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. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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
  19. 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
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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.
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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.
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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.
    Read full review
  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.
    Read full review
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