5. Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin 

Much has been said about the Souls games as of late, and for good reason. Somehow, From Software seemed to understand that we are all, in fact, masochists. There is no other explanation. How else can so many of us spend hours upon hours fighting for survival in a world laden with horrific enemies, bosses, and sometimes other players? Indeed, the first Dark Souls was considered by some to be one of the most difficult games to come out of the last decade, and it’s hard to disagree with them. Dark Souls 2, while not as difficult, takes the best of Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls before it, and successfully merges them into a cohesive package. The result is a dangerously addictive action RPG game that will leave you withering in pain and pleasure for hours on end. 

Dark Souls 2 takes place in the land of Drangleic and you the player take shape in the form an Undead, or Hollow. It is revealed to you that you are the bearer of some curse, and Drangleic holds the answers. The world of Drangleic is run by a Monarch, which is revealed to you by the Emerald Herald, an enigmatic guide who leads you through most the game. She also reveals to you that in order to vanquish the curse bestowed upon you, four powerful foes must be eliminated: the Old Iron King, a beast called Rotten, the Lost Sinner, and something called Duke’s Dear Freja. By accomplishing this task, you will capture their souls and break the curse. 

Truth be told, the lore of the Souls games has always been dense and hard to follow. In this respect Dark Souls 2 is no different. The creators of the series seem to enjoy burying the story in all sorts of ways: item descriptions, delusional NPCs, and through the world itself. If you really want to know what’s going on in the world of Dark Souls 2, my suggestion to you is to pay close attention to everything, as you never know when a clue will spring up on you.  

While the story is deep and interesting, it has never been the main attraction of the Souls games. The Souls games are primarily only about one thing: brutal rewarding combat. Dark Souls 2 delivers on this aspect and keeps the thrills coming with new enemies such as giant war turtles with massive maces ready to crush your frail body, and hideous monsters beating you to death with their own dismembered limbs as weapons.  

Scholar of the First Sin is the latest expansion to Dark Souls 2, and offers all released content in one package for those who have not purchased the previous DLCs. This latest expansion offers all sorts of goodies including an alternate ending, new NPCs, a new character: Scholar of Sin, and many balance tweaks to the levels. The most striking of these updates is the graphical overhaul of the game's engine as it now incorporates DirectX 11. 

Dark Souls 2 was originally released towards the end of the Xbox 360 and PS3’s life span. While still good looking, it didn’t compare to the newer games that were about to be released. Now with this newer version, players can enjoy the game with higher graphic fidelity and steady frame rates which makes Dark Souls 2 all the more engaging of a game to play.  

Now with Dark Souls 2 being released on the PC, players can enjoy the pure bliss that is its online experience. Although different at first, most players will agree that Dark Soul 2’s system for online play is extremely satisfying. Instead of connecting with players through a lobby of some sort, players join the worlds of others through their soul signs, which can be placed on the ground and can be seen by other players playing online. Once in another player’s world, you can then help clear dangerous areas, earn souls, and help defeat bosses. More importantly though, you may arrive just in time to save the one who summoned you from the attack of a human invader. That’s right, Dark Souls 2 allows you to invade another player’s world where you can hunt them down and take their souls.  

It is this combination of rewarding fair combat, deep storytelling, and intense multiplayer that makes Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin a must play for the PC. With the tweaks and upgrades this expansion brings, Dark Souls 2 has never been better.