written by owen on 2025-Feb-14.

The game is brutal.  The environments have the vibe of shadow of the colossi on the ps2.  The game world feels abandoned and lonely with minimal music.  This might be the first totally "new" experience I have since I got the Xbox 360 console.  Forza, Hitman, FarCRy3 are all experiences that are better but not different from ones I have had on older systems.  Plus all have difficulty modes that allow you to move through without many walls to stop your progress.  But in DS2 the first few enemies can literally ruin your day.  I think I died 30 times before I left the first area.

I got the DS2 along with DS1 to borrow from a co-worer.  I played DS1 first but found the framerate and the jank to be too bad for my liking.  So I skipped DS1 and went to DS2 which luckily had better performance. I am not a purist as you may notice from my small collection of xbox games.

Progression is slow.  This is definitely a patient man's game.  If you try to rush through you will die many, many times.  Every door and corner is a potential death trap.  You have to be careful at all times because in the early game every enemy can wreck you if given the slightest chance.

The game has many subtle systems but its not complicated or overwhelming.  No easy option is available.  You do what you can to survive or you just give up.  The game does not care either way. The game itself will make it harder the more you die. Get good or go home.

Conclusion

At just 7 hours in I can safely say the game is great.  Died 200 times.  I might never finish it so I don't need to write alot about it.  Dark Souls 2 is a real "gamer's game". 10/10 would recommend only for the most hardcore players who like to fail and get back up many times.  If you think of games as a series of tests then it is a masters degree.  You will not have a good time if you only play easy games. 

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