Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

1. justin760

   Apr 10, 2015

   10

   I've never been sucked into and spat out so intensely from a video game. I played the original Souls game years ago when I was about 17 andI've never been sucked into and spat out so intensely from a video game. I played the original Souls game years ago when I was about 17 and didn't have the patience and will to acclimate to the steep learning curve and ended up trading it in two days after it was released, and only played maybe 60min. After hearing the insane amount of praise from critics and gamers I stepped up to the challenge and bought this game.
   
   The level of difficulty can vary based on your commitment to playing it. At first it is definitely challenging, you will be crushed, stabbed, killed, pushed off cliffs, accidentally fall off cliffs, and completely owned in a hundred different ways hundreds of times. Evasion by rolling or back stepping is essential, whether your a melee fighter or ranged. Timing your attacks and evasion techniques is also a skill needed. You can grind/repeatedly kill then respawn enemies at the camp fire and make rounds to level up more if the challenge is too much and enough of this will make enemies and bosses much easier. Death is inevitable and you learn from each one, any confidence and security gained will be crushed over and over as increasingly difficult enemies are encountered.
   
   Gameplay is smooth and controls and animations/movement is realistic and exhilarating. The difficulty creates exhilaration and adrenaline rushes, you will get worked up in a good and bad way. Graphics are not comparable with other current games and they are definitely dated but the gameplay and combat system is fulfilling and entertaining enough to make you not even care.
   
   So far, 30 hours in I am maybe halfway through the game, more like 1/3 way through including DLC. Multiplayer PvE/coop is optional and a huge help if your stuck on a hard area/boss. Considering the depth of this open world, the plethora of weapons items and armor as well as possibilities to upgrade them embodies the typical dungeon crawler loot and item system you've come to enjoy very well. Character creation, interaction with characters in the game, and the deep intricacy of the world of Drangleic gives you an intimate connection to the enormous mystical world of Dark Souls 2. You will come to adore everything including the difficulty and unease from the atmospheric regions. It's why many critics consider it sadomasochistic in many ways.
   
   In short, if you like RPGs or similar genres (dungeon crawler, hack n slash, action/adventure) them this is a MUST own, especially if you haven't played Souls 2 already when previously released on last Gen consoles. As for returning players, it gives a reason to play again with the significant and small changes made... But personally if I have sunk in 60+ hours into a game I probably wouldn't pay 60$ to play it again. Because its still the same game, the changes are mainly insignificant and not enough to make it a new or moderately different experience. Don't listen to the people crying about capitalism and the "money hungry" ethics behind this re-release. If you don't want to pay for a game you've already played again, or don't have the money then shut up and don't hate on it, just don't play it. The critic that gave a 0/10 score purely based on this idea is in my opinion a troll and angry person and his words disgrace the game reviews community and brings the emotional motivations of all critics into question.… Expand

   • 9 of 14 users found this helpful
2. Wally-Clogg

   Jan 4, 2022

   10

   Geat Souls game offering a new region and chacaters/Enemies/weapons/armour to enjoy.

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
4. usualben

   Apr 19, 2015

   9

   First game in the series I have played... It's amazing. The first 5 hours of loosing my mind to death was bearable, maybe fun, but now I amFirst game in the series I have played... It's amazing. The first 5 hours of loosing my mind to death was bearable, maybe fun, but now I am able to actually look after myself its even greater. The thing that is missing from most action games is skill, in dark souls it's the center of everything. Almost every fight is a challenging encounter that requires brain and brawn. My advice to mastering the combat is patience, then, when the time is right - unleash death. I'd play this game even if it had no point, story or objective because the combat is so fun. But, on top of that is the secrets, the places, the game itself and that aspect is just as strong as any other action based RPG. Get it.… Expand

   • 3 of 6 users found this helpful
5. Dperks

   Jun 11, 2019

   8

   While probably the weakest in the soul series this game is still a solid title that has a lot of content in fact maybe a little too much butWhile probably the weakest in the soul series this game is still a solid title that has a lot of content in fact maybe a little too much but that's not really a negative now is it… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. GainesvilleGuy

   May 15, 2015

   7

   Big fan of the original Dark Souls, but this game was not as good overall in my opinion. I give it a respectable 7, but by the end I justBig fan of the original Dark Souls, but this game was not as good overall in my opinion. I give it a respectable 7, but by the end I just wanted to finish to get the achievements as I had completely lost interest. It was a tedious march by the time I finished. I have absolutely no desire to play again or to focus on PVP tuning.
   
   First, it was far too easy. I'm no elitist (although am a pretty skilled old-school gamer) but the entire point of a Dark Souls game is the difficulty, and it just wasn't there this time. When I finally just wanted to beat the game I rushed through the final levels without a sweat. In original Dark Souls that would have been impossible.
   
   As for the story I like the way they approach it in the Dark Souls series. It is mostly about the vibe, the backstory that you uncover, and the tidbits left around to discover. But it was just more of the same. If I had never played Dark Souls I'd probably have enjoyed it more but there was nothing new here in my opinion.
   
   The multiplayer I've always thought was the absolute genius of Dark Souls. I still give them bonus points for that, it is very innovative. However, the messages have lost their sparkle after the 100'th "beware of rear use tongue" type comment next to a bent over corpse. Granted, they still provide good clues as to what to expect most of the time. The ghosts of other players makes it feel like you are playing with others even when you are not, and the ability to summon and be summoned is very cool. Unfortunately, summoning makes pretty much any boss fight absolutely trivial. Meanwhile, the PVP wasn't really that frequent at the levels I was playing which is kind of a waste. They should have figured out how to make PVP more relevant early on.
   
   Overall I thought this game was just kind of blah. I don't regret buying it, but I have no really fond memories of playing it and no desire to every fire it up again.… Expand

   • 1 of 8 users found this helpful
7. TagGamer1122

   Jul 5, 2015

   6

   After putting in forty hours and having played and beat this game multiple times before its re-release, I can confidently say I absolutelyAfter putting in forty hours and having played and beat this game multiple times before its re-release, I can confidently say I absolutely hate this game! The movements are slow. The rolling has been gimped so you need to play with a shield. The enemies are grouped together in a huddle s fighting them one on one is nearly impossible. You can no longer run past the enemies, you have to fight them so say goodbye to all those hours to just grinding. The game absolutely makes you play as a sorcerer since you will need to be able to do some crowd controlling so you'll no longer be able to play the solo-melee character. The game says it's fair but it's not. Not when multiple enemies stack on top of you UNLESS of course you're an overpowered Mage. The game did not age well. If you want a game that's truly fair and faster, then pleas bloodborne. There is nothing to see here. Wasted money. Wasted time… Expand

   • 0 of 1 users found this helpful
8. ncgalt1984

   Feb 1, 2016

   0

   I can't recall ever playing a game that was less fun that this game. The legendary difficulty of the game is the result of truly terribleI can't recall ever playing a game that was less fun that this game. The legendary difficulty of the game is the result of truly terrible controls. The camera will randomly change directions in the middle of fights or even while just running. Jumping is terrible. The graphics are meh. This game isn't brutally hard. It's brutally boring.… Expand

   • 1 of 9 users found this helpful

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