๐ข THE SEQUEL TO THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME! ๐ข
Aaaaaand, it's mid as all hell... ๐
After two very successful projects, i.e. Deamon Souls and Dark Souls. The fromsoft fans were eagerly awaiting their newest project. Passions were running hot as most were enjoying what they got. But time is a cruel mistress, and with more of her, we get to realize that not all is as it seems. ๐ญ
So let's discuss whyโ๏ธ In this edition of Through the Lens ๐, we'll be taking a look at fromsoftware's wild swing in their catalog from 2013: Dark Souls 2, โ๏ธ
(probably the most controvertial fromsoft title ever released)
Roll it! ๐ฝ
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๐ท UP TOP ๐ถ
The soundtrack is like any other fromsoft affair. Epic strings and angelic choruses. Def something you wouldn't put on in the background while working or with your mates. But worth putting on if you are for instance fencing with your mates. Because that's what mates do, no? // 'twas a joke
Or! And this is an even better idea. To sample it while reading the corresponding article about its game. ๐ฎ i.e. this one. Amazing I know.
Again, I didn't play this game for a long while after its release. Even though the whole gaming world shook when it dropped. Fromsoft wasn't the giant they are today, and Dark Souls still was only available on consoles. So it was a very popular game, but still rather niche all things considering. The hype behind Dark Souls 2 was felt for sure.
Did it live up to said hype? At the time I feel like yes. Over time, however, Dark Souls 2 is for many people the worst title fromsoft has put out. Now, that isn't as damning of a statement as you might think, as fromsoft makes only kickass games. So even their most lackluster effort is better than some studios' best. Still, there is much to discuss.
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๐ท METROIDVANIA, NO ๐ถ
So remember all that wonderful lip service I did for the first game? Well, none of it is applicable now. ๐ For those unaware, Metroidvania is a genre of 2D games that bolsters heavily interconnected worlds. Dark Souls was the perfect 3D representative of this. However, all that glorious interconnectivity is now dead and gone. ๐ญ
The original Dark Souls is the only such game in fromsoft's roster. Which in my opinion is a great shame. Fromsoft would only return to that level of interconnectivity with Elden Ring. For now, Dark Souls 2 sees you at a hub area that divides into four directions. Each of these is linear, each their own.
So the interconnectivity is gone and with it the magic that comes along. We do have immediate fast travels now, which while useful and handy, diminishes the exploration aspect of the game even more. It's like fromsoft said to hell with exploration. And fromsoft are one of the best at exploration, so you can see why people would be disappointed.
The levels are all perfectly capable and serviceable, it's just not what people have grown to expect. Expectations are everything in video games. So, what does Dark Souls 2 do differently then? Apart from the lessened level of level design that is.
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๐ท STILL DIFFICULT ๐ถ
The game is thankfully still very hard. However, the level of difficulty slightly shifted from fair but hard, to unfair and hard. Not completely, I think Dark Souls 3 is the biggest offender of this. But it definitely feels like fromsoft was aware of its reputation and wanted to lean into it a bit. ๐
The game's bosses are still amazing, and all of this that I discuss is relative to fromsoft games. If another company were to do Dark Souls 2 it would be heralded as their best title most likely. And what I'm saying isn't bad per se. It's just the standards that fromsoft set for themselves unfortunately shadow this great game.
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๐ท COMBAT ๐ถ
We will quickly touch upon the combat, which has seen the biggest change coming from Dark Souls 1. There are many more options in the sequel. Even though most are not as optimal as Shield + Sword. These games have always been balanced as such, even if it's to their detriment (i.e. Elden Ring).
One mechanic that would see a resurgence in Elden Ring was the twin blades. Once you beat the game you get access to New Game +, and in NG+ you can essentially dual-wield weapons in a new stance. Except it's not a true dual wield, more so you are creating a new set of moves, that function more as being two-handed than anything else.
Regardless, it was a nifty mechanic that got its time to shine in fromsoft's magnum opus.
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๐ท LEGACY ๐ถ
Most of the game is the same fromsoft goodness. The art, music, designs, combat. That is still amazing, all of it. I cannot focus on that stuff, however, as we already did that in the Dark Souls column. So we have to talk about what makes this game stand out - and unfortunately, that's its shortcomings.
This is a fromsoft game, as such its legacy is pretty secure. But I think it is lesser than the other titles. It is in my opinion a good game, yes. But if somebody argued with me that it wasn't, I wouldn't fight with them too harshly. ๐
Thank you for reading, you rock! (and maybe roll) ๐๐๐
Shout-out to the ๐PIZZA๐ gang, ๐ค gang. ๐ค
Next up is most certainly Dark Souls 3. And that one is very polarizing in the way people think of it. So that should be a fun piece. ๐ Dark Souls 2 is more or less the most forgetful fromsoft game since they were still figuring stuff out and finding themselves. Let's see how they implemented all these lesson in the final of the trilogy.
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I hope you are having an amazing week! ๐
Return from Dark Souls 2 ๐ฝ Through the Lens to ะะพัะบะพ's Web3 Blog
