Dark Souls II continues the psychotic tradition of its forebears, this time in the kingdom of Drangleic. Like the games before, much of the plot is not told to you outright, but rather alluded to. DARK SOULS II is the highly anticipated sequel to one of the most notoriously difficult role-playing games (RPGs) in recent memory. This Japanese-made adventure definitely includes some of the series' hallmarks: third-person action, unrelenting enemies, eerie labyrinths to explore, and epic boss battles.

Release Date: March 11, 2014Platform: PS3 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PCDeveloper: From SoftwarePublisher: Bandai Namco GamesGenre: Action RPG

Full disclosure: the punishingly difficult action RPG Demon’s Souls and its spiritual sequel Dark Souls were two of my favorite games over the entire last generation. So it would be an understatement to say that From Software’s Dark Souls 2 sat at the number one spot of my most anticipated games list. But now that the game that first taught us how to die over and over and over again has returned, and this time more streamlined for a broader audience to match the waves of showering acclaim, do we still find the same value in gaining wisdom from our many, very timely demises?

The world and lore of Dark Souls 2 revolve around a nameless hero, who descends into a chaotic realm called Drangleic that’s been plagued by all sorts of curses. The haunting story is developed through subtle visual cues, but the real draw here is the battle-hardened gameplay, which builds itself on caution, memorization, and learning from your many, many mistakes. You don’t have to be afraid about Dark Souls 2straying from the hardcore formula that has since made the series such a modern cult classic, as the game is very much in harmony with the history that came before it. But you SHOULD be afraid, however, of nearly everything that dwells within the game, as the environment and monster designs are just as beautifully created as they are deadly and ready for you to die.

In a way, playing Dark Souls 2 and its punishing predecessors is like reading a classic piece of literature: you might need to use a dictionary to get through some of the more difficult parts, and you might only understand the breadth of the work after your second reading, but there’s nothing like the sense of reward and accomplishment once you’ve fought your way to that final page. The dictionary, in this sense, comes in the form of other players who leave helpful notes on the ground throughout all of Drangleic, often warning you of an ambush or rejoicing about a bonfire that lies in wait just ahead. And that second reading, of course, is the sadistic New Game+ mode, which both tests you of the familiar while adding even more challenge into the mix for an infinite replay value.

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But the big question that everyone will be wondering about Dark Souls 2 is whether or not the game is harder than Demon’s Souls or the first Dark Souls. Based on my own experience, I would say the answer is twofold. The opening 10 hours of the game, though easily more accessible than previous installments, are an unbelievably rough time at first, as they pit you up against extremely powerful enemies with very little resources to aid your progress. There also seems to be a noticeable increase in the number of bosses you’ll face off against, and these are both cruel in design and marvelous in their appearance. And of course, there’s nothing quite as stressful as being invaded by other players in the game’s tightly-refined PvP components.

But once you successfully make it past that 10-15 hour mark and nab your first decent weapon or armor set, you’ll really start to push forward and get to see the wonderful realm of Drangleic open up like never before. Not only is the game world much more expansive than Lordran was in the original Dark Souls, but the visual variety of the environments and all the clever ways in which they intersect with one another make for a thrilling and picturesque exercise in exploration. As the different pathways begin to branch off into more and more side areas, you’ll hold your breath with every step, as you literally never know what kind of horrific monster is sitting in wait around the next bend (and without spoiling anything, From Software really outdid themselves with the monster and boss designs in this game).

While the basic groundwork of Dark Souls remains largely intact in the sequel, From Software added a few new tweaks to the formula this time around, which actually feel derivative of Demon’s Souls. For one thing, the shimmering coastal town of Majula serves as a central hub of sorts, allowing you to level-up your hero and populate it with different shop keeps and blacksmiths that you meet in the world: all very reminiscent of the original Nexus. A new fast travel system is also unlocked right from the get-go, which enables players to move between bonfires at will and eliminates a good deal of backtracking in a nice and succinct way. There are also bigger punishments for death, primarily in your overall health meter gradually getting shorter with each subsequent death as long as you remain Hollow.

The good news for you is that the healing system has also been modified ever so slightly. In addition to gradually upgrading your Estus Flask as you go along by uncovering special shards, a new health system has been infused in the form of Lifegems. This new finite item is helpful in the sense that you can use it almost instantly during battle (as opposed to the long, slow gulp of your Estus Flask), but are forced to wait a few seconds afterwards for its healing powers to gradually take effect. It’s an interesting new twist to the healing mechanics, and one that can easily mean the difference between life and death if utilized properly. Conversely, the inventory interface seems a little easier to pull up and navigate this time, though all the fundamental aspects are still in check.

Another big change in Dark Souls 2 is one that I’m still on the fence about. After you’ve slain a certain enemy a required number of times, that enemy will permanently disappear from the world, allowing you a clearer path to wherever it is you’re trying to go. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel relieved every time this happened to me after 20+ deaths in the same area, but it does also seem to cheapen the experience just a bit. It’s definitely one of the primary examples of how Dark Souls 2 is trying to be more accessible to the mainstream, and it will go a long way towards letting more players reach the end of the game. Luckily, for all you diehard Souls players out there, using a special item at a bonfire will effectively respawn all the enemies as if nothing even happened.

I’ve put over 100 hours into both Demon’s Soulsand Dark Souls over the years, and yet I still needed to relearn how to play the game in Dark Souls 2. Getting cocky or rushing through an area is the fastest way to see that iconic “You Died” screen no matter how good you think you are. But even so, you’ll still keep coming back for more. It’s hard to describe the feeling of elation once you’ve landed the finishing blow on a massive boss, or unlocked an unexpected shortcut that takes you back to the comfort of a bonfire, but it’s a system of risk and reward that you will absolutely thrive on. The three hours I spent dying on Heides Tower of Flame didn’t matter anymore once I finally made my way past the armored guards and demolished the Old Dragonslayer in the Cathedral of Blue.

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I should also mention, however, that despite all of the beauty that weaves its way into Dark Souls 2’s every murky corridor and looming architecture, I encountered a number of small glitches on the PS3 version of the game. Certain aspects of the menu system were a bit sluggish in pulling up their accompanying image icons, like the items in your inventory or different bonfire you can travel to. Sometimes the sound wouldn’t quite match up, either: I would hack at an enemy with my sword, watch him stammer back and take a hit to his health bar, and then hear the sweet clash of weapon on armor only afterwards. But the scariest bug? When various grunt monsters would flicker on-screen and turn invisible for a second or two!

As a whole, though, Dark Souls 2 is not only another fantastic installment in the tough-as-nails fantasy series, but it uses its inspiration of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls to a very positive effect. The world is more expansive and beautiful, the enemies more vicious and deadly, and the reward for overcoming it all has never felt so fulfilling. From your very first death to your third run through of the festering realm of Drangleic, Dark Souls 2 is certainly a game for the battered, blood-soaked history books.

+Story +Graphics +Gameplay +Sound +Replayability

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Joe Jasko is a graduate student at Pace University, where he is studying Publishing and all things related to books. He hopes to become a book…

Title: Nioh 2Developer: Team NinjaPublisher: Koei Tecmo, SonyGenre: Action RPGAvailable On: PlayStationOfficial Site:Release Date: March 12, 2020Where to Buy:There have been many games that take inspiration from, or just seem like, Dark Souls in the current generation of Gaming. Some, in the case of Lords of the Fallen, turned out mediocre and forcing you to think of Dark Souls when playing only hindered that experience. Some, Like The Surge, managed to give a unique souls-like experience that just hits shy of the mark of greatness. Nioh managed to be so fantastic it took any preconceived ideas about the game and threw it out the window.

Nioh is Nioh. To call it just a souls-like would be misleading. You could throw in Onimusha, Muramasa, Ninja Gaiden, and plenty of other games I can’t pronounce but love. Whilst the made big impressions, they needed to do more than just look pretty for half an hour at a time.

Needless to say, Nioh 2 had a lot to live up to. Who are you in Nioh 2?The most immediate change that you experience in Nioh 2 is that of your main character. Unlike Nioh, where you play as William Bonney, In Nioh 2 you play as your own created character nicknamed Hide. It has a fairly in-depth character creator with a ton of different styles and you can even customize your yokai form.

I, on the other hand, decided to add three frog tattoos to my chest and call it a day. On to the game itself.The game itself functions as a prequel. It opens in the Mino province, where Hide is hired as a mercenary to hunt down Yokai, a spirit from Japanese folklore. In a tough battle against a powerful Yokai, Hide loses control of himself, unleashing a yokai power. Luckily Tokichiro, a wandering merchant helps Hide regain control.

Tokichiro hires you as protection and seeks their next buyer. There is a lot more to this narrative like what is Hide’s real name, how does this tie in and what do Dosan’s words mean but this is the base premise. This moves us onto the most important part of Nioh 2, its gameplay. How does it play?The similarities to Dark Souls are undeniable but it is, ultimately, its own beast(yokai?). It is far more complex than Dark Souls‘ combat. You have your traditional heavy attack, light attack, and block but it has so much more. Its parry system is dependant on skills unlocked and can differ from weapon and stance.

Speaking of stances, this is possibly my favorite mechanic Nioh has. There is a heavy, medium and light stance for each weapon, each with their own pros and cons. This adds a fascinating level of strategy to each encounter. You must watch your opponent’s stance and change yours accordingly. If you really want to succeed in Nioh, this is necessary.Make no mistake going in, Nioh 2 is a challenging experience.

It doesn’t just do this to emulate Dark Souls or artificially inflate playtime. Nioh 2 has its difficulty at its core. It is a grueling, yet incredibly rewarding experience. Its gameplay is tough and often overwhelming but learning what makes it tick is incredibly satisfying. This is pushed even further with its combo system CCCComboNioh 2‘s combo system feels like a relic of an older from an older time but it is better for it. Part of its leveling system is in the skills category. Each weapon and skill type has its own unique skill tree and you earn points based on their use.

If you use the odachi more, it will afford you more points to learn combos for it. You can learn incredible jumps, parries, and combos. This can then be assigned to your Hotbar or to a combo type to use in the future. Sometimes, when you feel stuck, it is best to customize combos, ninja skills and Onmyo magic for a better result.There is a huge amount of customization to be had in both the equipment and the level system. As well as its skill trees, it has a more straight forward Level system.

In this, you may spend Amrita earned form kills and items to upgrade one of 8 skills. This defines your main build. Strength for Odachi, Courage for Tonfa, Magic for uhh Magic? You should build your character based on your preferred weapon but you will likely get the chance to experience every weapon fully by the end of the game. How long is it?Speaking of the end of the game, Nioh 2 will keep you entertained for a long time.

If you want to make your way through Nioh 2, it should take you about 50 hours but there is much more to be had for completionists or those new to the genre. What is more important is Nioh 2 will stay with you far longer than the length of the game. The feeling of fist-pumping glory from beating that one boss or the way the story unfolds should stay in your head until the next Nioh. Verdict:Nioh 2 is everything that made the first Nioh title work so well. It’s wonderfully sharp (in multiple ways) and offers one of the most rewarding experiences so far this year.What are you playing? Have you played the original?

Are you interested in Nioh 2?Let us know in the comments. Make sure to follow the page on,!