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. Jerg4n
    Apr 7, 2023
    7
    Some questionable design choices make this an... interesting game. Most bosses feel lacking, the world design is weird, it is WAY more bs than it's predecessor and so on. I would've wanted to enjoy this game more, but it just felt llke an inferior Dark Souls 1 in every way. Being inferior to a masterpiece still makes it good, but doesn't make it less disappointing.
  2. CnPx98
    Aug 18, 2022
    7
    This game is alright but it's probably my least favourite of the souls games I have played. Health supplies are basically never seen and every time you die you loose 5% of health making the part you got stuck on even harder the next time. It really doesn't make sense to have a mechanic like this in a game. How do you expect players to overcome something by making it worse. You get a stoneThis game is alright but it's probably my least favourite of the souls games I have played. Health supplies are basically never seen and every time you die you loose 5% of health making the part you got stuck on even harder the next time. It really doesn't make sense to have a mechanic like this in a game. How do you expect players to overcome something by making it worse. You get a stone that makes you human again but these are like hen's teeth. You get character creation but you'll just spend most of the game looking like Frankenstein.
    The graphics aren't amazing even for PS3 but I think from software wasn't huge at this point so fair enough. This game is clearly more for the die hard fans of the souls games otherwise you mite aswell just skip over it and play the newer better ones.    … Expand
  3. Ygs
    Jul 14, 2022
    7
    91 out of 100 unbelievable, this game is nothing but a copy of the previous version, it is much worse, lol, the design has completely regressed, a forgettable experience, fake souls fans, you keep buying the same game again and again, on the contrary, dark souls 1 was great
  4. CFMCritic
    May 15, 2021
    7
    Dark Souls II is the godfather part III of the franchise, it has some very good moments, boss fights, areas and a story that is so dark and fascinating yet it's messy in its designs and denies the discovery aspect of demon's souls and dark souls. Dark souls 2 is overlong and filles with unnecessary areas with bas design and boss fights. I wish I could give it a higher score.
  5. Wineneeder
    Dec 20, 2020
    7
    Having now beat the game, I can say this is really just a pale imitation of the first. Aping it with no skill or understanding.

    I don't want to particularly go into my reasons, so I will say that the Matthewmatosis "Dark Souls 2 Critique" youtube video really sums it up and coalesces my thoughts and raw feelings into something more tangible. Long, but worth the watch, even if you like    Having now beat the game, I can say this is really just a pale imitation of the first. Aping it with no skill or understanding.

    I don't want to particularly go into my reasons, so I will say that the Matthewmatosis
    "Dark Souls 2 Critique" youtube video really sums it up and coalesces my thoughts and raw feelings into something more tangible. Long, but worth the watch, even if you like the game.

    (mild optional boss spoilers)
    Some areas I must mention, that really stood out to me (well or stunk) were the -gauntlets- to the boss fights Ancient Dragon and Smelter Demon 2: This time he's Blue. Oh and Frigid Outskirts.. ugh.
    (mild optional boss spoilers)

    Anyway, there are some good ideas in this sequel, pretty areas, but a whole lot of bad, terrible ideas and retreads from the last game. A shame because I find the quality never quite dips to the rush job that the lord souls were in the first game, mostly, but is overall just weak.

    I did enjoy the game, I found some areas to be of good quality and I did like some of it.. just really, really hated the bad parts and poor design decisions w/r/t game systems, specifically the total souls level/multiplayer matchmaking

    I can recommend this, most of the truly horrible gauntlet sections are optional, the multiplayer is probably not a factor at this time.    … Expand
  6. MasterMoonfire
    Aug 28, 2020
    7
    Dark Souls II may have had many new ideas but not all of them were executed too well in this game, Dark Souls II is a good game overall but not a good Souls game, it is the least enjoyable game in the series and a pretty big disappointment overall, awkward gameplay, artificial difficulty, and questionable control feel are the major problems. Dark Souls II does have really good thingsDark Souls II may have had many new ideas but not all of them were executed too well in this game, Dark Souls II is a good game overall but not a good Souls game, it is the least enjoyable game in the series and a pretty big disappointment overall, awkward gameplay, artificial difficulty, and questionable control feel are the major problems. Dark Souls II does have really good things though that keep the game from being bad, the world of Drangleic is amazing and visually stunning, the combat works, the soundtrack is really good, NPCs are interesting and memorable, interesting new mechanics like power stance and stat reallocation, it has a good new game plus, and build variety, but that's it, while it's not the worst video game sequel out there, it's definitely the weakest of the Souls series.… Expand
  7. WoW1
    May 27, 2020
    5
    Игра, в которой кухарка убивает рыцаря, закованного в латы двумя ударами поварёшкой.
    ---------------
    A game in which a cook kills a knight chained in armor with two strokes of a ladle.
  8. Dingytheman
    Dec 1, 2019
    5
    On it's own maybe a 7/10, compared to previous titles it's a 5 at most. The game drops all elements that made the previous games masterpieces and does difficulty all wrong, I guess that's what happens when the director changes and you have somebody at the wheel that didn't bother to study what made DaS/DeS excellent. The level design on those games, enemy and item placement all workedOn it's own maybe a 7/10, compared to previous titles it's a 5 at most. The game drops all elements that made the previous games masterpieces and does difficulty all wrong, I guess that's what happens when the director changes and you have somebody at the wheel that didn't bother to study what made DaS/DeS excellent. The level design on those games, enemy and item placement all worked together to provide a cohesive experience with challenge and reward.

    In DaS 2 it seems like not much planning went into the crafting of the areas, the game world feels disjointed and transitions often don't make much sense, shortcuts are almost non existent and overabundance of bonfires replace them, non sensical level design left and right, downright lazy skyboxes and rooms that look early PS2 gen (no exaggeration).
    Most enemies aren't even challenging either, they simply come in large numbers throughout the whole game, as for boss fights they are mostly poor and lack challenging movesets, specially considering it's a lot easier to roll and move around your enemies, so much so that at times you can just circle around them without getting hit.
    And last but not least, the massive graphical downgrade which is actually dwarfed by the amount of steps back this game took gameplay wise.
    It's still an enjoyable game but constantly leaves you feeling disappointed.    … Expand
  9. Jvbcdtm3
    Nov 4, 2018
    7
    Lore:7
    Graphics:7
    Gameplay:7
    Mechanics:8
    Sounds:8
    Style:8
    Details:6
    The worst souls
  10. JuanLuisGG14
    Mar 23, 2017
    7
    Truly a great game, when I started it i foond it to be extremely difficult, but after some hours i beat the first boss, and discovered the rewarding experience of it.
    Although that, many things aren't as memorable or cleverly designed as in the first t¿Dark Souls
    Bosses are kinda boring and the world feels generally lifeless. Lore is not as strong as in the first one, too. Gameplay is    Truly a great game, when I started it i foond it to be extremely difficult, but after some hours i beat the first boss, and discovered the rewarding experience of it.
    Although that, many things aren't as memorable or cleverly designed as in the first t¿Dark Souls
    Bosses are kinda boring and the world feels generally lifeless. Lore is not as strong as in the first one, too.
    Gameplay is better than in the first Dark Souls, but AI destroys it and makes it more as a rolling simulator or a "go to enemies back" one.
    7/10    … Expand
  11. Juras
    Mar 14, 2017
    7
    Good game but worst souls. Few things was nice like hex magic or visualization of breaking equipments. Others no, design was mostly boring, only few selected areas like Shrine of Amana has atmosphere, Too westernish in my opinion. And final version of game looks worse than beta (both played on PS3).
  12. vlankton
    Jul 11, 2015
    7
    This game is such a disappointment compared to demons' souls and dark souls. The combat is slow and boring. the colors are very brown and boring.I liked majula it was a very much like the nexus. The healing is slow and the estus flask was pushed aside. I'm not saying this is a bad game its a disappointing game.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. Dionysus777
    Jan 30, 2015
    7
    If you guys would remove this please i thought i clicked on the first game i have not played this 1 ill get back to you if i ever get it connect the dots lalalalaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. Darkabisso664
    Aug 1, 2014
    7
    Dark Souls 2 is more of the first game when it comes to combat and feature; this adds more to different build through each playthrough as well as adding changes to new game plus. The narrative on the other on the hand is quiet shallow compare to the first. The game's story is hidden within item descriptions and NPC dialogue. It's a great way to tell a narrative but you won't understand theDark Souls 2 is more of the first game when it comes to combat and feature; this adds more to different build through each playthrough as well as adding changes to new game plus. The narrative on the other on the hand is quiet shallow compare to the first. The game's story is hidden within item descriptions and NPC dialogue. It's a great way to tell a narrative but you won't understand the settle hints the second game applies if you haven't played the first installment. Dark Souls 2 is also the easiest in the series and I suggest it for dark souls fans and new players.… Expand
  22. 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
  23. SoulsFan2014
    Jul 4, 2014
    6
    First i'd like to say that i am a huge fan of the Soul's games. I've played demon souls for over 200 hours of gameplay atleast and dark souls 2 over 300 hours. Demon souls had a story that drawed you in and made you feel alone and scared for every turn you make some dragon may swoop by and burn you to crisps, just to have you restart over in soul form etc.
    Now dark souls was easy in    First i'd like to say that i am a huge fan of the Soul's games. I've played demon souls for over 200 hours of gameplay atleast and dark souls 2 over 300 hours. Demon souls had a story that drawed you in and made you feel alone and scared for every turn you make some dragon may swoop by and burn you to crisps, just to have you restart over in soul form etc.
    Now dark souls was easy in comparison to demon souls as now pvp is a huge integrated part of defeating bosses etc.. Now we have this acclaimed sequel to dark souls that is... Sorry was suppose to have new gen graphics and lighting system, then release comes around and we find out that it looks just as good as dark souls 1 if not a little worse. With that being said i also think its gameplay is very unfair even for a souls game, but thats the least important thing that has failed in this sequel. What realy turned me off was its plain story that trys hard to get you into it but falls realy flat. Ohh well story may fail but multiplayer has to be suberb right? wrong!!! I sold dark souls 2 after 100 hours of gameplay after i got tired of magic spammers and realy got pissed when i got stunlocked with a dagger in heavy armor!! Ofc theres many other pvp and multiplayer flaws out there but i aint gonna list them all or i'll be here all day.
    Well heres the flaws in this game, average graphics compared to its advertised new gen graphics, poor-average story and lots of pvp flaws. I'll rate this 6.5 as a not worth buying at full retail price, just buy it used and suck some hours out of it as it has no lasting appeal unless you like broken pvp and a at best average story. I promise renting it for a week will get you all the fun you'll get out of this sequel.    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. 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.
  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. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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.
  30. Discalceate
    Apr 27, 2014
    6
    Dark souls is back. Only more dark soulsier. Now, I'm a big fan of dark souls, but forgive me if I think that a game should explain the mechanics of how it works itself, rather than require you to resort to an internet search to figure out what something means. And no, I am not talking about how to select a weapon, or a spell. They are explained, but why should I join "covenant A" or swapDark souls is back. Only more dark soulsier. Now, I'm a big fan of dark souls, but forgive me if I think that a game should explain the mechanics of how it works itself, rather than require you to resort to an internet search to figure out what something means. And no, I am not talking about how to select a weapon, or a spell. They are explained, but why should I join "covenant A" or swap it to "covenant B", what the hell do these covenants do?
    But that particular flaw pales in comparison to the "invasion" mechanic. Always a good idea, always implemented like a lib dem promise on tuition fees.
    Its a **** ****
    Being invaded illustrates entirely how developers fail to realise what utter **** the general public are. If there is some sort of "balance" mechanism involved, then whoever implemented it needs to retrain for another profession. Be prepared to be ganked by people with gear that outranks yours, or to be multiply invaded so that one can engage you whislt the other backstabs you and kills you in one hit. And, unfortunately, whilst you could avoid all that poorly balanced multiplayer bollocks in the previous games, this time you cannot avoid it by staying hollow.
    Dark souls is a perfect illustration of a fantastic mechanic, in need of a good game. Dark Souls nailed it, by forcing a poorly implemented multiplayer on what should be a fantastic single player experience, Dark Souls II is a step back.    … 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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