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Availability:
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At a glance
- Condition
- New
- Platform For Display
- PlayStation 4
- Dimensions
- 0.6 x 5.3 x 6.7 in; 2.4 oz
- Weight
- 2.4 oz
- Publication Date
- April 7, 2015
- Type of item
- Video Game
- Language
- English
Features 5
- All 3 DLC Pack Contents: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, Crown of the Ivory King
- Additional NPCs Added For Enhanced Story Experience To Assist Guiding Players Through Level
- Parameter Setting Adjustments for Improved Balance
- Augmented Item Descriptions
- Increase in Maximum Online Players
Description
Prepare to Die again in the complete Dark Souls 2 experience with Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin. Hallmark challenge & reward await you with augmentations, additions and enhancements fueled by the passion and talent of famed Japanese studio From Software.
Specs 13
| Publication Date | April 7, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Computer Platform | PlayStation 4 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 72 |
| UPC | 722674120272 806315227909 |
| Compatible Video Game Console Models | Sony PlayStation 4 |
| Release date | April 7, 2015 |
| Product Dimensions | 0.6 x 5.3 x 6.7 inches; 2.4 ounces |
| Type of item | Video Game |
| Language | English |
| Rated | Teen |
| Item model number | 12027 |
| Item Weight | 2.4 ounces |
| Manufacturer | Bandai Namco Entertainment America |
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Top Amazon Reviews
A challenging game to defeat as well as get out of your head.
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
Ah Dark Souls II, I have heard many things about this game before I actually played it; mostly rumblings about how it isn't as good as Dark Souls I but it's still a good game blah blah blah. Let me just say that the first ten hours I spent with this game were BRUTAL. I had completed Dark Souls I and Bloodborne by the time I played this game so you can say I know what I'm doing. Regardless, I had my ass handed to me way more times than I thought was fair. In fact, if you had asked me my thoughts on Dark Souls II during those first ten hours I would've sung a different tune. I would've said it was a harder game than Dark Souls I, but for all the wrong reasons. I'm not saying that now. Having made my peace with hours 1-10 and spending about 30 more in the game I can say the adventure is grand and fantastic. First off, I must say I commend the developers for not simply rehashing every single thing about Dark Souls I for this game. Yes, some of the core principles are there (it IS a Dark Souls game after all) but the developers chose to mix things up a little bit for this entry. The biggest change is Hollowing and Reverse Hollowing. I'm sure everyone at this point knows about the penalty for death when not human: your max health decreases with a floor of half max health. To reverse this (heh) you reverse hollow back to human. You regain your skin, you regain your max health. Simple. However, reverse hollowing is different here. For one, there are no humanities in the game. Instead reverse hollowing is done by using a human effigy: little items found throughout the world and found in some shops. That's it. Moving on. Another notable difference is the estus flask. You start the game with one estus flask. The only way to get more is to find estus flask shards and return them to a woman with a truly amazing name (Emerald Herald, awesome). Each shard grants you one additional flask. Truly, I really like this idea. You can find consumable health recovery items throughout the game so having one flask is no big deal once you find your groove. I like the idea of working for something that refills every time you rest at a bonfire. Major kudos to the developers for this. One minor complaint I have for this game is that the number of areas seems a bit arbitrary. I can't say for sure but I think they made a bunch of areas just so they can say it's a bigger game than DS1. However, a few of these areas are transitory. You run through them in like ten minutes and then you never see them again. No real exploration, just move from point A to point B. I think some of those areas don't even have a bonfire (I could be wrong about this so please keep the pitchfork poking at a minimum). Another complaint is that the boss designs are a bit lazy. Sure, there are some really cool bosses (I'll never forget the Demon Frog and you won't either) but a majority of the bosses are humanoid creatures with roughly the same attacks. One boss even looks exactly like Ornstein! He may even have had the same move set as Ornstein....I don't remember. It's not Ornstein though so no spoilers here. These complaints aside, the game that we are presented with is another great game in the series and an excellent followup to the first Dark Souls. Is it a worse game than Dark Souls? Well....I think I would rate Dark Souls higher, yes, but I must give considerable credit to Dark Souls II for not simply rehashing the first game. They dared to try a few new things. Some of them worked and some of them didn't. The point is you aren't getting an exact same experience with DS2. It's different enough to be its own game and that's a great thing. This game is absolutely worth playing by anyone who is a fan of the Souls series and by anyone who wants a challenge and is sick of the new age style of gaming where everything is progressed through cutscenes and an obnoxious amount of storytelling. Like, the original Legend of Zelda, you are dropped in this big world and told to go exploring. There is a story here but you must discover it on your own. It should be noted, however, that I think the opening cinematics for this game are longer than the combined total of cinematics for Dark Souls I. I'm not sure of this but it may be true.......... Oh! If I have persuaded you to buy this game, I offer you one bit of advice: Dark Souls II has this extra stat for leveling up called Adaptability. On the level up screen it is denoted as ADP near the bottom of the stat list. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU GET THIS STAT TO AT LEAST 20 EARLY ON IN THE GAME. The game won't tell you this but it speeds up your characters animations for everything. And by everything I mean estus flask drinking (among others but this is vital). I imagine my first ten hours with this game wouldn't have been nearly as rough if I had known about Adaptability. LEVEL ADAPTABILITY UP TO 20. I promise you won't regret it. Okay! Huzzah! Yay! Review is over, so good day!
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2015 by Chris Ripka
Great game for players who's likes challenges.
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
Great game. Recommended who likes souls challenges. Gameplay is long and interesting. Different locations, different enemies, bosses.
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2026 by Mariya
THIS is the Dark Souls II version single-players have been waiting for!!
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
Dark Souls II is the sequel to Dark Souls, which is the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls. Both of the aforementioned games were masterpieces in my opinion, so I had high expectations for Dark Souls II. Unfortunately, those expectations were not met when Dark Souls II was first released. What exactly were my expectations? I wanted a game that is challenging but fair, a beautiful world that you can explore freely (more or less), and a story line that makes one yearn for more. The original release of Dark Souls II was certainly not a bad game, but it felt hollow (pun intended) compared to the original Dark Souls. There were a lot of issues that made the "game feel "cheap" compared to the original. Fortunately, this updated version while still technically the same game is VASTLY improved! SINGLE-PLAYER EXPERIENCE ############################ Let me say that Dark Souls II has an amazing player-versus-player options. There are lots of "covenants" you can join to invade other players, or help other players. The reason I prefer to play offline is because I enjoy being immersed in the world all to my own. I do not want to deal with real players (although again, I have nothing against those that love it). I like the story (Dark Souls has a deep story, even if it is told via minimalism) and find fighting other players a bit dull to be honest. This of course also means that in a "tough" fight you can not summon others to help you. Also, when you are traversing places such as the Black Gulch all by yourself, it really is beautifully unnerving! NOTE: This is review is mostly spoiler free! I do talk a little bit about some of the differences between Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin and it's predecessor below. If you played the game for a few hours, chances are these will not be spoilers at all. CHALLENGING =========== If there is one thing Dark Souls [NB: when I just say Dark Souls I really mean all three games in the series] is known for, it's the challenge. This challenge, is what makes the game. Sure, the game is aurally and visually beautiful, but a major reason for this is the difficulty. For example, as you try to progress through the game, you come across a number of monsters that quickly attack and make short work of you. Eventually, you figure out how to deal with them, only to be sniped by an archer. Then, you try again and once you get past the archer you find there are even more enemies and they make short work of you! By your sixth try (or more) you finally defeat them, and then you realize just how beautiful are the ancient ruins around you! While Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin is very challenging, it is also fair. If an enemy looks like it can kill you in one or two hits, it can. Also, there really are no "simple" enemies. If you let your guard down and become shall we say a bit "overconfident", you may very well find yourself defeated by "weak" foes despite the fact that they are not nearly as difficult as more heavily armored enemies. The original release of Dark Souls II was unfortunately not what it should have been. In this updated version, there are different enemies placements, entirely new enemies, more invaders to fight (non-players), and of course the downloadable content opens up huge new areas (more on that below)! In short, THIS is the version I hoped to play when Dark Souls II was first released! Downloadable Content ================ The new areas of the game are not only "large" areas to explore, they are arguably the most visually stunning areas of the game! They really are beautiful. Also, they are extremely well designed and are not just "go to area A, defeat boss, go to area B" -there are secrets to find. As an example, in one of the new areas there are pillars that move up and down. So it really is three-dimensional exploring rather than just a linear progression for each area. I loved the Artorias of the Abyss expansion for the original Dark Souls. However, hands-down the downloadable content in Dark Souls II is far better. Although fighting Artorias was one of the most rewarding fights in ALL the Souls games, just in terms of exploration and enjoyment the three new areas in Dark Souls II are far larger in scope and the exploration is a joy. Also, they are all very diverse, and quite easy to access. And of course, the areas present new challenges to the player! Scholar of the First Sin Upgrades ======================== The main draw here is of course the downloadable content as described above. However, there have been so many tweaks from the original release, that this feels like a new game! First off, the PS4 version has had a graphics upgrade. The original PS3 release did NOT look as good as the original Dark Souls! In general, sequels look better even if they are not overall better games, but in this case the original Dark Souls II release looked washed-out. Fortunately, that has been corrected with the PS4 version. Secondly, there are more enemies, enemies in different locations, MORE summons (which are extremely helpful especially when fighting certain bosses that otherwise feel cheap), and more non-player invasions (red phantoms)! In terms of summons, if you really want to beat every single boss solo, you can do that. However, I feel that the added summons (and invasions) are very well done and make what are arguably frustrating boss fights far better (although still not easy). There are of course new weapons to find, new armor, more dialogue from non-playing characters (NPCs), and it really feels like this is finally the complete version! PRO ======== ++Beautiful game both aurally and visually. The atmosphere is so vivid, at times it may just be tangible! ++Very difficult, but fair game. This is the most challenging of the three games in the series thus far. ++The DLC is amazing! It is all on disc, nothing to download! You will love it. ++Load Times: there are load times? You will hardly notice. ++Expect to spend lots of time on this game! This will be a long, beautiful, and challenging game! ++ADDICTIVE: this game should have a warning label. CON ======== --NO manual! I know many games are doing it, but it would be nice to have a printed manual. Still, this is just a minor detraction. --MUSIC: Dark Souls II "Majula" theme is gorgeous! However, compared to the original Dark Souls, or even Demon's Souls, most of the music is forgettable. Now while the game sounds great with all the sound effects and it has good music including a few wonderful pieces, overall it's not in the same league as the first two games. --So Many Humanoids: The original Dark Souls has very different enemies with unique looks and attacks. Dark Souls II certainly has some amazing boss fights and some freaky enemies. However, in large part you will be fighting human-like undeads, human-like (but larger) sentinels, human-like but huge bosses, etc. More diversity would have been nice. However, this does not "ruin" the game by any stretch of the imagination. --Torches: I love the sense of being alone in a dark, dreary, dangerous place with only a sword in one hand and a torch in the other! Unfortunately, most of the game is much "brighter" than I would like, and in fact, many places already have lit torches for whatever reason. This is just a minor point, but I feel much more could have been done with torches. --Farming Issues: Overall I'm not a big fan of having to "farm" enemies for items. However, I found myself wanting to upgrade my equipment but I had no titanate chunks. On the other hand I had SIX titanate slabs! Titanate slabs are supposed to be super-ubber rare (they are used to upgrade gear from +9 to +10), and yet I had SIX of them and NO titanate chunks. This is a bit broken. --ADDICTIVE! I realize I also have this under "pro", and the truth is it is a double-edged sword! It is SO addictive, you may let things slide that you should not! BOTTOM LINES: A perfect game? Certainly not. As good as the first Dark Souls? Again, I have to say no. However, THIS upgraded "Scholar of the First Edition" is *close* to the greatness of the first Dark Souls game and it is a VAST improvement over the original Dark Souls II release. Also, this can now be found for $30 or less! At this price, I can easily recommend it to everyone. Here's wishing everyone happy gaming and let us hope that Dark Souls 3 will be a masterpiece! My Score for the original release of Dark Souls II: 80/100 Final Score for Scholar of the First Sin: 90/100 (as you can tell, the upgraded version is VASTLY better)
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Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2015 by Tamlane
A true Soulsborne fan will appreciate this big time.
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
Gameplay: Not much to say. The enemies are fierce and will kill you over and over again. But you'll get stronger and kill them back, and sometimes nab some of their goodies. :) The graphics have been improved, and clothes have a flutter to them in the wind. Because this is the "Scholar of the First Sin" edition, expect MANY enemies being in places you don't remember from before, and being more relentless and fierce than you remember, and this will be on your FIRST play-through. Bosses are as difficult as ever; you have to really be skillful to navigate your way through every battle you face. Lore: You're trying to find a way to save a dying world, but it's made plainly bare that no matter what you do, it can't be saved. You take the throne (Considered equivalent to Rekindling the First Flame), or, leave it (Considered equivalent to ushering in the dark). One choice you made will inevitably undone by someone else making the other choice. Maybe the only real triumph is that you had more fun journeying to your destination rather than the satisfaction of the destination itself. But still, credit where credit is due. In terms of narrative, this game sets up a possible hope for bridging light and dark, which will be eventually culminate in the events of the next game. If Baldur is not your thing, or maybe wanted a break from Skyrim, or Diablo, or even DOTA, this campy masterpiece will certainly sate your addiction for exciting adventures, tense battles, and uncovering hidden treasures.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2024 by Amazon Customer
Homecoming
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
I grew up in a small suburb in Michigan. I spent my youth there. I knew all the streets, could get around easily on a bike. I was familiar with the couple restaurants and shops in the town. I left and eventually my parents moved out of the town. There wasn’t any reason to go back, and for years I didn’t. Over the past year I’ve gone back a couple times to try out a new restaurant that opened, visit a friend coming back into the area who was staying with his parents for a week, or walk along the river that runs through the town. The big things are largely the same. The roads aren’t going to change. There aren’t suddenly going to be highrises in a small Midwestern suburb. But the little stuff is different. A lot of the shops have changed. Small, mom and pop restaurants have been replaced by high end dining and breweries as the area has become wealthier. I don’t know the people when I’m walking the street. An old factory was turned into a small shopping center that wasn’t very appealing as I walked through. Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin has a similar feel of the place I’m from but not the place I’m at. The gameplay is the same, the world is the same, but a lot of the small stuff has changed. First off, for people who haven’t played the Souls games before here is a basic breakdown of what to expect. You are unnamed, unheralded pseudo-hero who finds themself thrust into a kingdom beset by the undead, more or less. The plot is pretty thin, though the world is fleshed out by item descriptions and snippets of dialogue with NPC’s. By the end of the game there isn’t really much of a guiding force and you go forward because that’s the instinctual thing to do. I refer to is as a directionless stumble toward a vague end goal, but really it pans out better than it sounds. You find or purchase armor, weapons and spells (there are four types of spells: spells, miracles, pyromancies and hexes) which all have various offensive, defensive and support uses that you can upgrade to customize your character. You gather souls from defeated enemies that are used as currency and to level up your character. Specific to Dark Souls II the world is a large sprawling map with diverse areas and a central hub town of Majula where friendly NPC’s reside and you can seek refuge. As you explore areas you light bonfires to allow for quick travel. Gameplay is where the series really shines. Combat is challenging and forces you to learn through trial and error. You do end up dying a decent amount while learning (though not as much as they advertise once you know the game) and when you do all your unspent souls remain as a bloodstain where you died. You must retrieve them or lose them forever if you die again before retrieving them. There is an online component where you can see messages from other players, see how they died, help or be helped through a coop system and invade/be invaded through the games PVP system. This doesn’t do justice to a series as large and as involved as the Souls series, but it’s the nickel tour. I’ve played a lot of the Souls series from the early days of Demon’s Souls to the recent Bloodborne. Enough that it’s one of the two series my wife can identify just by seeing it (the other being MLB the Show which is pretty easy to identify if you know baseball). The usual trappings are still there. Nothing about the actual architecture of the game has changed. What has changed is a lot of the superficial elements. Superficial may be too negative of a word here. Enemy placements are different, items appear in different locations. Enemies normally encountered later in the game pop up earlier. It’s a little bit surreal at first. I didn’t realize how much I had engrained the game into my memory. I would approach an area and be waylayed by an enemy in an area that used to be clear, or go into an area ready to maneuver around an enemy I expected and find nothing. Some weapons and equipment will pop up in different areas. I was able to find my Faraam armor exactly where I did in the original Dark Souls 2, but it took a really long time to figure out where my beloved Heide Lance was hiding. The big addition to Dark Souls II, also in line with other HD remakes, is the DLC. I’ll be upfront in saying this. I didn’t like the DLC when it came out on the PS3. I didn’t like the DLC for the original Dark Souls. DLC for the Souls series reviews out well because it’s meaty and offers a new experience, but I just don’t like it. It feels out of place when I play it. It never seems to flow quite right with the rest of the game. It still doesn’t. It feels too much like a puzzle where a lot of the challenge is simply figuring out where you are and how to get where you want to go. I play the game to fight my way to the goal, not wander around trying to figure out where I am and how I even got there. The most extreme example of the DLC being a maze more than anything is a large area in the Crown of the Ivory King where constant blasts of snow blind you except for a few feet ahead and you are attacked by what appeared to be infinitely spawning magical reindeer that attack you. Few landmarks mean just skirting the edge of the map slowly trying to find the boss area. To me the best part of the DLC is the Grand Cathedral in the Crown of the Ivory King because it's such a good way to farm lots of souls very quickly helping others as a white phantom. But, I didn’t buy Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin for the DLC. I had already played. I knew I didn’t care for it. I bought the game for the main game. If you liked the DLC before, you’ll like it now. If you didn’t like it before, you’ll feel slightly better about it. I will say this, having the DLC from the get go is more enjoyable than getting to it on New Game ++++. I still don’t love it, but I don’t feel like “what’s the point?” If you’ve never played the DLC before, well, you can’t knock free content. I realize it’s not “free” since you’re buying the game, but it’s extra content in a game that’s already huge. There are also a few other minor additions to the coop and PVP system. You can now have three summoned phantoms to aid you instead of the limit of two previously. There are also more NPC phantoms that can be summoned to aid you, which is nice if you have a spotty internet connection or there's no one to help you. I've gone into boss battles with 3 NPC companions before, and they can be better than human players. There are also more NPC invasions. Nothing Earth shaking, but they're nice additions that will improve the game for people playing offline for the most part and when there aren't really any human players around to help. They also make the world feel more alive. The series, by its nature, is pretty desolate, so having the additional NPC characters is welcome. The game follows the normal Souls series trend of the graphics are decent. They’re much improved from the PS3 version, but they don’t quite look PS4 good. I would say the graphics of Dark Souls II on the PS4 would be on par with what a good looking game would have been on the PS3. One thing I did notice that I appreciated was less stuttering. When too much was going on with the PS3 version I would notice stuttering. Roll through a large number of barrels and suddenly the framerate plummeted. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it was noticeable. I haven’t noticed it at all so far on the PS4. The voice acting is, once again, very solid though there isn’t exactly a lot of dialogue. Sound effects still sound good and have a nice weight to them. The bottom line really comes down to this. Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin is an HD remake that follows in the mold of other HD remakes. But it’s an HD remake of one of the greatest games I’ve ever played. There are some small additions to go along with the DLC, but it’s like going back to your hometown after you’ve been gone for a long time. It will change, but the base is still the same. If you want Dark Souls II all bundled up, with improved graphics and a renewed multiplayer community, you can’t go wrong. You know what to expect, it’s an HD remake. It’s safe. If you are content continuing to play on the PS3 your money is spent better elsewhere. If you didn’t like Dark Souls II or don’t really care for the Souls series in general you’re definitely better off not buying the game. If you’re new to the series, I highly recommend buying the game since you’re missing out on an awesome action RPG experience. If you’re a veteran or an avoider, you’re going to get what you would expect. It doesn’t come down to an easier decision than that.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2015 by Dustin and Kate
Scholar of the First Sin is a Worthy Souls Game
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
I am well aware that a general portion of souls fans rank this title last in the series. I will admit that this game stumbled out of the gate upon its original release but I have to say they have worked to retool it for a better experience with Scholar of the First Sin. In my personal opinion I think the game would actually have more value if Dark Souls had extended beyond a 3 title to like 4 or maybe 5. I say that because Dark Souls likes to be vague in a way that makes us try to fill in the pieces for explanations to the dealings of the world we are in. With that point made, I think Dark Souls 2 may seem the most vague in the series as the 1st had the luxury of setting the story and the 3rd on the conclusion. With the release of Dark Souls 3 and some returning to areas from Dark Souls (1) in it, I feel that isolated Dark Souls 2 more in story. For some reason it seems like Dark Souls 2 is on some sort of off beaten path not hammering on the central point of either rekindling the flame or not like DS 1 or 3. Still I think what is needed is time and interacting with all available NPCs to see the effect of the "fire-linking curse" on humanity. I personally got drawn in seeing that it was a old Herald Fire Keeper that drawn us & many like us in a time like vortex to set things right. I get that feeling of near to no hope left as the young Herald Fire Keeper interacts with our player not sure if we will be the one to resolve the dire situation the world is in. She seems almost hopeless as each player character arriving to her has exhausted her as so many have answered the call but no one has yet succeeded. So a lot of people take time writing massive reviews so I don't want to keep you on an unending review. In short for story you will get the most out of it if you explore, read up on items and find all NPC's you can exhausting their dialogue. Now lets talk about play in general. I know this may not be the best description of controls but I felt the controls where the most "tank-like" for this series then the rest. Overall I felt my character moved slower compared to my others in the Dark Souls series and blows I threw or took impacted me more noticeably as well. I am a little mixed on the humanoid enemy topic but the main take away is that thought has to be taken before engagement and exploration. Remember we are a weak soul our selves at the start of the game and we must fight our way to the pinnacle. One thing I can say is this game will knock Pride off so try to never let yourself get over confident. Just example for me is that I have personally struggled with terrain and have had more deaths from falling or getting knocked off ledges then deaths by enemies. Also that does make me want to say if I have any major complaint for sure is the fact that you do roll after every jump and if you are not aiming for a wall on a jump, you could be rolling off to your death. I like the option to up grade armor besides weapons and personally I like the way magic/miracles/ect are done better here then like in DS 3 with the FP bar. Don't get me wrong I like the other Dark Souls and 3 is my personal favorite to team with my friends on but DS 2 actually has more content. There are so many more bosses to fight here but I will say I find myself playing mostly alone on DS 2 so in the area of cooperative play I can't give the game a lot of praise. Most people I run with on souls games finds teaming easier on DS 3 then 2. So to sum up the game is challenging in its own right, has many classic RPG elements and loads of content. With the game being re-polished on PS 4 with all of the DLC content I think it deserves a 5 star. I suggest checking out videos if for some reason you feel unsure about getting this game to see what you think. Honestly it does feel like a transition game style wise in fighting from DS to DS 3. That comment might sound negative but what game series have you not seen some forms of alteration in gaming mechanics harking all the way back from 8 bit to 16 bit games? If you are a fan of the souls series I don't think you will be disappointed with this game. Thank you for reading this review and keep on gaming!
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2017 by Credit Card Master
A Decent Game
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
I want to say after finishing SOTFS few months ago, it's admittedly a good and fairly decent game. And just like the first Dark Souls, I enjoyed the story; especially from the Crown DLCS. Now with that said, I will say this... While I do admit that I enjoyed my playthrough of SOTFS, I won't lie that there were more than plenty of moments I found to be rather irritating in the game that's hard to overlook. Dark Souls has been described to be a 'hard but fair' type of game in terms of its gameplay design. However, in SOTFS the game was hard for the wrong reasons. The Enemy Placements were notorious throughout the game. I felt that the enemy placements were not only excessive, but incredibly unfair. Especially in the 2nd DLC when getting to a certain 'Blue' Boss. Where the enemy placements were aggravating in the most baffling manner, to the point you're guaranteed to die repeatedly due to how easy it will be to get staggered along the way to get to the boss. As well as a certain other location in the base game known as The Lost Bastille, where there is a slight broken path that leads to a boss trio. And likewise, on the way you're bombarded with a hoard of enemies before getting to said boss. After looking back at this path, I didn't realize how ridiculous the amount of enemies there were the first time doing this. The enemy placements genuinely made this a gaming experience that was genuinely difficult to enjoy. So much so that after I was done with the DLCS, I didn't bother going back and finding other items that I've likely missed in the game and just wanted to be done and over with the final boss within the base game and move on to playing Dark Souls III. SOTFS can still be enjoyed. But beware of the enemy placements that can make the gaming experience more frustrating than enjoyable. One final thing I'll add is that SOTFS lacks the interconnection that was present in the first Dark Souls. Something I was actually looking forward to only to realize there's little to no pathway connections throughout the game.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020 by Kateri Lee
Fiendishly Frustrating. Endlessly Rewarding.
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4
UPDATE 3/2016: I've now completed the main game and all 3 pieces of DLC. I was left feeling quite satisfied upon completion, but I will say, there was something niggling away at my mind. Ultimately, the biggest complaint I have with the game is the lack of interconnected areas, or even self-contained areas that loop back in on themselves in exciting, unexpected ways. The Forest of Fallen Giants has quite a bit of this actually and is probably my favorite area in the game, but it's also one of the earliest, so the rest of the game you're left wanting more but never quite getting it (though all 3 DLC do accomplish this within their self-contained settings.) You reach a point where you have four or five long, linear paths consisting of 2-3 connecting areas all stemming out from our central hub, Majula. I didn't mind too much while caught up in the moment, but I've finally begun playing Bloodborne and that has just really emphasized the lack of this twisting, turning world in DS2. Still, I do love the game, just not to the level of DS1. Consider my final score a 4.75/5. I'm a big fan of the Souls series, but due to an extensive backlog of unfinished games, I decided to hold off on purchasing DSII until recently. I'm actually quite glad that I did, since it seems this edition of the game is what FS always had envisioned. I also am fortunate to have missed out on the Durability bug that plagued the early days of this release. So ultimately, waiting has paid off and I'm left with an incredible gaming experience. When I play a Souls game, I know what to expect. I love being dropped into an unfamiliar world, with only the faintest hint of a helping hand guiding you forward. With each new entry into the series, I am reminded of the first time I played games like Metroid or Legend of Zelda. The sense of discovery is immensely rewarding, the combat difficult, to the point of frustration at times even. Yet, with every new hidden corridor discovered, every looming colossus impeding your path, you are learning, adapting, improving, and when you finally eke out victory and make it to that next bonfire, you can't help but be completely satisfied.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2016 by Mike Capuano