Dark Souls 2 felt very familiar to faithful fans of the franchise, but it was also open enough for new players to get immersed in the new game world. The game is punishing as one would expect from any installment of the Souls series, and it is definitely a worthy successor to the 2011 predecessor. In this review we will take a look at 10 specific aspects of the game and see how well they are executed:
1. Story
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You show up in Drangleic but you have no idea why
The story is one of the reasons why this game is so easy to jump into for new Souls players. In the entire Franchise, including the newly released Bloodborne, we never really know what is going on. The game developers don’t spoon-feed us the information like most other games do, but instead place clues on items and in dialogue that you can trigger from the few NPC’s.
In Dark Souls 2 you arrive at the gates of Drangleic, a mystical land rumored to host a mighty soul that can cure the undead curse. Your character is another hopeless bearer of the undead curse that came to Drangleic out of desperation. You learn from a guide that you meet that you must procure 4 mighty souls from ancient powerful beings. After you have done this you must confront the King of the land and link the original flame again.
If any of this sounds confusing, it is because it is. It’ll take you multiple playthroughs to understand the story. I have spent countless hours playing the game and I still need to look up information online. One of the beautiful things about Dark Souls 2 is that you can spend hours upon hours diving in to the lore and learning more about why you’re doing what you’re doing in the game.
2. Characters
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Here you meet Lucatiel resting by a bonfire
One thing you will quickly notice as you venture forth in Drangleic is that there is an extreme lack of friendly NPC’s. The game does an excellent job of truly conveying the loneliness and despair of all those afflicted with the undead curse. You last for an indefinite amount of time before you lose your mind and go hollow. You can postpone the progress of the curse by consuming humanity, although humanity can only be taken from others. So it’s no wonder that people are hostile and reserved.
You do run into a few allies early on though. There is a blacksmith, the Emerald Herald, a couple of other merchants, and all of the covenant holders. Some of the characters that you meet will become very dear to you and you’ll get to follow their journeys throughout Drangleic. A great example is Lucatiel of Mirrah. She is like Solaire from the first game. You’ll encounter her several times throughout the game and follow her as she loses her memory and struggles with the curse.
3. Character Customization
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You can choose to be a powerful wizard if you want too
Unlike many other games, you really can play Dark Souls however you want. If you want to go without weapons and punch your way to victory, you can do that… Although it’ll probably take a while. The thing about this game is that you can create any type of character and wear whatever equipment you feel like.
Traditionally there are a few different set builds. There is strength, dexterity, intelligence, and faith builds which all excel in different areas. However, as you level up you can choose to create whatever kind of hybrid you want, and it will always be viable.
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As long as you're skilled enough at dodging or blocking you can play any way you'd like
The character creation is very detailed as well. You get to not only pick race, gender, and starting class, but you can zoom in on your characters face and body and change even the smallest features. This allows you to create both beautiful and… not so beautiful characters.
4. World
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The ghosts of other players will hopefully give you a warning before you fall into the same trap they did
While the world of Drangleic feels a bit more segregated than Dark Souls 1, it still feels massive, open, and immersive. The reason for the segregated feeling is due to the early access to fast travel. You are able to move between any two bonfires that you have previously accessed. This makes it feel like you are always moving to a different level instead of going to another area of the same world.
However, Drangleic is absolutely stunning and beautiful. The world is so massive that you truly feel like a fish out of water on an epic quest. Even though you don’t know why you’re hunting the giant souls, you still feel like there is an epic purpose driving you through each area of the world.
There is great diversity in what you get to see and experience as well. There are the massive walls of the Drangleic Castle, the poisonous swamps of the Harvest Valley, the lava infested black Iron keep, and the gloomy shaded woods.
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Don't worry, I'm sure the bridge is safe to cross
5. Gameplay
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Decked out in heavy armor in front of the dead giant
The actual gameplay feels very smooth. Actions are executed swiftly as you input commands for your character to follow. The best part of Dark Souls 2 though is that the PC port that actually works. I would definitely still recommend playing this game on a game pad since the key binds are kind of clunky, but it is still infinitely better than Dark Souls 1.
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The bonfire serves as your checkpoint. You will learn to love these!
There are tons of different weapon types that all have different attack animations and speeds. A cool new feature that has been added is called Power Stance. It allows you to duel wield two different weapons and unlock a new set of attack moves; however your stats need to be at least 1.5 times higher than the required stats on the weapons. Dodging and blocking is the exact same as it was in Dark Souls 1, and it is the main way of protecting yourself from damage.
You gain souls from enemies you kill, and you use them as both currency and as experience points to level up. So you always have to choose between leveling up and purchasing new items. However, if you die you’ll lose all of your souls, so beware!
6. Graphics
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It is a visually stunning game, even when you're getting wrecked
The graphics are excellent. Not only is the world and all of the characters beautiful, but the in game animations feel very smooth and are visually pleasing as well. There are the fast attack animations of the scimitar which will have your character swirling around like an Arabic prince from an ancient tale, and there is also the mighty anvil hammers that you slam on the ground with powerful and clumsy force. You can always feel the animations, and the way your character moves feels both real and believable.
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This is a part of your main city, or the hub you always return too
7. Difficulty
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You know a shield can't block everything
This game is hard. Most avid Dark Souls fans have long ago finished this series, but if you got hooked on Bloodborne or are just getting into the franchise, then take note. This game is grueling and you will die time and time again. Even when you are at a very high level, you can still get killed by the mobs in the starting area. Dark Souls prides itself on its unfair encounters and mean mechanics that will often leave you dead on the ground.
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Zombies are totally ok, devil dogs not so much
8. Multiplayer
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That probably doesn't feel to good
The multiplayer aspect of Dark Souls isn’t quite as smooth as we would’ve hoped it would be. With the help of some in-game items you are able to travel to other player’s worlds and either invade them, or help defend them.
As an invader you appear as a dark spirit that is allied with the hollowed forces. You gang up on the player in their world and try to kill them. If you are there to defend then you’ll appear as a blue spirit and seek to repel the dark spirit invader.
There is also friendly summoning that you can do in preparation for especially difficult parts of the game. Often you’ll see summon signs by doors that lead to boss fights. By summoning another player you can make the boss fight immensely easier.
The frustrating thing about the multiplayer feature is that your summon signs can often go untouched for hours, and sometimes it is impossible to find other players to bring to your world.
9. Replayability
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Everytime you replay the game you'll learn something new
Just like Dark Souls 1, Dark Souls 2 also comes with the New Game plus feature. This allows you to replay the game from the beginning while keeping all of your stats and equipment. Enemies and bosses become significantly tougher each time you choose to start over, but it’s all for the challenge right?
These features exist to encourage you to replay the game in order for you to further understand the story and unlock the secrets of Drangleic.
10. Price
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This is what Dark Souls PvP looks like
Dark Souls 2 is currently on sale for $39.99 on Steam, and that is including the DLC. This is a very good and fair price since the cost of most games are closer to $60 today. If you would like though, you can always wait for Steam to drop some insane holiday sales. That will usually allow you to pick up Dark Souls 2 for ridiculously low prices.
THE VERDICT
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Getting destroyed like this is what Dark Souls is really all about
All in all, Dark Souls 2 delivers very well. It is supposed to be a dark, gloomy, and gruelingly difficult game, and it succeeds in all those areas. The gameplay and customization is really some of the best in the adventure game genre, and the story is incredibly fantastic. However, due to the serious commitment it takes to fully get the story out of the game, and also due to the inconsistent multiplayer feature, we can’t give it the highest score. We definitely recommend Dark Souls 2 for anyone though! It is a wonderful game from a fantastic franchise.
