VGChartz's Issa Maki: "I want to appreciate Dark Souls II on the same level as its predecessor, Demon's Souls, or Bloodborne. Yet every time I open myself up to the possibility, my hopes are dashed by small design quirks that eventually add up to a sum of infuriating disappointment. How can a game that improves on the past in so many intriguing ways be held back by issues that never previously existed? Why does Dark Souls II seem to sabotage any sense of enjoyment it creates, just out of sheer spite against the player? Was this conduct on behalf of the developers justifiable in some way – and possibly even necessary? Prepare to quaff some Estus and burn an effigy or two in our likenesses, for we journey once again to the land of Drangleic."
The Smelter Demon is a bombastic boss design that bolsters Dark Souls 2's roster with an experience that updates an older fight's form to function.
Man, I dunno about that. In fact, most boss fights in Dark Souls 2 were forgettable.
Dark Souls 2 remains a divisive entry in the landmark RPG franchise, but Hidetaka Miyazaki believes it led to the success of Elden Ring.
DS2 was fine. While there was a bit of recycling assets or ideas for bosses, it was a bigger more open Dark Souls. The Fume knight boss is one of the hardest bosses in the series until Sekiro and Elden Ring were released.
The problem with Dark Souls 2 was the same problem when a different director takes over for a sequel to an outstanding movie. It typically (there are exceptions) doesn’t have the feel and vision of the previous movie.
I wouldn’t say Dark Souls 2 is terrible. Had Dark Souls 1 never been a thing and we got this, I think it would have been praised more. The problem is it didn’t have the Miyazaki touch to it and felt pretty derivative. The soundtrack is a banger though.
And it will happen in the future when he doesn’t touch them as he is planning on.
I like DS 2, might even be my favorite of the 3. But it's a hard sell, there's so many obscure things you need to do to make it an enjoyable experience. So always find it hard to recommend, but it is worth the trouble.
TheGamer writes, "Some weapons resist the test of time."
