There have been some absolutely tremendous RPGs released over the past few years, and while I love many of them few can reach the same heights of Dark Souls. Dark Souls was a game that totally enraptured me and even when I wasn’t playing it the game would often be on my mind. The people of From Software created a real masterpiece and I couldn’t wait to see if they had plans to return to the world of Dark Souls. So here we are, three years later and Dark Souls II is now available for all who wish to challenge its daunting quest. Is Dark Souls II as good as the original? Yes. Quite so. Let’s venture together into the land of Drangleic and I’ll tell you why!
Many Monstrosities Await In Dark Souls II
To say too much of the story of Dark Souls II would probably spoil the experience for some, but I will say the game starts out similar to the first Dark Souls. You are of the Cursed, an Undead who is doomed to go Hollow and lose their minds. In an effort to change your fate you journey to the old kingdom of Drangleic where it is said that one can break the curse. Of course, that is just the start of the tale and how your character interacts with the world is entirely up to you. I love the lore of Dark Souls II. While it may not be told through many cut-scenes like many other big games, I would say that the story is just as strong as other video game titles. The story of the previous Souls games were told through their captivating environments, cryptic dialogue from NPC characters and reading the descriptions of items you obtain. Part of the fun in the story of Dark Souls II is figuring out how everything pieces together. What truly led to the downfall of the kingdom of Drangleic? How is the world of Dark Souls II connected to the realm of Lordran from first game? Discovering the answers makes the story all the more fascinating. There are so many intriguing mysteries that come forward during the course of the game and using your imagination to try figure it all out is something I’ve been enjoying as have many others.
The Pursuer Is A Spectacular Early Game Boss
Dark Souls has a reputation for being one of the more difficult games out there, and I’m happy to say that the sequel is every bit as challenging as it’s predecessor. Dark Souls II makes you work for your victories but game is never unfair. Learning the patterns and weaknesses of your enemies is key progressing through the game. Of course you’ll face many other dangers from traps to crumbling terrain, the land of Drangleic is a perilous place and you always have to be on your guard. Like in past games, how you build your character to confront these dangers is entirely up to you. You can be a tenacious warrior who wields massive great-swords, or use sorceries and miracles to defeat your foes, or use the games new dual-wielding techniques to experiment with two weapons at once. Every character build you create will have their pros and cons. While a sorcerer may breeze through one area of the game, he may find another quite difficult. The combat of Dark Souls II is incredibly rewarding and you’ll always feel elated when you are victorious in one of the game’s many boss fights. Dark Souls II has some the best boss battles in the series yet with bizarre creatures like the Demon of Song and fights against a horde of foes like the Royal Rat Vanguard. The locations of Drangleic are just as much of the star as the creatures and characters you encounter. There are absolutely breathtaking areas like Dragon’s Arie and Majula and then areas that are absolutely creepy like The Gutter and Undead Crypt. The combat, the enemies, the world, I was taken by every one of these aspects while playing Dark Souls II. The game just grabs you and won’t let you go and I loved every minute of it.
You Will Journey Deep Beneath Drangleic In Your Quest
While Dark Souls II is a single-player game at its core, the online elements of the game only add to the already excellent adventure. Through various “Covenants” you can either help or hinder your fellow adventurers. For example you can be a protector with the Blue Sentinels or you can invade other players and attempt to kill them in The Brotherhood of Blood. There are also a few area-specific covenants as well as some awesome new Player vs. Environment covenants that grant access to a harder difficultly level and a secret boss battle. Being able to defeat a boss all by yourself is always a great feeling for this game, but there are times when the battles just feel so much more exciting when you have more people helping you. The interactions between Covenants open up in New Game + and beyond, so The Covenants in Dark Souls II are a lot of fun to explore and while the ranking system for some of them isn’t perfect, they do offer an extra element to the game that has made the Souls series unique since the first title.
The Looking Glass Knight Can Summon Other Players Against You
The first Dark Souls is among my favorite RPGs of all time, and I have been eagerly anticipating Dark Souls II since it was first announced. After spending many hours with the game I can say that it is undoubtedly every bit as engaging and challenging as the original. From Software has managed to combine the best elements of both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls and the result is truly fantastic. There is just so much that I have enjoyed about this game and I’m sure that I will discover many more things within the world of Dark Souls II in the months to come. So I will continue to venture deeper and deeper into the dark!
Unlimited Continues 