The core blocking, rolling, sprinting, parrying, and attacking all rely on the ever-important stamina bar. Players new to the Souls franchise will quickly learn that Dark Souls II plays quite differently than most mainstream titles today it is an incredible experience anchored in exploration, immersion, discovery, defeat – and ultimately triumph.Ĭombat in Dark Souls II is familiar, but has some significant changes. After a warm welcome, it’s business as usual. Elements such as the main hub town of Majula playing home to a majority of vendors and NPCs, bonfire fast travel, a streamlined introduction, and some clarity behind covenants go a long way toward making the title more inviting to new players. However, pushing through hardships players become grizzled veterans and find a true sense of achievement in a gaming world that tends to reward golden trophies for the simple ability to press Start.ĭark Souls II retains the signature challenge and style of the original, but adds quality of life improvements and slightly more transparency regarding how various mechanics and systems work. Some players are scared off by the punishing systems, including death penalties, fragile characters, sadistic traps, and brutal status effects.
The Souls games are infamous for their high difficulty, little direction, and even less forgiveness.
