Dark Souls 2 — Cursed Paradise

 

A few years ago, a small revolution occurred, not by the most popular studio From Software, but with the release of Demon’s Souls. It was a truly fresh role-playing game, with a high entry barrier, and a complex and merciless mechanic for newcomers. To the developers' surprise, it began to gain popularity. People meticulously studied locations, spent hundreds of hours leveling up their heroes, and searched for hidden meaning in rare character phrases.

 

After the success of Demon’s Souls, the creators began working on a sequel, but the rights to the name remained with the publisher Sony Computer Entertainment. Therefore, it was decided to change the name to Dark Souls. As a result, the foundation of combat, sadistic difficulty, and innovative multiplayer of the first “Souls” remained, while everything else was reworked. The second part of Dark Souls is a logical development of the first's ideas, with improvements to shortcomings and an increase in scale.

 

 

 

The plot is the first thing that catches the eye. Now it exists, and you don't have to search for it with a magnifying glass in item descriptions and sparse character statements. Here, everyone is ready to share their opinion about the world and their neighbors. By talking to people, we not only learn details about the universe but also have a chance to get a useful item, so the thirst for knowledge is encouraged here. And the story is truly captivating!

 

Many years have passed since the events described in Dark Souls, but those cursed with the dark sign still roam these lands. According to legend, in the forgotten kingdom of Drangleic, one can find deliverance and eternal peace. But in essence, the kingdom is a prison.

 

Most of the kingdom's inhabitants did not end up here by chance; each pursues their own goal, but all of them need souls to remain immortal. However, over time, their memory fades, and they forget why they came here. Ultimately, everyone here becomes “hollow” — creatures who have lost their sense of reality and themselves forever. What happened to the kingdom, you will definitely find out in the finale. As before, most details are hidden in item descriptions.

 

 

We take on the role of a person marked with the dark sign, who tries to find deliverance from the curse in forgotten lands. We open a portal and find ourselves at the beginning of the game. After meeting the keepers, we choose our preferred class… and here is the second significant change! Now all starting classes do not have good equipment, all have many shortcomings, and the advantages lie only in the presence of additional items: one has a bow, the other has more potions and herbs. 

 

After creating a character, we can immediately test their strength and fight a strong enemy. It immediately becomes clear that each class is not so much a set of characteristics as different ways of playing the game.

 

Majula is an island of calm in a demon-infested kingdom, a semi-abandoned village where the last sane people live. The village is our main camp; all roads lead from here. The eternal sunset symbolizes the imminent death of the world, its resignation and hopelessness. “How many like you have been here. All of them failed, but maybe you can change everything,” they tell us. With such a farewell, we set off.

 

The world no longer resembles a large labyrinth; now it is a web, with Majula at its center. At first glance, it seems that there is only one true path, no other option is provided. But this is an illusion. Learning the purpose of some items, you realize that there is always an opportunity to change your route. The entire map is open immediately, with the exception of some locations, but many doors are sealed for the time being.

 

 

Traveling the world is more reminiscent of Link's adventures from The Legend of Zelda than the first Dark Souls. Keys are used everywhere; you never know exactly what a particular item is needed for, so you always have to keep in mind places where locked doors are encountered and periodically return to them.

 

Battles in the Souls series have always depended on the correct use of weapons and equipment, on dodges and rolls, as well as on parrying and backstabs. It may immediately seem that everything has remained the same. In fact, almost all attacks have been changed, and the spell system and its development have improved. Every little thing is important. A couple of extra points thrown into stamina already change the picture of the duel. People accustomed to thinking in giant numbers, as in some Diablo, will not succeed here.

 

The healing system now consists of elements from Dark and Demon’s Souls. We have Estus Flasks, but their quantity is small, and life gems, which are always in short supply. Weapons and armor now have a durability parameter, so don't be surprised if you suddenly lose your sword during a serious fight. The blacksmith will gladly restore broken armor for a moderate fee. The game finally introduced full dual-wielding. For this, both blades must be identical. Of course, many equipment items have smoothly migrated from the first part, but this is more for the overall quantity. There are plenty of new weapons in the game.

 

For now, playing as a mage is much easier than as a broad-shouldered warrior. Smart sorcerers and agile archers can shoot enemies from positions unreachable to them. Why the developers made such places is utterly unclear. Also, some demons have a limited field of activity, and if you run far enough away, the thick-skinned demon will start backing away, taking arrows and lightning to the back of the neck. Running back and forth, it's easy to destroy strong opponents. 

 

 

It cannot be said that the game turned out to be easier or harder than the previous ones. Many things have indeed become more convenient for newcomers; for example, bonfires (checkpoints) are encountered more often. Killing a merchant does not put an end to the journey. For a certain number of souls, you can summon his ghost and trade with him, but you won't be able to learn his story to the end.

 

Among other things, the developers introduced an interesting enemy respawn system. The fact is that the number of demons in the game is limited. If you hunt weak types, they will eventually stop appearing altogether. So the possibility of easy leveling up has vanished. Players are forced to struggle to reach their goal and embark on a second playthrough or use a special item that resurrects all killed monsters and bosses, but makes them stronger. At the same time, most items in the game also have a finite number; you have to economize on everything. 

 

Unfortunately, the first third of the game takes place in rather monotonous locations. Castles start to make you sick by the second hour of play. Since you often die here, repeatedly going through the same sections, the scenery is of great importance. But the deeper we delve into exploring the world, the more breathtaking views open up to us. The locations in general have become much more complex in architecture; hidden places or inconspicuous turns are often encountered.

 

The closer to the end of the journey, the more sophisticated and deadly the monsters become, but the appearance of most of them is disappointing. Endless variations of knights no longer cause delight. Only some types make you remember what good artists work in the studio. The appearance of the bosses, as always, deserves special praise; their appearance is staged with imagination, and their looks can be shocking. However, for some reason, the developers did not dare to reward the giants with powerful attacks and abilities. Mostly, these are half-alive “fat men” who can't even run. But if the fight with one demon knight seemed easy to you, don't worry — next time there will be two of them. If not by quality, then by quantity, they overwhelm.

 

Graphically, Dark Souls 2 looks better than the first part, but still poor compared to other games. The art design saves it; eventually, you get used to the blur on the screen, but the new lighting system only lowers the frame rate. However, Dark Souls 2 is so captivating and diverse that you completely forget about such shortcomings. Many scenes will forever remain in your memory. The game is not afraid to challenge the player, ultimately making them proud of their achievements.

 

 

Of course, the ability to invade other worlds to hunt their masters or, conversely, help them pass difficult sections has been preserved. Thanks to the updated combat system, duels have become faster, and the reward for victory is not only moral satisfaction but also a ton of souls, which significantly speeds up leveling. 

 

Despite being the third installment in the series, this role-playing game is unique in its kind. It is both a refinement of past mistakes and a new vast world, offering dozens of hours required for the first playthrough. But Dark Souls 2 demands more from you. You dive headfirst into the gloomy labyrinth and forget about other games, readily embarking on a second, third, and fourth playthrough.

 

Of course, Dark Souls 2 has its drawbacks, such as a slight creative crisis among the artists and not the most challenging bosses. The series should take a short break so that the next installment can incorporate significant changes and innovations. And, of course, it should be released on the new generation of consoles. Today, Dark Souls 2 looks simply shameful.

 

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