
    Dark Souls 1? Masterpiece.
    Light Souls 2? What a PIECE of TVRD, ¡seriously!? There are too many enemies and bosses doing s**t that is just just random, absurd or jank. Honestly, it's just barely above "Lords of the Fallen" trash mechanics.
    Dark Souls 3? Amazing.
  28. still-point
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    I am long timer Souls fan. I enjoyed the original Demon Souls and Dark Souls. I own a copy of Dark Souls on every platform and have logged over 100+ hours. Dark Souls 2 does not disappoint. Art direction is amazing (lots of light, lots of color, lots of variation), combat is fluid and executes quicker, enemies set traps for you (very creative From!), etc. I could go on but I won't. MostI am long timer Souls fan. I enjoyed the original Demon Souls and Dark Souls. I own a copy of Dark Souls on every platform and have logged over 100+ hours. Dark Souls 2 does not disappoint. Art direction is amazing (lots of light, lots of color, lots of variation), combat is fluid and executes quicker, enemies set traps for you (very creative From!), etc. I could go on but I won't. Most reviews cover the good stuff anyway. Most importantly though, you need to buy a copy of the game and immerse yourself fully. This is the game I have been waiting for.… Expand
  29. aikoyamamato
    Mar 12, 2014
    9
    Dark Souls II is a glorious lovechild of both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. It provides the best of both worlds while remaining exceptionally challenging and rewarding. The world is dark, dangerous and full of atmosphere, carrying on Dark Souls' seamless areas. Every area is connected in some way and it gives incredible depth to the world. Funny enough, however, it is in this point exactlyDark Souls II is a glorious lovechild of both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. It provides the best of both worlds while remaining exceptionally challenging and rewarding. The world is dark, dangerous and full of atmosphere, carrying on Dark Souls' seamless areas. Every area is connected in some way and it gives incredible depth to the world. Funny enough, however, it is in this point exactly that we see one of Dark Souls II's small flaws.

    While the world is seamless and vast, you are allowed to 'quick travel' from bonfire to bonfire with no restrictions. This is a convenient service, and indeed might be considered necessary by many, but it detracts from the large world it helps you travel. One of the challenges of Dark Souls was trying to make your way out of a challenging area that you just conquered. In Dark Souls II this is not present, as you may simply use a bonfire to escape the area to safety.

    This removes some of the challenge from the game and can make the world seem smaller than it really is. While there is definitely a lot of exploration to be had in Dark Souls II, many players will probably not have a chance to see it all in favor of traveling from bonfire to bonfire to progress the game. With some restrictions set in place, such as requiring an item or souls to use the quick travel, there would be more incentive to travel large distances on foot and it is my hope that FromSoftware takes this to heart for the next installment.

    In true Demon's Souls style leveling your character has also changed. No longer do you level at any bonfire; you must now speak to a certain character every time you wish to level. While many will miss the ease of leveling at any bonfire, this system adds more to the world and makes you truly feel like you are getting stronger.

    The combat in Dark Souls II is an improvement over the first games and adds some much needed changes. Dual wielding in combat is viable in skilled hands, and archery finds itself more useful as well. Most of the controls have carried over, with some small variations (such as the 'dash jump'), making it easy to pick up and play the game if you have played any of the games before. However, combat is not without its annoyances.

    The addition of the 'Adaptability' statistic is an illustration of one of the new annoyances added in Dark Souls II. Raising your Adaptability stat increases some of your resistances but, more importantly, your Agility. Raising your Agility affects the 'speed' of your animations. What does this mean? If you have little Adaptability, and your agility is low, there will be a 'delay' between swinging an attack and your next action. This may not seem terribly bad at first, but if you are fighting more than one enemy and you attack one of them you may find yourself not having enough time to react to an attack from another. It makes fighting multiple enemies extremely frustrating as you have very little chances to attack with no fear of retaliation.

    Despite this small annoyance combat is fresh and fun and requires a great amount of skill to get the most out of. This is very noticeable in healing items, actually. The Estus Flask from Dark Souls has returned but a new addition is the Lifegem. Lifegems have much quicker animations than the Estus Flask but restore health over time, slowly, rather than all at once. This sounds simple at first, but requires a tactical mind to get the most out of. The difference between using an Estus Flask or a Lifegem is a matter of life and death.

    Lastly, Dark Souls II has an incredible sound track and sound effects. This is immediately noticeable on the Title Screen, boasting a very nice song. The ambient sounds as you travel as well really help set the mood and it is easy to get lost in the world. Each enemy is given life as they are all given sounds to completely fit their character.

    Overall, Dark Souls II is a worthy successor to the games before it. Indeed, its flaws are small enough that it might even trump them both.    … Expand
  30. Axlyss
    Mar 15, 2014
    9
    People complain too much yes you can make the enemies respawn after you kill them to much i want spoil it but you get the item 25-30% through the game.... Graphics are fine From soft doesn't have all the cash big devs do they cant create a new graphics engine or rent one and market the game with it. Your lucky you got a dark soul sequel. The game is fine with hit box errors (no worse thenPeople complain too much yes you can make the enemies respawn after you kill them to much i want spoil it but you get the item 25-30% through the game.... Graphics are fine From soft doesn't have all the cash big devs do they cant create a new graphics engine or rent one and market the game with it. Your lucky you got a dark soul sequel. The game is fine with hit box errors (no worse then the beginning of dark souls 1) Lore is good and graphics are stunning in some areas. NPCS are cool,

    The bosses are tad forgettable but so were Dark souls and Demon souls.. I've beat demon souls over 9 times and do not remember 80% of the bosses.. Graphics do not make a game i can still pop the legend of zelda majoras mask in and have a really fun time.    … Expand
  31. Feeder16
    Mar 19, 2014
    9
    Absolutely stunning game which is almost a continuation of the last game.

    I noticed a few people have mentioned the graphics, which do look a little worse than the previews. Possibly due to compression at the end of the development. That said if you are playing this game just for the graphics then you shouldn't bother as its all about the gameplay.
  32. bbaladoss
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    This game is an absolute masterpiece; both the environments and enemies are beautifully designed, and when combined create a dark, immersive game world. Yes, it is challenging, but the euphoria that you experience when you defeat a tough group of enemies or a boss is second to none in my opinion.
  33. Coradiation
    Mar 15, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls 2 has a strange vibe to it that you can only get while playing it yourself. It's world is so well designed. I love how the game doesn't drop you on a one way roller coaster with its ups and downs, you have all the theme park at your disposal, where you are even allowed to kill the ticket-seller dude (sorry, merchant NPCs:( ). Everybody say it is hard. But we should not justDark Souls 2 has a strange vibe to it that you can only get while playing it yourself. It's world is so well designed. I love how the game doesn't drop you on a one way roller coaster with its ups and downs, you have all the theme park at your disposal, where you are even allowed to kill the ticket-seller dude (sorry, merchant NPCs:( ). Everybody say it is hard. But we should not just compare its difficulty level to most other games. Its difficulty is fair. It forces you to learn from your mistakes, tinker new plans. Bosses all feel unique. Some are really scary. AI is really cool and working as intended imo. FromSoftware brilliantly implemented new mechanics above DS1 that works really nice. I love the MAxHp loss on death and the durability system. Each weapon offers a different gameplay and the game pushes to player to use new alternatives. Bonfires (resting points) really makes you feel safe and calm. It has tons of fun and creative online features.
    Overall, this game is absolutely incredible! Has tons of replayability. I hope they keep supporting it with new content.    … Expand
  34. DemigodChewtoy
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    The care that went into making this brilliant game is evident throughout your entire journey. You will find yourself in an atmospheric, open-world game with stories to tell, secrets to reveal, and a great challenge to offer. You create your character and then gradually shape him or her to your preferred play-style throughout your adventures. You can play alone, or summon other onlineThe care that went into making this brilliant game is evident throughout your entire journey. You will find yourself in an atmospheric, open-world game with stories to tell, secrets to reveal, and a great challenge to offer. You create your character and then gradually shape him or her to your preferred play-style throughout your adventures. You can play alone, or summon other online players temporarily for help. There is also a substantial amount of player-vs-player content to be found in many places within the world. There is oh so much to say about this game, but it is best to experience it for yourself... If you have never played a Souls game before, Dark Souls 2 is a great place to begin. If you have played Dark Souls or Demon's Souls that came before it, you already have this game.… Expand
  35. Sceptic
    Mar 19, 2014
    8
    I love it,but can't help but feel that some things are a little off...The hit detection animations seem mildly out-of-time and there seems to be little farming opportunities.PvP has become suddenly annoying and the HP reduction system is baffling.The worst new thing is the finite enemies and the less than seamless world.It's still great,just not as excellent as the others.
  36. TiTaToverteef
    Mar 19, 2014
    8
    I'll be honest - it's not what I expected. The game itself is solid and brilliant, but for some reason it feels like something is missing. I'm about 20 hours in now with a sorceror but so far the scenery feels a bit repetive (fewer open areas, more corridors and traps). Also, the freedom to explore is limited more as early-game bosses are absolutely required rather than optional. RatherI'll be honest - it's not what I expected. The game itself is solid and brilliant, but for some reason it feels like something is missing. I'm about 20 hours in now with a sorceror but so far the scenery feels a bit repetive (fewer open areas, more corridors and traps). Also, the freedom to explore is limited more as early-game bosses are absolutely required rather than optional. Rather than going the brawn way, I decided to try my luck at a sorceror. How I wish I hadn't. the only way for a sorceror to progress is by finding trainers to learn them new spells (alongside with leveling stats). New staves are almost nonexistent in the early-game, forcing you to keep using the starter staff. It feels wrong, as the other classes get an abundance of weapons. When you finally get to a mage trainer, you purchase a few spells that bring you back on par. It feels bland and boring to have so little variety in weapons while others get plenty. I honestly don't know what FS was thinking, but it makes me feel more like I'm grinding towards the next trainer / boss soul rather than looking in every nook for that potentially awesome weapon.… Expand
  37. Zulos
    Apr 12, 2014
    6
    This game... man i had high hopes for it to be legendary in comparison to Dark Souls 1 but it fell short in a few ways for the PvE aspect of the game. Many boss fights just were too easy with a Dexterity character which is pretty sad because straight up Dex and Strength builds **** blow in this game. There was very little epic music in this game, i loved the hell out of the soundtrack forThis game... man i had high hopes for it to be legendary in comparison to Dark Souls 1 but it fell short in a few ways for the PvE aspect of the game. Many boss fights just were too easy with a Dexterity character which is pretty sad because straight up Dex and Strength builds **** blow in this game. There was very little epic music in this game, i loved the hell out of the soundtrack for Dark Souls and especially Demon's Souls (with its amazing intro). I wont talk much about the PvE because it's not the real issue here, it's the PvP. The PvP only and when i say only i mean ONLY full of casters of all types that can all one-shot with the press of one button. I have not been parried once or guard-broke once because no one **** goes for them. With how one-sided the fights i get are i still manage to beat these buttholes using all these under-powered setups with my simple dual falchion, dual poison dagger, target shield, and shadow dagger build. I have 2500+ of play time on Dark Souls 1 and seeing how horrid the PvP is makes me want to vomit. This Dom **** created the "Mega mule" for Dark Souls 2 within 3 weeks after the game's release, completely ruining NG+ PvP. I invaded someone that used 10 divine blessings and any Dark Souls 1 veteran would know what is terrible about that, I was a dragon spirit that had the choice of healing but i didn't and only managed to kill him because i was an OP sorcerer build. Now for anyone who thinks magic is for **** or wimps i completely agree and i'm telling you that in Dark Souls 2 you will be killed 9/10 times with a Dex or Strength build, I have parried people **** loads of times in PvP but they go and chug their Sunny-D and then i get one-shotted by a spell, so GG From Software on ruining the PvP, I just hope someone out there still plays Dark Souls 1 because I can't stand this $60 turd.… Expand
  38. Evarin
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    I'd give the game a 9.5 if possible, but it's not so we ended up at a 10. The graphics are quite dated. Great for a PS3, sure, but compared to today's titles, it can take quite a while to get used to. That being said, if you love Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, this game delivers in spades. If you can somehow find the strength of will to hold off until the PC release, I would highly suggestI'd give the game a 9.5 if possible, but it's not so we ended up at a 10. The graphics are quite dated. Great for a PS3, sure, but compared to today's titles, it can take quite a while to get used to. That being said, if you love Demon's Souls or Dark Souls, this game delivers in spades. If you can somehow find the strength of will to hold off until the PC release, I would highly suggest doing so. This game equiped with high-end graphics should be counted among one of the best gaming experiences available.… Expand
  39. traskular
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    This is one of those games that will go down in history as a legacy and never die. It will be something you can play years from now and enjoy, not just some once and done waste of time game. With Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, Dark Souls II is one of the greatest games ever created.
  40. chris4ever04
    Mar 13, 2014
    9
    There's really nothing more to say other than you MUST play this game, its perfection... the only reason why it didn't get a 10 from me is because of the half life depletion I don't like it even though it makes the game harder it really takes away from the exploration.
  41. ArcaneJelly
    Mar 31, 2014
    6
    This game is a mixed bag for everyone. Some will say it's the swan song of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation, and others will give up just a few hours in. I played the first Dark Souls and I'm not afraid to say that the original is the better choice of the two. It all comes down to a few changes they made to keep it fresh.

    The responsiveness in Dark Souls 2 is way beyond most gaming    This game is a mixed bag for everyone. Some will say it's the swan song of the Xbox 360 and PS3 generation, and others will give up just a few hours in. I played the first Dark Souls and I'm not afraid to say that the original is the better choice of the two. It all comes down to a few changes they made to keep it fresh.

    The responsiveness in Dark Souls 2 is way beyond most gaming standards. Some of the tightest controls to come out with an RPG and the greatest feeling of achievement when finally taking down a boss. But I'm sorry to say that if you compare it to the original Dark Souls, you'll be quite surprised how it doesn't add up. The sequel should have the far superior combat, right? Sadly, this is not the case. Item usage is mostly sloppy, and hitboxes are mostly precise, but some bosses and enemies have absolutely awful hitboxes all around. I'm not sure if the enemies are meant to be fought that way, but in either cases is feels unfinished. Not to talk about the critically huge difficulty spikes that happens way to often. Especially the bosses are unforgiving and punishing, and most of them requires you to bring a partner to even have a chance. This is not how the series was meant to be played, and in my opinion is a flaw rather than a mechanic. Finally I would like to note that Dark Souls 2 takes the most annoying aspect of Dark Souls 1 and brings it to a whole new level... Ganging up enemies against you.

    So the combat is a step down. How about the rest of the game?

    The lore in Dark Souls 2 feels a tad bit incomplete. I never had a distinct feeling of the area's history whenever I'd discover it like I would in the original Dark Souls. And the world isn't as interconnected as it's older brother, and misses a feeling of mystery. Little to no characters has a story you feel a need to discover and some feels like they didn't even need to be in the game. Maybe if I felt like reading a lot i might get a slight idea of what their story is, but to be honest that feels out of place. To be honest, if they left most of the "lore" out, it wouldn't feel less incomplete. Missing information, boring and bland characters, and a world made of mediocrity. This game makes some MOBA lore feel like the greatest piece of art ever written. Someday i might just read all of the Dark Souls 2 lore on the internet and feel like it failed to deliver.

    hopefully the third installment of the series (Which I'm sure will happen at some point) will fix the mistakes and make a game that's just as good as the original. I can only hope.    … Expand
  42. Vandral007
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    This game nails everything dead on. Art design and atmosphere: perfect. Level of difficulty: perfect. Sound design: amazing. It's a quiet understated story, worth multiple playthroughs to piece together. This isn't only as good as Dark Souls, it's better in almost every conceivable way. You will die, you will curse, you will clench your controller in frustration, but you will neverThis game nails everything dead on. Art design and atmosphere: perfect. Level of difficulty: perfect. Sound design: amazing. It's a quiet understated story, worth multiple playthroughs to piece together. This isn't only as good as Dark Souls, it's better in almost every conceivable way. You will die, you will curse, you will clench your controller in frustration, but you will never forget your experience with this game. This is easily the best RPG I've played since Xenoblade Chronicles. Buy this game. Now.… Expand
  43. Saikron
    Mar 13, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls II might be my favorite of the 3 games. The UI is currently a little buggy, but it has seen some significant design improvements over the previous games.

    I feel like in many cases it tries and succeeds to mix the best of both worlds from Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Death is more punishing than ever, there is a stronger incentive to co-op, there are many more PvP covenants,    Dark Souls II might be my favorite of the 3 games. The UI is currently a little buggy, but it has seen some significant design improvements over the previous games.

    I feel like in many cases it tries and succeeds to mix the best of both worlds from Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. Death is more punishing than ever, there is a stronger incentive to co-op, there are many more PvP covenants, there is a sparring arena.

    On top of that the game has a ton of physics and graphics improvements over previous games. Some may not like the brighter, more pastel aesthetic, but it's a fact that the technical quality of the graphics has been bumped up a bit. The physics of the game have been improved by simplifying how smaller, more numerous objects interact and instead focusing on the physics of larger objects like barrels and characters. I like seeing my clothes react and pushing boxes/barrels around at 30fps a lot better than I like watching 4251098 pieces of wood and bodies spaz about at 10fps as sometimes happened in DS1.    … Expand
  44. Shuvo0o
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    I picked it up on day one and I gotta say that in my whole life, I have never played anything better than this game! However, it needs one improvement: graphics and lighting, whereas the demo (not beta) build on PS3 looked better than the retail build, which is disappointing. But still, at least it's better than its predecessor.
  45. SpyNanner
    Mar 13, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls II is a fantastic sequel. Everything is more polished and refined. The wonderful art direction, incredible enemy design, challenge and the great atmosphere make this game a must buy. This is not for the faint of heart however. You will die and the game requires patience. This doesn't mean it's for only the ''hardcore gamers'', no. It's for everyone to try out. You'll still haveDark Souls II is a fantastic sequel. Everything is more polished and refined. The wonderful art direction, incredible enemy design, challenge and the great atmosphere make this game a must buy. This is not for the faint of heart however. You will die and the game requires patience. This doesn't mean it's for only the ''hardcore gamers'', no. It's for everyone to try out. You'll still have a great experience, even if you somehow don't manage to finish the game up.

    Dark Souls II is visually stunning. The art style and varied environments keep the game feeling fresh. Even when you're ''stuck'' in a section of the game world for several hours even, you never feel like something is getting old. You constantly learn something new, whether it's a new attack pattern or a well hidden item.

    Just like it's predecessors, Dark Souls II is INCREDIBLY rewarding. Even for a Souls vet, like myself who's put around 2500 hours to both Demon's Souls and Dark Souls combined. You always feel like you're accomplishing something. No developer does it quite like From Software. Today's mainstream franchises feel like a waste of time compared to the Souls series. While, one might argue that the Souls games are mainstream now, with this being the third installment, it still haven't gotten old one bit. From always puts time, love and effort to their games to make sure they're polished and provide the best possible experience. Which probably is why the Souls series is my favorite of this past generation, and i'm sure other people think that as well.

    The gameplay is more or less the same. It's still the best combat system around only with some tweaks. Firstly, goodbye invincibility frames when rolling/dodging. This can make some of the first boss encounters feel a little odd, if you're coming from Dark Souls. You might say to yourselves ''THAT DIDN'T EVEN HIT ME!'' but trust me, it did hit you. The hit-boxes are really good in Dark Souls II. The parrying is a bit harder than in the first Dark Souls. It requires more timing and precision.

    The lore is still there to be find, even though the core story that you're playing through is explained to you by the various NPCs, the LORE is still there to be found and much speculation to be done.

    The boss fights are still incredible, although some of them feel a little too similar to each other, they're still very well designed and deliciously challenging. Here's a hoping for a Next Gen Souls release somewhere down the line. Just take your time From Software!

    9.5/10

    I rated it a 10 on the score because of the awfully stupid user score system. It's like you're allowing moronic troll children to determine what games people should play. The user score for the Xbox 360 version just keeps going down, it's like one person keeps making accounts to give Dark Souls II zeroes because they have nothing better to do with their life. If you want to see what people REALLY think about the game go see the Playstation 3 section. (unless you're already reading this there, then good for you.)    … Expand
  46. Rennn
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    An all around superior version of Dark Souls, on a new engine with shiny new graphics, improved gameplay, improved animations, improved polish, more stuff to do... There's just nothing to complain about, it's all epic.
  47. StllBreathnButY
    Mar 15, 2014
    7
    If it ain't broke don't fix it.

    That's the advice From Software ignored when making this game. Dark souls style may not appeal to a lot of people, but it was such a masterful game, damn near perfect. Dark souls 2 "refines" the experience with lots of changes to gameplay, balance issues, and lack of accessibility from the previous game. While playing DS2 it IS clear that From is on    If it ain't broke don't fix it.

    That's the advice From Software ignored when making this game. Dark souls style may not appeal to a lot of people, but it was such a masterful game, damn near perfect. Dark souls 2 "refines" the experience with lots of changes to gameplay, balance issues, and lack of accessibility from the previous game.

    While playing DS2 it IS clear that From is on top of every little detail about their game. The issues I have with this game are nothing that was overlooked, but rather, deliberate changes to the formula that almost completely ruin my enjoyment of the game. While they admirably address things from the previous game that seemed redundant or flawed, the changes they made create new problems in themselves.

    By far, the biggest issue with the game is the finite enemies. This is no doubt a measure that was implimented to stop people from grinding to get souls. After you kill an enemy a certain amount of times, they stop respawning. It seems like a glitch at first, until you notice the pattern. It feels like a slap in the face and goes against what the game is all about, to a degree. I legitimately killed enemies, died, respawned, and repeated, without making my way to the next bonfire. However, since I had killed the enemies enough times, they began disappearing, which made getting further easier, since there was much less in my way. I didn't feel like I earned it. The other issue with them disappearing is that I ended up losing lots of souls in the process. With enemies being finite, I now have to play every second of the game stressed out. If I lose some souls, those are souls I can NEVER earn back. So essentially you could run the risk of digging yourself into a huge hole that you can't get out of, forcing you to start over. This is a long game, having to start over is not fun at all. With finite enemies, this also complicates loot drops, a staple in RPGs. Now the loot is also finite. Farming titanite is a thing of the past. Now the decisions you make on upgrading your weapons are more stressful than ever, since it's not so simple to just go get more. DS1 kept the stress where it was fun, in the combat. I didn't have to fear that I was playing the game wrong and making things harder for myself hours down the line.

    Item durability has been expanded and tweaked. Weapons, armor, and now rings have durability and will break from overuse or damage. In DS1, items breaking was sort of a non issue, as they took a long time to break and were simple enough to fix, since the souls to do it were always around. This time, they break REALLY fast, and cost you precious finite souls to fix. Plus you must progress a bit to unlock the blacksmith who can provide the service. In the early go of it, I nearly was left with no useable weapons, since I couldn't buy any yet and had broken some.

    Some features of the game that aren't meant to be hidden are needlessly obtuse. It took me a while to see how to activate torches, and I still choose not to use them because they don't last long and are hard to come by. I had to look online to find that I had the ability to post messages the WHOLE time, I just wasn't able to do it because I wasn't in living form. I don't play in living form because I will most certainly get killed, as that is the nature of dark souls, and the item needed to become living is hard to come by, once again. I also didn't know how to level up for a while, unfortunately. I didn't like how it has to happen through some weird lady.

    Now, when you die, you lose a portion of your max health, up to 50%, until you use a finite item to revert back to living form. It's stupid, stressful, and a$$ backwards. You die, and the game gets harder?

    Combat feels more cheap this time. So often you'll find battles where you're pitted against a group of enemies, which is always challenging, no matter how "weak" they are. DS1 rarely made you fight more than one or two at a time, if you were patient enough, allowing you to concentrate on the fundamentals. The very beginning woods section of this game was full of these encounters and was enfuriating. This, coming from a guy who beat dark souls. I know how to play.

    The game was made "more accessible" by including fast travel between bonfires and has a supposedly easier world structure to get started in. First, getting started was not easy at all. Like I said, the woods, which is first, were unbelievably aggravating, since you barely have any gear, and you get swarmed all over. I can't imagine that to be more accessible to a newcomer. Second, fast travel, it's does have its perks. It saves lots of time, but the gameworld is built so sprawling and disjointed. Nothing like the masterful interconnected puzzle that DS1 was. Plus having to go to the main hub area to level up and such is annoying.

    On a good note, the frame rate in this game is Super smooth compared to DS 1. At its best, this game IS great. But not DS1 great.

    I could say more, no more room.    … Expand
  48. DrGreatJob
    Mar 11, 2014
    9
    Note: I have not finished this game, I have only played approximately 8 hours of it. I will do a brief list of pros and cons because it's really the easiest way to compare it to the first game. Pros: Combat is more interesting with more ways to counter attack and better magic systems, Enemy AI is improved (still not perfect, of course), immediately available fast travel, more encouragementNote: I have not finished this game, I have only played approximately 8 hours of it. I will do a brief list of pros and cons because it's really the easiest way to compare it to the first game. Pros: Combat is more interesting with more ways to counter attack and better magic systems, Enemy AI is improved (still not perfect, of course), immediately available fast travel, more encouragement for online play through the new humanity system, vastly improved covenants, better stats, more diverse and interesting environments (there are some seriously cool places). Cons: One single leveling location - such a time waster, sound design isn't as good... that's about it.

    So far it seems like a great game.    … Expand
  49. tombo
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    Praise the Soul games! The enigmatic ambience; the best sword and sorcery combat;
    the thrill of exploration and discovery; the INGENIOUS level design; the aid of companions
    when needed --- it's all back in this sublime, spellbinding sequel. Thanks, From Software.
  50. Headcrusher
    Mar 17, 2014
    10
    Get It - if you liked the previous games you'll like this one - your life will soon be over. Not just your game life but your home life too. Demons souls franchise rules my living room.
  51. asdasd33a
    Mar 29, 2014
    6
    for the game that features single hit death combat as main aspect it has way too many bugs and glitches. While Dark Souls 2 is a good game it has fallen far from the original Dark Souls and Demon Souls that featured close to flawless execution of all game mechanics.
    I can attest that after playing Demon Souls and Dark Souls that all of the deaths I have experienced in those games were    for the game that features single hit death combat as main aspect it has way too many bugs and glitches. While Dark Souls 2 is a good game it has fallen far from the original Dark Souls and Demon Souls that featured close to flawless execution of all game mechanics.
    I can attest that after playing Demon Souls and Dark Souls that all of the deaths I have experienced in those games were result of my bad input where as in Dark Souls 2 I constantly die due to some unknown practices that clearly should not be happening causing me much frustration.

    Here is a list of some bugs/glitches that I have encountered:
    1. dodging is not working properly when dodging just to get outside of hit range and successfully doing so hits still land while character is outside of hit range.
    2. enemy hit miss detection is very wonky. character gets hits while positioned directly behind enemy that is performing frontal attacks and gets still hit. like getting hit while trying to back stab spear man that is poking in the opposite direction.
    3. lock on. fighting multiple enemies and killing one and then getting killed because lock on would not auto target another enemy right in front of me on screen. (option is enabled)
    4. lock on. weapons swinging in the opposite direction or at angle instead of the target. causing miss. causing death. making some weapons unusable with lock on.
    5. enemies stuck in attack mode with infinite stamina and spam lock character in place till guard break and death.
    6. lingering damage after attack is over like steeping into clear air after dragon breath attack has ceased only to die.
    7. randomly respawning enemies without ever touching a bonfire.
    8. using ingame menu to quit the game and dying while that is happening result in character loss.

    Features that do not belong in souls series:
    1. areas featuring infinitely spawning enemies
    2. ledges with loot that cannot be exited without returning to bonfire by death or teleport
    3. jumping mechanics that constantly require to remove equipment to jump further
    4. dropping down makes character automatically roll resulting frequently in death
    5. low health characters build are punished by making some loot and some areas accessible only much later as fall damage is no longer percentage based and some puzzles require taking fire damage for extended periods of time.
    6. most of the boss battles are located in the rooms so small and bosses so large that it creates camera issues and leaves no space to strategically position causing death by constantly dodging into walls.
    7. a lot of boss battles now feature more than a single enemy that cheaply raises difficulty of the fight.
    8. boss rooms sometimes are riddled with edges that can be fallen to the death and other things that do not allow enough room for normal combat. half of the fight time is spent waiting for NPCs to reposition themselves so they can be safely engaged again. that completely destroys the flow of combat.
    9. some enemies/areas seem to require ranged combat only approach
    what I want to underline is that game features a lot of easy bosses made hard through cheap gimmicks

    Overall it would be a good game if it wasn't carrying on the legacy of previous two titles which featured close to perfect gameplay. Dark Souls 2 fails to achieve that perfection and thus disappoints me greatly.    … Expand
  52. Pyro3000
    Mar 16, 2014
    10
    It's good to see Dark Souls II return to it's roots and incorporate more of the atmosphere from Demon's Souls. Hands down the best in the series and the leveling system makes it so you can't just stack endurance to get the best melee build. A definite improvement, and less forgiving right at the start.
  53. JudgeMathew
    May 24, 2014
    5
    The change of staff for Dark Souls II and the idea of allowing the series to become more "accessible" for a larger audience has caused Dark Souls II to be an absolute mess. The original Dark Souls was also a mess, though for subjective reasons, things which I didn't enjoy about the game. The mess that Dark Souls II happens to be, it's a mess caused by bad programming, contradicting story,The change of staff for Dark Souls II and the idea of allowing the series to become more "accessible" for a larger audience has caused Dark Souls II to be an absolute mess. The original Dark Souls was also a mess, though for subjective reasons, things which I didn't enjoy about the game. The mess that Dark Souls II happens to be, it's a mess caused by bad programming, contradicting story, and idiotic decisions for the online play. Dark Souls II does have something going for it, though...and that's the music. Everything was rushed and made horribly for an overall disappointing and unsatisfying experience.… Expand
  54. SGT_HAM
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    Its just Dark Souls II. what do I need to say?. it brings everything NEW to the table. game is awesome. MP is better than last. less lag. but still some. I can't ask for more than this. this is the first time I've pre-ordered a game. and Its worth it. Praise the Sun! this is a review by someone who played the first Dark Souls 250 hours. and both of them are the closest RPG game to perfect.
  55. darkslayer101
    Mar 19, 2014
    10
    The game lives up to hype of the first game and is truly a spectacular experience. It is more of a combination of its past games, Demon and Dark Souls. I have heard many reviewers say that the game is the most difficult of the souls game, but that is simply not true. As great as DkSII is, I thought it to be much easier than the other souls games.

    I went with a melee build, and after the    The game lives up to hype of the first game and is truly a spectacular experience. It is more of a combination of its past games, Demon and Dark Souls. I have heard many reviewers say that the game is the most difficult of the souls game, but that is simply not true. As great as DkSII is, I thought it to be much easier than the other souls games.

    I went with a melee build, and after the first 7hrs, every bosses and enemies were falling like dominoes. I expect sorcery builds to have a much easier, albeit longer, time to finish the main story. I managed to even finish the game at 40hrs and I remember DkSI taking me at least 60hrs. The game, even with HP decreasing per death penalty, is far less punishing than the other souls games since there is a bonfire in every corner, and a certain ring offsets the HP decreasing penalty.

    I do like that the bosses are much more skill and precision based than in DkS1, where most of the time in the first one I either tanked the boss or the boss turned out to be gimmick based fight not relying on skill. The enemies are much more balanced and the hitboxes seems a little fixed.

    I think most people find DkSII harder because A) they haven't played a souls game in a long time B) this is their first souls game.
    I strongly recommend someone new to the series to play the first one, and after completing it, DkSII feels like a vacation.    … Expand
  56. Brunoalvesgsml
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    O jogo é excelente, manteve muitas caraterísticas extremamente boas das versões anteriores e inseriram melhores texturas e itens novos. Quanto a dificuldade está bem balanceada, poderia até estar mais dificil, mas está ok.
  57. DrChocolate
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Sensational. Just sensational. An enormous game of earned triumph. The lore is fantastic, the world is eery and terrifying, the enemies are repulsive and ingenious, the gameplay is crushing and rewarding. A grand mix of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls together in a game that is certainly the best in the series.
  58. Weeblwub
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    This is one of the best games I have played in a very long time. The pacing is great, environments gorgeous, the replayability is fantastic due to multiple play-styles being viable, the soundtrack fills your heart with dread as you stare at the next monstrosity in your way, the gameplay is solid, and most importantly the controls are superb. I don't want to spoil anything so I will stopThis is one of the best games I have played in a very long time. The pacing is great, environments gorgeous, the replayability is fantastic due to multiple play-styles being viable, the soundtrack fills your heart with dread as you stare at the next monstrosity in your way, the gameplay is solid, and most importantly the controls are superb. I don't want to spoil anything so I will stop here. To the new players, do yourself a favor and pick this game up. And if you are a fan of the Souls series, why are you even reading my review? Go play the game because you undoubtedly own it already!… Expand
  59. eclipse
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    What can i say...it was well worth the wait... graphics upgrade, technical combat system, a mysterious tale, very minimal guidance....and yes....a million deaths...a must buy for anyone who desires the sleepless nights that come along with it...10/10 i say.
  60. omranooo
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Dark souls 1 Kicked my butt so hard that i left it for almost a year, but then i played it again for the sake of just knowing how it ends, It was Amazing, i played it for 3 more new game+++, but it had it lacks, but this game, This game is PERFECT! You can Finally Use Dual Swords effectively, Range Weapons Actually works for both PVP and PVE! Bosses are great, But its no where being Easy,Dark souls 1 Kicked my butt so hard that i left it for almost a year, but then i played it again for the sake of just knowing how it ends, It was Amazing, i played it for 3 more new game+++, but it had it lacks, but this game, This game is PERFECT! You can Finally Use Dual Swords effectively, Range Weapons Actually works for both PVP and PVE! Bosses are great, But its no where being Easy, this game will not hold your hands, the moment you Create Your Character, you have your Freedom. Dark souls 1 was 3.9 GB, and this game is Almost 12 Gb on the PC, 12 GB of content that is!… Expand
  61. jeffreycallahan
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    Picture a perfect game in your head...oh wait you don't have to it's called Dark Souls II and you should get a copy for PS3, XBOX, or PC. ALL HAIL FROMSOFTWARE. PRAISE THE SUN.
  62. Whoami
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    I like to play this game naked and I cut myself and put salt in my wounds... That is truly the way to play the souls series... I also hacked the game already so it would allow me to use my invention my shock therapy device, so every time I die in Dark souls I get an electric shock... It was the only way I learn...When I beat a boss I have been on for a long time, I celebrate by rubbingI like to play this game naked and I cut myself and put salt in my wounds... That is truly the way to play the souls series... I also hacked the game already so it would allow me to use my invention my shock therapy device, so every time I die in Dark souls I get an electric shock... It was the only way I learn...When I beat a boss I have been on for a long time, I celebrate by rubbing peanut butter on my nipples and then I punch myself in the face. So all you guys saying you are true dark souls players......ya right.... Play it with shock therapy while having your nutts in a vice... I think I'm the true fan here, I lost one of my nutts to Demon souls, don't worry I keep it in my tackle box... Rated T… Expand
  63. SpaceyCasey
    Apr 6, 2014
    10
    This epic sequel offers more content than ever before, and the unique multilayer mechanics are truly working for the first time in the series.

    Pros: Melee is balanced with hundreds of viable weapon choices, simplified upgrading and crisp mechanics. Magic has 4 different paths with more options than ever before. Endless hours of fun PvP. Awesome enemy/boss design. Easiest Co-Op in the    This epic sequel offers more content than ever before, and the unique multilayer mechanics are truly working for the first time in the series.

    Pros: Melee is balanced with hundreds of viable weapon choices, simplified upgrading and crisp mechanics. Magic has 4 different paths with more options than ever before. Endless hours of fun PvP. Awesome enemy/boss design. Easiest Co-Op in the series. Great incentives for assisting other players. Many options for making the game harder if you find it too easy. Built from the ground up for re-playability with new traps, gear and enemies exclusively to NG+.

    Cons: The graphics were downgraded (but are still beautiful - for old consoles), hard skill caps mean you'll be wasting your points if you don't know what you're doing. Some lag in PvP. Voice acting is hit or miss. The music took a turn from the first two which effects the "souls" feel. Nearly absent rumble controls. The "soul memory" system frustrates many friends trying to co-op.

    - Lore is even more hidden than DS1, but there DEFINITELY IS a lot there, and there will be deep lore conversations to come.

    - Nearly all of the information online and even in guides is false, misleading or inaccurate. You truly know nothing about anything until you do it yourself. If you hear an item or build is overpowered, broken or useless - your personal findings are likely to be much different and more complex than what you had read. Therese just too much going on, too many variables. Even gameplay videos are misleading.

    - While the complexity may turn some casual gamers away, complexity leads to longevity for those who can't get enough of this game.

    After two 100-hour play-throughs, I'm trying very hard not to play my third character in anticipation for the PC release.    … Expand
  64. kirkkh
    Jul 8, 2014
    4
    Not a Souls game, very easy, caters to watered down PVP. Magic is overpowered, shields are useless, melee weapons pointless, parries have no consistency. And, unlimited health potions (life gems). RIP souls. (and no it isn't a good game just for merit, that's like praising the Star Wars prequals).
  65. Leftovers
    Mar 17, 2014
    9
    First just want to say I gave the game a 9 out of 10 for the simple fact nothing should get a ten. Always something you can find wrong. This game i would say its the graphics are the only thing wrong with is game. The fighting system is not really better then the first Dark Souls but it is different in a way that makes if challenging for season vets to the game, but not to difficult forFirst just want to say I gave the game a 9 out of 10 for the simple fact nothing should get a ten. Always something you can find wrong. This game i would say its the graphics are the only thing wrong with is game. The fighting system is not really better then the first Dark Souls but it is different in a way that makes if challenging for season vets to the game, but not to difficult for new comers. The game still has its hardcore stat management that I personalty love. The huge open world of the game also is fun to explore. You never know what or who you might find on the other side of a waterfall or cliff. Plus NBG added a fast travel right at the beginning of the game. The death counter in the early parts of this game was a great touch.This is quickly become my favorite game franchise to-date. I encourage you to attempted this game if you like great action rpg. You will not be disappointed, just don't give up and remember count on death.… Expand
  66. Framar123
    Mar 23, 2014
    10
    This game is simply amazing, it is probably the best game I have played so far in 2014! I had so much fun playing it I even forgot from time to time I was even playing. You get so emerged into this world of epic monsters and big challenging bosses. If you liked the first Dark souls and demon souls you will definitely love this game. That being said if you did not enjoy the previous soulThis game is simply amazing, it is probably the best game I have played so far in 2014! I had so much fun playing it I even forgot from time to time I was even playing. You get so emerged into this world of epic monsters and big challenging bosses. If you liked the first Dark souls and demon souls you will definitely love this game. That being said if you did not enjoy the previous soul games you will not like this one either as the game-play is almost the same and the bosses can seem pretty similar and the difficulty level is definitely there. I really hope most of you guys out there pick this up, would be a shame to miss out on this game.… Expand
  67. iwatanana
    Mar 20, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great multiplayer, excellent challenge for the hardcore gamers, and more makes this a perfect sequel to the original. The only complaint I have with this game is a certain death penalty encountered in the game that decreases your max HP every time you die. Well this is avoidable, it is difficult to do so, and will get annoying. But it is a minor problem, and the good points of this game greatly makes up for the bad. A great game, and here's hoping for more!… Expand
  68. Lobo_War_D
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    Do I really need to say why this game is **** AWESOME?! Ok. Good graphics, great gameplay, great dialogues and, of course, hard as ****
    I think Dark Souls II is a great name for Best 2014 RPG or maybe even GOTY
  69. SpongyTwinkies
    Apr 25, 2014
    7
    There is nothing memorable about this title. The worlds and characters that intrigued me in the first two games, Demon's and Dark Souls, are flat and uninteresting in Dark Souls 2. While some fans are still saying "Praise the sun!," a reference to Solaire of Astora from the previous Souls title, you probably won't hear anything being repeated for characters in this title. This game playsThere is nothing memorable about this title. The worlds and characters that intrigued me in the first two games, Demon's and Dark Souls, are flat and uninteresting in Dark Souls 2. While some fans are still saying "Praise the sun!," a reference to Solaire of Astora from the previous Souls title, you probably won't hear anything being repeated for characters in this title. This game plays more like devolved fan fiction, rather than trying to stand on it's own as an interesting new world.

    There are plenty of other problems with this title: Lazy level design, illogical item progression, boring bosses (some that are nearly cut and paste from the previous Souls game), a story that really can't stand on it's own, and many other issues.

    The game is okay for a short while, but after three builds and one NG+, I called it quits with Dark Souls 2. I'm back to playing the first two games.    … Expand
  70. PaulCharles
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    Bought a PS3 for the 2nd or 3rd time just to play this game. Demon Souls and Dark Souls are probably my favorite games of all time and I've played games since 1989. Incredibly difficult, but extremely rewarding. Highly recommend to anyone that has half a brain.
  71. JanteB
    Nov 4, 2014
    4
    Don*`t be fooled by the title. Dark Souls 2 is not in the same league as Demon Souls or Dark Souls 1 – it`s no longer a game of dark beauty and finesse – but rather a wannabe sequel that doesn`t really get the essence of the former games.
    In Demon and Dark Souls you were never really stuck, as you could always farm more souls and eventually become strong enough to bruteforce your way    Don*`t be fooled by the title. Dark Souls 2 is not in the same league as Demon Souls or Dark Souls 1 – it`s no longer a game of dark beauty and finesse – but rather a wannabe sequel that doesn`t really get the essence of the former games.
    In Demon and Dark Souls you were never really stuck, as you could always farm more souls and eventually become strong enough to bruteforce your way through. You didn`t have to do it that way, you could clear it with skill or use a combination – the important bit here though– it was up to you. Unfortunately the developers decided to change that, so you can only “farm” monsters for a set number of turns – then they disappear, unless you make the game harder ofc. Unlike the former games where you`d progress a little bit every time and eventually beat the level - Dark Souls 2 robs you of that “triumph” or “revenge kill” – because – reasons.
    The lock on is worse than ever and if you`re a magic user, the range is set to whatever gets your opponent within striking range, so sometimes it`s 5 meters, other time`s it`s longer or shorter – what a joke.
    The game seems obsessed with your demise, so much so there`s even a monument that displays the numbers of deaths you`ve suffered so far. If you die a lot, then that`s good – right. If you die twice as much as Demon souls, then this game is twice as good – right? The combat is also severely unbalanced. You either destroy the enemy without a scratch or you`re likely dead – There´s no middle ground in this game. Dark Souls 2 desperately wants to be as cool as the former games, but doesn`t understand what made the former games modern classics.
    You`ve been warned.    … Expand
  72. discountmusket
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    One of the few games I'd call truly perfect.

    Incredible, beautiful dark atmosphere and visuals, haunting music, pitch-perfect voice acting, mysterious hints of a grand and terrible story given through small hints in everything from bodies on the ground to key descriptions. All of this is layered on top of the most polished, punishing, and ultimately rewarding combat system I've ever    One of the few games I'd call truly perfect.

    Incredible, beautiful dark atmosphere and visuals, haunting music, pitch-perfect voice acting, mysterious hints of a grand and terrible story given through small hints in everything from bodies on the ground to key descriptions.

    All of this is layered on top of the most polished, punishing, and ultimately rewarding combat system I've ever played on.

    This is a game of the year. A game of the decade. A fitting send-off to a generation of gaming.

    Prepare to die.    … Expand
  73. MikeMenkes
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    Prettier, smoother, tougher, more complex than ever. Dark Souls 2 never holds your hand. Co-op is working great. Jaw dropping experience. I died at least 50 times the first day.
  74. chelonia
    Mar 12, 2014
    10
    There still isn't a single next gen game worth playing, and with games like Dark Souls II, last gen is far from dead. Dark Souls II is just as good as it's predecessors Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, combining various gameplay aspects of each. If you haven't played a Souls game, what are you doing with your life?
  75. Alidengote
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    I LOVE THIS GAME from the bottom of my ass. It's the best game i have ever played i just love it the engine just stuns me. I give it 10/10 of the story and the amazing graphic!

    My wore may game - Alidengote 2014
  76. bloo120
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    This game is truly one of a kind. Everything from the gameplay to the atmosphere feels like a genuine RPG. Most of all this game makes you feel like a badass who has gone through a lot of s*** to earn his title.
  77. Yalingo
    Mar 13, 2014
    8
    Fromsoft have done it again! Dark Souls 2 is the game we were all hoping for. Brilliant.

    One of the changes I did notice more so than others, was my character is a lot slower to start off with. Slow to react, slow to recover and just generally sluggish all round. Took me a while to get used to and twitch reactions weren't coming into play as much as planning out my movements in advance.    Fromsoft have done it again! Dark Souls 2 is the game we were all hoping for. Brilliant.

    One of the changes I did notice more so than others, was my character is a lot slower to start off with. Slow to react, slow to recover and just generally sluggish all round. Took me a while to get used to and twitch reactions weren't coming into play as much as planning out my movements in advance.

    Frame rate still drops on my old PS3 in certain areas, but I do plan on switching to PC once it's out.    … Expand
  78. smagous
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    I never played something that had save points this difficult. Graphics are the best of this generation, gameplay and history are flawless. If you liked the first one this is a must buy!
  79. killdrphil
    Mar 13, 2014
    9
    This game (just like the last two in the series) is either going to be loved dearly or hated passionately. Obviously, the people who lack ambition, determination, persistence, patience, and ingenuity are the ones who are most likely to hate it passionately. So, basically, most of the people who have played this game and then given it a low score are losers. While, the ones who love itThis game (just like the last two in the series) is either going to be loved dearly or hated passionately. Obviously, the people who lack ambition, determination, persistence, patience, and ingenuity are the ones who are most likely to hate it passionately. So, basically, most of the people who have played this game and then given it a low score are losers. While, the ones who love it dearly are winners. The game itself, really can't be faulted very much if you like RPGs. It's obviously wonderfully crafted and extremely well done.… Expand
  80. crs
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    I am so glad I didn't sell my PS3 upon getting a PS4 as its worth owning a PS3 just to play Dark Souls 2.

    If you didn't like Dark Souls it wont convert you but If you liked Dark Souls you will love it. Granted its a bit more accessible than the first game with finite re-spawns but you can use this to your advantage to build up your character very easily. When in Dark Souls I found    I am so glad I didn't sell my PS3 upon getting a PS4 as its worth owning a PS3 just to play Dark Souls 2.

    If you didn't like Dark Souls it wont convert you but If you liked Dark Souls you will love it.

    Granted its a bit more accessible than the first game with finite re-spawns but you can use this to your advantage to build up your character very easily.

    When in Dark Souls I found my character needed to upgrade by 25 levels this took a month but in Dark Souls 2 I was able to get to the required level in a mere day by using finite re-spawns at a certain point.

    People complain about the graphics not being as good as they were shown, get over it the game-play is good and that's all that matters.

    Whats the point of having a game that looks beautiful and plays like a piece of rubbish.

    If you love Dark Souls buy it and Prepare to Die!!!    … Expand
  81. Jakallov3
    Mar 17, 2014
    9
    Visuals: 8
    First thing you will notice is that the visuals look great, and it now runs at a solid 30fps, and sometimes more in areas that don't have much going on (Caves for example). Models and animations got improved a lot, remember when you pressed random in Dark Souls and Demon Souls and your character looked like an alien? not anymore, although some faces may look a bit awkward, but    Visuals: 8
    First thing you will notice is that the visuals look great, and it now runs at a solid 30fps, and sometimes more in areas that don't have much going on (Caves for example). Models and animations got improved a lot, remember when you pressed random in Dark Souls and Demon Souls and your character looked like an alien? not anymore, although some faces may look a bit awkward, but it still looks great (I would've liked a bit more options on customization but that's just my opinion.)

    Sound: 9
    Some of the sounds from Dark Souls are still present (bonfire, entering a new area, etc.) and for me its great to hear those familiar sounds back. The soundtrack is what shines in DS2, great music and each soundtrack is unique (loved the one from the Flexile Sentry and the Old Dragonslayer).

    Gameplay: 8
    Having over 400 hours in DS1 and 200 on DS, the game feels completely fresh, but at the same time the formula stays the same. Combat in DS2 is now a bit slower, but more fluid and makes me want more and more! Controls stay the same, which is great, no big change there.The leveling system is now different and more balanced, want to max out endurance and carry Hovel's and roll around with infinite stamina? nope! It is now more complex than the last two games (Maiden in Black memories anyone?). The dying penalty is now painful, is a bit annoying and makes me yell at the screen every time I die, but reminds me how bad it is to die and play more carefully instead of just sprinting through the whole level. However I feel that magic is a bit more OP than in previous games, especially in PvP. Multiplayer seems a bit broken when it comes to matchmaking in PvP, but these don't kill the experience.

    Lore: 9
    Again, DS does not make its storyline very obvious, is mysterious, making me think what is happening, exploring, reading item descriptions and talking to the different characters is key to understand what's going on.    … Expand
  82. Gitgud
    Mar 11, 2014
    9
    I was apprehensive, how come Namco pull it off 3 times in a row? They did.

    One or two areas look pretty poor and unimaginative, but the gameplay makes them interesting. The rest of the game looks amazing, and will look even better on PC.
  83. sergiovassari
    Apr 23, 2014
    3
    False Advertising!
    Im not a graphic whore but From Software has marketed the game with lighting being a major graphical improvement. Torches have been hyped up to be a new and impactful mechanic of the game, but the release version has lost a lot of the immersive experience and it is a lot easier to see the path ahead and enemies on it.
    This no other than false advertising. If they had    False Advertising!
    Im not a graphic whore but From Software has marketed the game with lighting being a major graphical improvement. Torches have been hyped up to be a new and impactful mechanic of the game, but the release version has lost a lot of the immersive experience and it is a lot easier to see the path ahead and enemies on it.
    This no other than false advertising. If they had to cut corners to improve the FPS requirement for the consoles, they should have been humble and released an official statement about it before release. Not doing so is misleading to their customers and especially for those that pre-ordered the game under the impression that their new next-gen lighting engine would be a part of the game as previously demonstrated.    … Expand
  84. dominionator
    May 14, 2014
    10
    The TRUE GAMERS GAME. Not for gamers that are NOT true gamers. I love the idea that if you want to find out who is a true gamer and who is not amongst your friends and co workers, this is the game to seperate the fake from the real, the boys from the girls. Fight or flight,
  85. MrFlankster
    Apr 7, 2014
    10
    If you even remotely liked either Demon Souls of Dark Souls, then this is a definite purchase. There is so much here to be had for $60. After "The Last of Us," I wasn't sure there would be another game worthy of a "10" rating... at least not on the PS3 or last gen consoles. This game is so incredibly difficult, but so satisfying when you triumph over an enemy that you attempted to kill 30If you even remotely liked either Demon Souls of Dark Souls, then this is a definite purchase. There is so much here to be had for $60. After "The Last of Us," I wasn't sure there would be another game worthy of a "10" rating... at least not on the PS3 or last gen consoles. This game is so incredibly difficult, but so satisfying when you triumph over an enemy that you attempted to kill 30 times before it. This is a true RPG. The great thing about this series, is that you can go back and play and replay the first Dark Souls and Demon Souls and still have that feeling of accomplishment. If you are an impatient gamer, then this game will temper you. Other game's difficulties are laughable at this point. This is the only RPG that truly makes you think about when and how to upgrade certain character statistics. Prepare to die... MORE. You have to love this game!… Expand
  86. PuckMan
    Apr 14, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls 2 is just like Dark Souls except bigger. Certain aspects like covenants and humanity have been simplified to make them easier to understand and the game is generally more user friendly in it's design choices yet it still retains it's brutal difficulty and air of mystique.

    The graphics are slightly compromised on ageing hardware but thankfully From Software made the right    Dark Souls 2 is just like Dark Souls except bigger. Certain aspects like covenants and humanity have been simplified to make them easier to understand and the game is generally more user friendly in it's design choices yet it still retains it's brutal difficulty and air of mystique.

    The graphics are slightly compromised on ageing hardware but thankfully From Software made the right decision to sacrifice detail for frame rate to ensure the game handles smoothly even if the lighting isn't perfect, boo hoo (sarcasm).

    Dark Souls 2 is not a perfect game, I could write a list as long as my arm about it's flaws (which are many but most relatively minor). Hell, it's not even a fair game. But that's sort of the point. It's the challenge and satisfaction of overcoming seemingly impossible odds to win. Even the cheapest of victories will have you punching the air in celebration.

    What it is though is an epic adventure which took me 80 hours to complete and I still don't feel as if I've scratched the surface. It's the best action RPG I've ever played. And although it may never win 200 game of the year awards it just might be the best game ever (so far).    … Expand
  87. Jawapaw
    Mar 25, 2014
    10
    This sequel, of Dark Souls & Demon Souls is many times better than it's predecessors. Not only is it larger and more immersive, than the two previous games; it's much more user friendly. This game introduces fast travel, despawning of enemies and much more weapons. I would recommend you play this game whether you're played the previous 2 games of not, this game is a masterpiece and reallyThis sequel, of Dark Souls & Demon Souls is many times better than it's predecessors. Not only is it larger and more immersive, than the two previous games; it's much more user friendly. This game introduces fast travel, despawning of enemies and much more weapons. I would recommend you play this game whether you're played the previous 2 games of not, this game is a masterpiece and really should be under your radar.… Expand
  88. kiwijman
    Mar 14, 2014
    9
    I really like this game but i feel like it could've been better if the old director had stayed. still worth playing though especially if you liked the first like me
  89. NkayD
    Apr 22, 2014
    9
    There's no real way to describe this game. Sure, I could tell you that it's amazingly rewarding and deserves every single award it gets. I could tell you to give this game a chance because it's an amazing in-depth rpg that doesn't lose sight of what it's goals are. But truth is, Dark Souls 2 isn't like other RPGs, in fact, calling that is an injustice. Dark souls 2 finds a perfect lineThere's no real way to describe this game. Sure, I could tell you that it's amazingly rewarding and deserves every single award it gets. I could tell you to give this game a chance because it's an amazing in-depth rpg that doesn't lose sight of what it's goals are. But truth is, Dark Souls 2 isn't like other RPGs, in fact, calling that is an injustice. Dark souls 2 finds a perfect line between "barely scratching the surface," and "way too in-depth, maybe I should give up." It has a structured learning curve, and honestly, anyone could pick it up and understand exactly what is happening. It keeps everything simple, it has fantasy elements, there's no doubt, but it doesn't take it over the top creating it's own languages and having back stories and characters that need introductions and full books. Instead, the character don't really matter. You are the character, and your story is waiting. Go ahead, stumble, but learn from your mistakes and appreciate this game like I do.… Expand
  90. lordserpentus
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    aside from it being last gen, its game play and enemy ai is fantastic, i find the game awesome beyond my expectation , keep up the good work from, and as a suggestion you should remake the king field games with the dark souls engine that would be epic!!!
  91. KazuhiraMiller
    Apr 28, 2014
    9
    This game is difficult, hell, maybe even too difficult-IF you don't enjoy a decent challenge. If you have the brain the size of a pea and the courage of a lemming, quit while your ahead. This game will break your balls like your mother broke those eggs over the bowl when she made you eggs in the morning. You will die countless, countless, countless times and you will be filled with a bloodThis game is difficult, hell, maybe even too difficult-IF you don't enjoy a decent challenge. If you have the brain the size of a pea and the courage of a lemming, quit while your ahead. This game will break your balls like your mother broke those eggs over the bowl when she made you eggs in the morning. You will die countless, countless, countless times and you will be filled with a blood boiling rage that will spill out into your social life. You will lash out at your friends and family due your anger at the game, which can alienate you from life itself from the beginning! If your going to play this game, then I suggest becoming so sick that no one will want to be near you for at-least a week in a half(which is how long it took me to beat the game purposefully trying to speed through it) When you have achieved that, then prepare yourself for an incredibly rocky ride filled with loss, anger, depression, feelings of a overwhelming need to sob and a need to crawl up into a ball in the corner. However, be prepared for the INCREDIBLY OVERWHELMING sense of accomplishment and pride for when you conquer that boss fight, or that corridor your trapped in, ect. If you are willing to undertake this challenge, then this game is for you. If not, then avoid the game like the plague.… Expand
  92. Incanatrix
    Mar 22, 2014
    10
    As a veteran Demon's/Dark Souls player, I have to say that this sequel did not disappoint. despite the change of the game director. The game feels like a perfect mixture of both Demon's and Dark Souls 1, with many improvements and interesting new features. The summoning and invading system has been greatly improved from previous games, now it is a lot easier to do both without running intoAs a veteran Demon's/Dark Souls player, I have to say that this sequel did not disappoint. despite the change of the game director. The game feels like a perfect mixture of both Demon's and Dark Souls 1, with many improvements and interesting new features. The summoning and invading system has been greatly improved from previous games, now it is a lot easier to do both without running into errors. The boss fights still feel as epic as ever, in both challenge and atmosphere, and the overall atmosphere is surely that of the Soul's series. I would normally have rated this game a 9 or 9.5 but since I love the Soul's series at a whole I have to give it a 10.… Expand
  93. Gravus
    Mar 31, 2014
    10
    Well the graphics may not have survived but the gameplay and design is still as brutal and fulfilling as it has ever been!!! A few tweaks have been made to the original DS formula to make things less frustrating for players but don't think that means this game is any easier than it's predecessor or spiritual Grandfather. Smoother frame rate, tighter controls, and a more thoughtfullyWell the graphics may not have survived but the gameplay and design is still as brutal and fulfilling as it has ever been!!! A few tweaks have been made to the original DS formula to make things less frustrating for players but don't think that means this game is any easier than it's predecessor or spiritual Grandfather. Smoother frame rate, tighter controls, and a more thoughtfully planned out environment all help this game run circles around DS 1. But if you liked the first game then you know all this stuff already by now I am sure.

    For anyone who is keeps **** about the graphics, get out because your **** is tired. PC owners might have a stake in this fight, but anyone who thought the game originally shown could have run on a 7 year old console that barely ran Blight Town is an outright imbecile. What, you never witnessed a company rely on a target render video for promotion? Are you people new or what? Target videos have annoyed us since 3D graphics were brought to the gaming table. Get over yourselves.

    Lastly, this is not a co-op game. You will not be running around killing everything in sight with your friends. You will not be saving your besty at the last minute in some hail mary during a mid game boss fight. You won't be trading gear and swapping hair accessories around the bonfire as you and your BFF giggle about how easy Old Knights are. This game is about one persons painful and long quest to beat a bunch of enormous creatures in the face with blunt or pointy objects. If you want to go kill a bunch of stuff with your buddies, go play Borderlands. If you want everything explained to you every step of the way and have your hand held, go play Fable. If you wanted a massive convoluted story to frame your gameplay, go pick up Final Fantasy part, whatever. If you are a gamer that wants to test the limits of their skill and endurance, play Dark Souls.

    To the Negs. The graphics down grade didn't effect the gameplay so obviously if you are concerned with the look of a game over the fun then you shouldn't be playing video games. They make Michael Bay films for you people to drool over. And to the people complaining about the vagueness, difficulty, and lack of co-op in the game; did you even play part 1 or do any research whatsoever into the game. Because all those things you are **** about are the same strengths that series fans cant get enough of. So no, the game didn't waste your 60 bucks. You did it to yourself for jumping on a band wagon before knowing what it was all about. Go find a RedBox next time you aren't completely certain that you must play a game and keep your sour grapes to yourselves.    … Expand
  94. Soulen
    Apr 6, 2014
    9
    If Dark Souls 2 seems easier. Its because you have gotten really good at Dark Souls 1. You understand how to win and you understand that death is part of the experience that makes victory all the more sweeter. The inclusion of soul vessels makes playing with builds on your first play through a deeper experience. And as you start new games or continue with new game plus you know how toIf Dark Souls 2 seems easier. Its because you have gotten really good at Dark Souls 1. You understand how to win and you understand that death is part of the experience that makes victory all the more sweeter. The inclusion of soul vessels makes playing with builds on your first play through a deeper experience. And as you start new games or continue with new game plus you know how to build your character according to your play style. In this regard the game can become easier because you become more powerful both through stats and your understanding of enemy patterns, However there are ways to keep the difficulty up. Bonfire aesthetics when used make the enemies in the area more difficult by turning it into essentially a new game plus and it stacks. I for example made a certain area new game plus lv 4 on my first play through. There is also a covenant that makes the entire game harder by increasing enemy HP and attack strength the covenant also removes summoning signs so you will have to kill bosses solo :). The rewards are awesome for this covenant .

    If you loved Dark Souls 1 there is no reason why Dark Souls would be a disappointment. It is essentially the same game but with more content and new play style approaches. The difficulty is player controlled once you master its initial difficulty.

    For new comers this game will be tough but not as seemingly impossible as the first.This is due to the fast bonfire traveling and the co-op covenants which make dealing with bosses, player invasions and clearing tough areas easier. The story is pieced together via npc scripts and the lore found on items. the world and items tells you the story, it inst presented to you directly. So if you approach this as a hack and slash action rpg that feeds you story line through a friendly and animated world you wont enjoy the experience. Because there is a overwhelming sense of despair leading on to nihilism that blankets the game from start to finish. Getting through it and uncovering the games secrets requires commitment and perseverance that ultimately leaves you feeling hallow even after you win, because you want more, only to realize that more is harder and your victory means nothing.

    The Bad: evading enemy attacks is unfair at times. The AI tracking is too good so good that at times i feel the game cheats in the timing of each attack. the longer the battle drags on the more unpredictable the bosses become. Since they can 2 hit or 1 hit you I feel that this is an aspect that adds an artificial difficulty to the game that will leave most frustrated. The soul vessels that allows for respecing sort of taking away from the element of making and experimenting with new characters. Since you get I 3 in your first play through it doesn't really make sense to start another hero and going through the motions.    … Expand
  95. Aelvir
    May 31, 2015
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game gets alot of needless praise. I'm sorry, but, it doesn't deserve it at all. But in short. I played it out of recommendation from good friends, However, what I found was a game that didn't live out to its praise. For one. You get to choose your class and items and whatnot. The item you can start with that claims it can give gradual health-regen, is a FLAT out lie, all it does is increase your max-health slightly. The dual-wielding swordsman (official name that was given in the game escapes me) class has this parry-move. It works less than a 'one-in-a-bluemoon' moment. Making it really pointless. However, my biggest two problems with this game is this: Swordsmen or Knight/Paladin-type players cannot prosper, or let alone, SURVIVE, in this game. And the one I detest the most. It's bosses and enemies. They are created to be blatantly broken. This is the only game in existance to do this. They are made to frustrate the player, and nothing more. The Maw-BastardSwordwielding Wolf. Dark Souls need to take a advice from the .hack conglomerate, EndofEternity, and Endless Frontier. Utilize your unique monster's design to reflect its power. But more importantly, I looked around online for what weapon I would go for in the game. I eventually (initially) sent my sights towards Zweihander. However, I eventually came to realize that spells and archery are the most effective matters of surviving in this game, making the sword-wielders, in essence, unfavorable. And now, I do love a good challenge, but come on, look at the sword choreography. IT's way too hacky, way too outwardly-angled it's too overexxagerated. Look at that new socalled great game, Bloodbourne. It does the same thing.… Expand
  96. Caestus
    Apr 23, 2015
    7
    While it is a good game compared to its predecessors it is a disappoitment. The riposte system is akward and the level design is not anywhere near Dark Souls.
  97. DOSfan
    Mar 23, 2014
    9
    i'm really impressed. have played the series from demons souls onward, basically bought a PS3 to mainly play demons souls. the idea of the game reminded me of some mechanics of early MMO pvp/pk like in ultima online, if you kill someone or die to a player or whatever you can suffer. i really like that challenge.

    the game is pretty much near perfect for what the ps3 is capable of. i'm    i'm really impressed. have played the series from demons souls onward, basically bought a PS3 to mainly play demons souls. the idea of the game reminded me of some mechanics of early MMO pvp/pk like in ultima online, if you kill someone or die to a player or whatever you can suffer. i really like that challenge.

    the game is pretty much near perfect for what the ps3 is capable of. i'm primarily a pc gamer but couldn't wait the extra month to get it on that platform. plus i almost think it will have more hackers due to the HUGE russian community that will buy it super cheap.

    i've spent about 70 hours playing so far, two different characters. the game has a LOT of content, and more is added in new game+. the pvp and co op seems to work so much better than before. really impressed!    … Expand
  98. DreadLordAvatar
    Jul 13, 2014
    7
    Absolutely interesting, fun, worth the $60 (or $119 I paid for the statue edition). I've played this series to death, a huge fan of Demon and Dark Souls. Does it live up to it's predecessors? Unfortunately no. The story just isn't as intriguing, the changes are odd, and overall not as memorable. I don't have any interest in playing it over again, however, should it be ported to the PS4 IAbsolutely interesting, fun, worth the $60 (or $119 I paid for the statue edition). I've played this series to death, a huge fan of Demon and Dark Souls. Does it live up to it's predecessors? Unfortunately no. The story just isn't as intriguing, the changes are odd, and overall not as memorable. I don't have any interest in playing it over again, however, should it be ported to the PS4 I may give it another chance but it would need a graphics improvement (dark lighting - should have been in the PC version for bloody sake) and better gameplay mechanics/features. As a die hard fan of this series I can only grant it sadly a 7/10. However, it is still worth playing and experiencing for the exploration thrills and RPG challenges, despite the frustrating char/gear build and battle headaches.… Expand
  99. mmrventricle
    May 29, 2014
    9
    You probably already know how notorious this franchise is for being hard. True, Dark Souls is not very enjoyable to ppl who can only handle cakewalk or even moderate difficulty. Bosses will most likely kill you in 1 to 3 hits depending on how tanky you are (and no that doesnt mean they only hit once each attack. take a full combo and you are dead), and lesser foes are also able to take offYou probably already know how notorious this franchise is for being hard. True, Dark Souls is not very enjoyable to ppl who can only handle cakewalk or even moderate difficulty. Bosses will most likely kill you in 1 to 3 hits depending on how tanky you are (and no that doesnt mean they only hit once each attack. take a full combo and you are dead), and lesser foes are also able to take off significant proportions of your health with their attacks. If you cannot utilize invincibility frames that comes with your dodge, Dark Souls 2 will most likely be punishing to you. But it is for the same reason that Dark Souls 2 gives so much sense of accomplishment when you do overcome the difficulty.
    Dark Souls 2 introduces a comprehensive customization system. Not only can you equip each piece of armor and weapon (left and right hand) separately, but there is actually a reason for ppl to try different setup rather than taking the biggest swords: heavy equipments make you slow moving and your stamina regen slower, and vice versa. There is a whopping amount of weapon types in the game, all of which are versatile depending on what play style you use. Dark Souls 2 also introduces the ability to respec skill points, which makes it possible to try out every weapon and play style.
    Dark Souls 2 is made to last. A single playthrough will easily take 100 to 150 hours depending how good you are at the game and how much farming you do, and because the gameplay is solid and can vary greatly with the use of different setups, there is actually reason to replay the campaign again in NG+ and I do recommend you do so should you go that far.
    Online play is integrated into the game, as you can find soapstones in the world other players have put down that you can interact with to summon them to fight with or against you.
    The world of Dark Souls 2 is frankly... quite dark and sufficiently interesting. The kingdom of Drangleic loses all its glory and tranquility as the undead curse falls upon this land. Map designs are pretty good, and the world feels alive.
    A few things Dark Souls 2 doesnt do so well in are its plot (it doesnt have much) and the mediocre character models and graphics. Other than that Dark Souls 2 is an absolutely amazing game every hardcore gamer must play.    … Expand
  100. Auktopus
    Apr 30, 2014
    10
    Dark Souls 2 is everything I could ever ask for in a video game. There's always something new to discover, even long after the final boss is defeated, and the PvP is deep and rewarding. But what really grabs me is the absolute freedom, lore and very kingdom of Drangleic. It's so rich with depth, beauty and darkness that your journey through each massive zone will be quiet, harrowing,Dark Souls 2 is everything I could ever ask for in a video game. There's always something new to discover, even long after the final boss is defeated, and the PvP is deep and rewarding. But what really grabs me is the absolute freedom, lore and very kingdom of Drangleic. It's so rich with depth, beauty and darkness that your journey through each massive zone will be quiet, harrowing, rewarding and ultimately blissful as you leave your mark and become a part of the world yourself.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best PS3 Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2014
1
#1 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    May 11, 2014
    92
    Dark Souls 2 bears the torch of Dark Souls with honor. No mean feat! [Apr 2014]
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Apr 16, 2014
    96
    Even more amazing, and difficult, than Dark Souls.
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  3. RPGamer
    Apr 16, 2014
    100
    At the end of the day, Dark Souls II uses more subtle changes to find its own flavor and place in the series as a whole, rather than reinventing the wheel.
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