Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1451 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,013 out of 1451
  2. Mixed: 281 out of 1451
  3. Negative: 157 out of 1451
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  1. Zero4747
    Jun 17, 2020
    6
    Dark Souls 2 is worse than Dark Souls 1 in many ways. Level design, lore, weapons, story, world design, controls, enemy design, hitboxes. Stamina recharges slowly even with rings and items that improve it. Pvp and pve is slower. The game throws hoardes of enemies at you. Many enemies have way more poise than they need to. Boss designs are worse. Most of them are regular giant knights withDark Souls 2 is worse than Dark Souls 1 in many ways. Level design, lore, weapons, story, world design, controls, enemy design, hitboxes. Stamina recharges slowly even with rings and items that improve it. Pvp and pve is slower. The game throws hoardes of enemies at you. Many enemies have way more poise than they need to. Boss designs are worse. Most of them are regular giant knights with weapons. The looking glass knight is by far the greatest boss in the game. However the game makes a few improvements graphically and i like the ability to replay bosses and reset areas.… Expand
  2. XxAlbertoBuzzxX
    Jun 2, 2020
    8
    Dark Souls II
    ............................................................
  3. DinoBeam
    May 5, 2020
    6
    This game has alot of cool aspects to it such as atmosphere and art design, but ends up feeling like a slog. This game feels incredibly long with much less interesting level design than the original Dark Souls. Also, half the time to try to sprint it doesn't register.
  4. thenoobbob
    Aug 5, 2019
    0
    I still dont get how people like this game. Its horrible. Get DS3, DSR or BB. DS2 is a dumpster fire.
  5. dangyosabyss
    Apr 11, 2020
    6
    A decent game but one that comes across as someone elses version of what a DS game should be. It feels like a secondary teams version of the first game. It has the worst level design in the whole series, the least imaginative bosses and the worst soundtrack (though it is still decent). Not a bad game but definitely the worst Dark Souls game. Some of the enemy layouts and areas are justA decent game but one that comes across as someone elses version of what a DS game should be. It feels like a secondary teams version of the first game. It has the worst level design in the whole series, the least imaginative bosses and the worst soundtrack (though it is still decent). Not a bad game but definitely the worst Dark Souls game. Some of the enemy layouts and areas are just trolling. Overall this is the Dark Souls you get after youve beaten the others and BB and Sekiro.… Expand
  6. Cafe_8bits
    Apr 5, 2020
    6
    Dark Souls 2 its a good game, and i had fun playing it single and multiplayer. But still its the worst Souls game in the franchise, its game design has many flaws that i think are sins to the souls formula, like artificial difficulty enhancement, and some changes in the enemies patterns to easy the experience for some players. (Like make enemies disappear if you kill them 12 times)
    The    Dark Souls 2 its a good game, and i had fun playing it single and multiplayer. But still its the worst Souls game in the franchise, its game design has many flaws that i think are sins to the souls formula, like artificial difficulty enhancement, and some changes in the enemies patterns to easy the experience for some players. (Like make enemies disappear if you kill them 12 times)
    The atmosphere and plot of this game are great, one of the best of the series for me, but in the end its design flaws took the best ot the experience for me.
    The multiplayer works very well, with few exceptions, and adds too much into the game.    … Expand
  7. kekseD
    Mar 13, 2020
    7
    Главные минусы игры это дебильные хитбоксы и скорость игры, она очень медленная
  8. marikbat
    Mar 12, 2020
    0
    "How to transfer a good game to a new generation console according to Bandai Namco"
    Step 1 - select game
    Step 2 - forget the plot and common sense
    Step 3 - mix opponents and items thoroughly
    Step 4 - add a pinch of NG + in different places of the game ... although it doesn’t matter throw as much as you want
    Done, enjoy and have a new unforgettable experience
  9. Cap-radar
    Feb 18, 2020
    5
    Top game melhor versao pena que o meu ps4 ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
  10. danphie_
    Jan 29, 2020
    0
    Only because of shrine of amana stupid annoying **** mages **** cancer hate this area
  11. caiobruno007
    Jan 17, 2020
    9
    Por ser o mais odiado dentre os fãs de Souls, pensei que seria um game fraco, mas estava totalmente enganado.

    É o maior Dark Souls disparado, que possui a maior quantidade de conteúdo. Trouxe diversas mecânicas novas e melhorias. Essa versão Scholar corrigiu muito *o game comparado a versão padrão. É o Dark Souls mais bem otimizado pra consoles, o único defeito grave dele é ter mantido o    Por ser o mais odiado dentre os fãs de Souls, pensei que seria um game fraco, mas estava totalmente enganado.

    É o maior Dark Souls disparado, que possui a maior quantidade de conteúdo. Trouxe diversas mecânicas novas e melhorias. Essa versão Scholar corrigiu muito *o game comparado a versão padrão. É o Dark Souls mais bem otimizado pra consoles, o único defeito grave dele é ter mantido o sistema de Soul Memory, que acaba por limitar bastante o multiplayer.    … Expand
  12. MurphyBrandon
    Dec 7, 2019
    8
    Scholar of the First Sin changes a lot of enemy positions and item positions to make the experience feel fresh. The combat can be very rewarding when it's good, but the excessive amount of ambushes, traps, and unavoidable status effects really makes the game feel unfair and cheap. The variety of locations and enemies will keep it addictive enough to keep coming back, but by the end, mostScholar of the First Sin changes a lot of enemy positions and item positions to make the experience feel fresh. The combat can be very rewarding when it's good, but the excessive amount of ambushes, traps, and unavoidable status effects really makes the game feel unfair and cheap. The variety of locations and enemies will keep it addictive enough to keep coming back, but by the end, most players will need a break from the frustrating death screens before they even consider heading into "New Game Plus." It's not as legendary as the other "Soulsborne" games.… Expand
  13. SonyBroWhirrrr
    Nov 15, 2019
    1
    What happens when you take a beloved game, but take away the creative mastermind genius Miyazaki and instead let a **** B-team develop the sequel? You get Dark Souls II. This game was so bad, that they actually re-released it a year later, claiming to have fixed many issues. Except that they didn't fix anything and only made it worse. Ivory King is epic tho, so a bonus point for that.
  14. Springhi
    Nov 14, 2019
    9
    The first game I played in Souls' series. Before I started the game, I just want to have a try and kill time since I had never heard of FROM SOFTWARE and Mr. Miyazaki at that moment. This game was not directed by Mr. Miyazaki, as I knew later, but most of the systems were inherited from DS1 to DS2, which made the gameplay still full of excitement. The shortcomings of DS2 were obvious, ofThe first game I played in Souls' series. Before I started the game, I just want to have a try and kill time since I had never heard of FROM SOFTWARE and Mr. Miyazaki at that moment. This game was not directed by Mr. Miyazaki, as I knew later, but most of the systems were inherited from DS1 to DS2, which made the gameplay still full of excitement. The shortcomings of DS2 were obvious, of course. The lack in complexity of map design, the structure and logic of the story, and many many boss fights without polish. However, they could not prevent me from being a real fan of FS. It was the first time I could be myself in a game. The simultaneous growth between me and my character strengthened this feelinig over and over again. The sense of substitution is one of the best in the games I have ever played. To me, DS2 is the game opened the gate of an entire new world.… Expand
  15. robomartion
    Oct 22, 2019
    8
    This is a premium gaming experience to be sure. Expect hundreds of hours of varied content. It's not perfect, and suffers in some aspects compared to the original entry such as lack of shortcuts between areas but offers such a diverse, sprawling and well rounded experience and is good in its own right, so it would be a shame to count it out on that. Dark Souls II is like a mega saga of aThis is a premium gaming experience to be sure. Expect hundreds of hours of varied content. It's not perfect, and suffers in some aspects compared to the original entry such as lack of shortcuts between areas but offers such a diverse, sprawling and well rounded experience and is good in its own right, so it would be a shame to count it out on that. Dark Souls II is like a mega saga of a back to back fantasy epic and is one of the best if not the best in the series.… Expand
  16. HansJoerg1
    Oct 12, 2019
    2
    Boring Story, repetitive gameplay. Overall an extremely disappointing experience.
  17. Milidante
    Sep 25, 2019
    10
    Best dark souls game in my opinion! Awsome and endless contents and unforgetable hard dlcs
  18. DrDjango
    Sep 14, 2019
    10
    for me the soulsborne games are the best in the gaming history for now. never had auch an perfekt gameplay again... all of them are masterpieces.
  19. oldboy
    Sep 7, 2019
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. It's breathtaking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! … Expand
  20. ZXSth
    Sep 4, 2019
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. *Note: I am reviewing SotFS as someone who did not play Vanilla DS2.

    In hindsight, when compared to its peers, Dark Souls 2 seems like the odd Souls game out. Where it lacks its predecessor's knack for interconnected locales and expansive environments, it has a level of depth when it comes to the mechanics of character customization that cannot be rivalled by any of its contemporaries. Even Dark Souls 3 lacks this game's power stance mechanic, allowing you to wield two weapons of your choosing and use them simultaneously. While power-stancing isn't always possible, it is probably the best implementation of dual-wielding I have ever seen in an action-RPG, hands down.

    The power-stance mechanic is the single greatest example of Dark Souls 2's greatest strength - the freedom to fight however you wish. With the right stats, you can wield two gigantic, oversized hammers simultaneously, then quickly switch over to firing off magical bolts with a staff. This offers an abundance of replay value that few other action role-playing games have offered, from my experience.

    Where this game seems to be a bit more middling in comparison to its contemporaries is in its boss fights. The common criticism I have heard is that there are too many "big armoured dudes." And while there are many knight-like bosses - the Looking Glass Knight, Ruin Sentinels and multiple fights with the Pursuer come to mind - the most offensive bosses, I find, are the ones that remind me of Dark Souls' poorly designed Bed of Chaos. For example, fighting the Executioner's Chariot requires you to pull a lever in order to end a horse-drawn carriage's destructive ride around a skeleton-infested arena. This fight, though not mandatory, was tedious and generally unrewarding in comparison to the rush of fighting the aforementioned Pursuer, a fair yet challenging adversary.

    While I believe the bosses overall seem satisfactory for the Souls series, some of the other mechanics in this game make dying all the more brutal, punishing and more frustrating simply for the sake of it. The fact that each death shrinks your health bar means that multiple deaths being even greater frustration than they usually would. Additionally, the placement of multiple enemies within a small area ensures frustration, and a difficulty that feels less 'fair' than in either Dark Souls or Dark Souls 3. It would not be unfair to suggest that the layout of this game's areas are utterly infuriating. Plodding through the Iron Keep, in particular, served as one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had while playing a video game.

    Overall, Dark Souls 2 lacks the same world-building as its predecessor or the refinement of its successor. It also feels unnecessarily challenging, especially if you choose not to raise your adaptability stat (which affects how long you are invincible for when rolling). But if you can manage to deal with its flaws, Dark Souls 2 will reward you with one of the richest action role-playing experiences (mechanically speaking) in any video game of its kind. Surely, the 2000+ hours I have put into it (possibly the most of any video game I have ever played) are clear evidence of this.    … Expand
  21. Ararat
    Sep 1, 2019
    10
    Невероятно атмосферная, интересная, бросающая какой не какой челлендж. Говорят, что сюжет плохой и лежит на поверхности, так вот, что в этом плохого. Игра для меня является лучшей в серии. И самая длинная часть в серии (с учётом всех ДЛС)Невероятно атмосферная, интересная, бросающая какой не какой челлендж. Говорят, что сюжет плохой и лежит на поверхности, так вот, что в этом плохого. Игра для меня является лучшей в серии. И самая длинная часть в серии (с учётом всех ДЛС)
  22. WilliamWesker
    Aug 2, 2019
    0
    DS 2 is not even a true "DARK" game, in order to have the title of DARK SOULS in it, the 2013 DEMO of the same is, but the final version is definitely not. It has texture with a very poor quality in all its versions, including the one of PC, especially considering that it is a game of 2014, & in 2015 there were already games like The Witcher 3, which makes DS 2 to look like a game of aDS 2 is not even a true "DARK" game, in order to have the title of DARK SOULS in it, the 2013 DEMO of the same is, but the final version is definitely not. It has texture with a very poor quality in all its versions, including the one of PC, especially considering that it is a game of 2014, & in 2015 there were already games like The Witcher 3, which makes DS 2 to look like a game of a half a decade before the 2014, because of the difference with regard to the quality of textures between the two, something that it is really pathetic & embarrassing for the DS 2 piece of work. It allows the player to warp between Bonfires from the beginning, which literally murder in cold blood a great deal of immersion & exploration in it. The enemies are very badly misplaced in the levels. The animation of the sequences in the attacks are just terrible with respect to the lack of inmercion that it causes, to a player. Its system focuses on punishing the player when the same dies, at resurrect it with less life, instead of encouraging it to self-overcome, which is one of the main philosophies of the DARK SOULS series, Hidetaka Miyazaki himself confirmed that philosophy for the series. The writing level of the game is very poor. The NPCs are extremely depressing, & constantly encourage the player to surrender during the dialogues, instead of encouraging the player not to become Hollow, as they generally should with indifference responses like on DS 3 & ESPECIALLY in DS 1!… Expand
  23. jiorl
    Jul 5, 2019
    8
    Despite the negative reception and reputation this game has garnered, it is a severely underrated Dark Souls game, and game in general (That said, DS1 is better in my opinion). Admittedly, it did take some time for the game to grow on me, as at the start i just felt that the environment. (forest of the fallen giants) was a bit bland and The Last Giant was an easy boss, but after theDespite the negative reception and reputation this game has garnered, it is a severely underrated Dark Souls game, and game in general (That said, DS1 is better in my opinion). Admittedly, it did take some time for the game to grow on me, as at the start i just felt that the environment. (forest of the fallen giants) was a bit bland and The Last Giant was an easy boss, but after the Pursuer boss i really started to like the game. For one, i really liked the gem system which went hand in hand with the flask system. I enjoyed the length of the game, and made the game feel like a massive adventure-more of an adventure than DS1 (sorry for the unpopular opinion), the DLC was superb, and the difficulty of the levels and the enemies in general was really challenging without being gamebreaking. There are some negatives though which irritated my though. One was the difficulty of the bosses. Most of the bosses in the base game were far too easy-in fact most of them were. The smelter demon, the darklurker, the pursuer and the ancient dragon are an exception to this rule. The enemy cpu's at times were sometimes broken, and didn't act how they should. There wasn't any memorable npc characters like the first game, and the level design at times wasn't very intuitive, and sometimes i got lost. Those faults still don't ruin the game for me in my eyes. and i think this game is definetly worth playing.… Expand
  24. LordOMO
    Jun 15, 2019
    6
    I have a love/hate relationship with this game. On the one hand i can appreciate it as a massive and atmospheric dark fantasy role playing game, on the other hand i can't overlook its shortcomings (some being imherent to the dark souls series and some affecting specifically this game in the series).
    At its best you get the pure Dark Souls experience: mystic medieval castles with hidden    I have a love/hate relationship with this game. On the one hand i can appreciate it as a massive and atmospheric dark fantasy role playing game, on the other hand i can't overlook its shortcomings (some being imherent to the dark souls series and some affecting specifically this game in the series).
    At its best you get the pure Dark Souls experience: mystic medieval castles with hidden paths, challenging enemies and a large set of tools to overcome the challenges on the way. But to get there you have to deal with clumsy controls and huge variances in quality which effects visuals sound and unfortunately also gameplay. I've put many hours into the game but always have to deal with frustration along the way to get to the good parts (especially the DLC areas are 10/10 high quality but its a chore to get there). Here are all my gripes with the game:
    - controls suck. Especially in the beginning of the game everything feels bad because you actually have to level up a stat that improves your dodges. But even later on there are issues with the targeting system and with inputs seemingly not being read. Also movement in general feels clunky
    - some of the level design and enemies are very questionable (e.g. enemies that can snipe you from the other side of the map, or levels with blocked paths that you can never open)
    - graphics and sound have some very bad moments. Sound design often feels fake as in "oh yeah this is a footstep soundeffect" rather than actually feeling real. And while the visuals can be stunning in some parts despite geometry and vegetation being on the lower end (especially the castles look great), other areas are just plain ugly, e.g everything looking flat and greyish without any interesting details.
    - there is an overabundance of items and weapons in this game with little differentiation between them. I'd much rather have less but more unique stuff than a lot of junk (e.g. 10 different healing items) cluttering my inventory
    - some enemies and bosses are very forgetable    … Expand
  25. Unicron35
    May 8, 2019
    10
    Dark Souls II for PS4 is a fun and addicting action RPG. The graphics are solid and the game performs flawlessly technically wise at 60 FPS. The story atmosphere and level design is excellent. The music soundtrack and voice acting is also excellent. The fighting mechanics are fluid and addictive.

    The character customization options are deep. The MP co-op is fun and will allow you to    Dark Souls II for PS4 is a fun and addicting action RPG. The graphics are solid and the game performs flawlessly technically wise at 60 FPS. The story atmosphere and level design is excellent. The music soundtrack and voice acting is also excellent. The fighting mechanics are fluid and addictive.

    The character customization options are deep. The MP co-op is fun and will allow you to progress through the game if you need help. Overall, Dark Souls II is my favorite of the series and I find the gameplay highly addictive. I definitely recommend it.    … Expand
  26. MadnessisRising
    Mar 13, 2019
    8
    It's not that great as Dark Souls 2 in my opinion. Uneccessarirly more difficult with just more enemys.
  27. Przemun1304
    Feb 15, 2019
    10
    This is the best part of Dark Souls for me. Game is so huge with all dlc. Have never being bored even 1 second.
    Strongly recommend to people who like chalanges !
  28. oknsnl
    Jan 29, 2019
    8
    Gameplay : 9 (Good combat mechanics)
    Bosses : 7 (Worst bosses of all soulsborne series)
    Gravity : 10 (Strongest enemy in the game)
  29. Rox22
    Dec 14, 2018
    8
    Continuing on the Dark Souls bender, I had to try the second instalment. I never played the original version so I can only comment on this version.

    In many ways DS2 is both better and worse than the Original. Visually most of the areas are so much more detailed. But on the other hand they are also allot more contained and almost claustrophobic at times. The action is allot of fun    Continuing on the Dark Souls bender, I had to try the second instalment. I never played the original version so I can only comment on this version.

    In many ways DS2 is both better and worse than the Original.

    Visually most of the areas are so much more detailed. But on the other hand they are also allot more contained and almost claustrophobic at times.

    The action is allot of fun and the combat mechanics were greatly improved upon making combat feel allot more fluid this time around. However, allot of areas are just saturated with hoards, which just artificially spikes the difficulty levels. Whereas DS1 had much better enemy placements making the areas tough. but fair. DS2 can be a bit unforgiving in places with steep difficulty spikes coming out of nowhere. However, even with the erratic difficulty curves, it still is quite fun and challenging.

    Overall:
    Dark Souls 2 was allot of fun, but I can see why it is often regarded as the weakest of the series. But even as the weakest link, it's still a very good worth game worth having a go.    … Expand
  30. SvenL1975
    Aug 19, 2018
    10
    I always avoided starting the Dark Souls games because I heard that they were so hard and I get frustrated easily. When the remastered version of the first game came I out, I decided to give in and give it a try. The last six weeks I played through all three games, all of the DLC, every optional boss - everything. Then I started Bloodborne and was surprised how bad it was, but that isI always avoided starting the Dark Souls games because I heard that they were so hard and I get frustrated easily. When the remastered version of the first game came I out, I decided to give in and give it a try. The last six weeks I played through all three games, all of the DLC, every optional boss - everything. Then I started Bloodborne and was surprised how bad it was, but that is another story.

    So give the game a try. It's not that hard, it's just not easy. Expect spending a few hours on the Internet, looking up the backstories of some of the character, or get some things explained that are not that clear. You will get one of the greatest gaming experiences of all time.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PS4 Game of 2015
24
#24 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015
36
#36 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Gaming Nexus
    Jun 23, 2015
    90
    Whether you're new to Dark Souls II or played it on older consoles, Scholar of the First Sin is worth revisiting. This PlayStation 4 collection features the original game, along with the three expansion packs.
    Read full review
  2. The Digital Fix
    Jun 5, 2015
    90
    Going backwards from Bloodborne feels almost archaic, and it takes some time to settle into that once familiar gameplay. However Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin offers the chance to revisit that still fantastic and familiar world with a slight twist to proceedings and a respectable face lift.
    Read full review
  3. GameOver.gr
    Jun 2, 2015
    100
    The changes have made this edition slightly more difficult, but the core of the game remains true to the superb game design of the original.
    Read full review
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