Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin (PS4) – prepare to die, again

From Software’s second big release of the month is an HD update of Dark Souls II and its DLC, but how does the sequel seem a year later?

Video games companies are terrible at organising release schedules and keeping to release dates, that much has been true since the very beginning of the industry. But releasing the HD update of Dark Souls II this week may be the least sensible scheduling decision since deciding winter would be a good time to invade Russia. From Software’s Bloodborne was only released last week and so it’s impossible not to make comparisons between the two games, comparisons which Dark Souls II cannot hope to win.



On the last gen formats this is merely a compilation of Dark Souls II and its three downloadable expansions Crown Of The Sunken King, Crown Of The Old Iron King, and Crown Of The Ivory King. None of them were as good as Dark Souls’ DLC but they’re all competent, if uninspiring, additions to the game.

But this is the first time anything Dark Souls related has been on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and together with a newly enhanced DirectX11 PC version this makes a number of fairly notable changes. It’s still essentially the same game, but there are changes to enemy placements and new map shortcuts, as well as new weapons and armour, and a new non-player character that invades your world like a player-controlled phantom.


The maximum number of online players has been increased from four to six, and the graphics and sound have been given a next gen upgrade. We’ll get into how successful that is in a moment, but first we want to emphasis that Dark Souls II is a very worthy sequel to the original – even if it’s reputation has become increasingly tarnished over the last year.

The original Dark Souls is rightly regarded as an all-time classic, with its intricately designed in-game world, nuanced combat and role-playing elements, and amazing art design. But more than that it made a statement about the current state of AAA gaming, providing a compelling argument that games do not need to mollycoddle their players and that a challenging level of difficulty, and a refusal to spell out every step of your journey, is not something that only appeals to the niche hardcore.

Dark Souls II softened that message slightly, but in a way that was still acceptable to most fans. Instead its faults were that it was simply not as well designed, with a less cohesive game world and a slightly brighter tone that lost the edge of the original. Now that Bloodborne has been released it seems that the differentiating factor was the absence of director Hidetaka Miyazaki, with all the subtle little disappointments adding up to a game that is not looked back on with the same fondness as the original. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good game in itself.



As Dark Souls II opens you’re treated to an elaborate pre-rendered cut scene, as your doomed warrior is drawn to the land of Drangleic, in order to remove the curse that is turning him, or her, into a zombie-like ‘hollow’. The story links between this game and the original are limited and obscure, but although there is a little more exposition at the beginning – from a coven of semi-sympathetic witches – and a more traditional tutorial area the set-up is still very similar.

Semi-sympathetic pretty much sums up the sequel’s new approach. If Dark Souls was indifferent (but never actively opposed) to your success Dark Souls II does at least try and give you some sort of helping hand. This is most obvious in the hub area surrounding the village of Majula, where thanks to the fast travel bonfires you’ll find yourself constantly returning – as it’s the only place where you can level up. Here not only are the non-player characters helpful but the perpetual sunset actually creates a pleasant landscape that feels safe and welcoming.

Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin (PS4) – not quite as dark as the first one

The combat controls are not complicated, with no combos or other arcade style abstractions. You can now dual wield swords at any time, but the complexities of combat revolve around timing and positioning. The effort and space needed to swing a weapon are more realistic than most games, as is the need to shield yourself whenever not actively attacking. Success in Dark Souls II is down to reading the intentions of your opponent, anticipating their moves, and never getting in over your head or hoping to luck.


The ultimate test of your combat skills remains the huge variety of boss characters, which in the best traditions of old video games seem absolutely impossible at first – right up until you beat them and they’re eventually reintroduced as ordinary enemies later in the game. Although with the benefit of hindsight few are as good as the first game (or Bloodborne).

In terms of the game’s role-playing elements, there’s still little help in terms of what attributes suit each of the many character classes. But it’s possible to level up more quickly now, so you don’t have to wait half the game before you realise you’ve picked the wrong options for your play style. The classes are also more evenly balanced, with magic users now being a viable option for beginners, and there’s even an item later in the game that essentially lets you reset your character.

If you’re really becoming unstuck though the best advice is to just phone a friend. There’s doing so literally of course, and a year later the community and wikis are now fully fleshed out, but the game itself allows players to leave each other short messages of advice. There are also ghostly visions of what other people are doing in the game, now updated in real-time, which can often offer useful hints without any spoken words at all.

Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin (PS4) – you’ll get buy with a little help from your friends

You can co-operate more directly by summoning players to your world, and increase the chances it’ll be someone you know by ensuring you both worship the same in-game god. There’s also voice chat now, but it’s strictly opt-in so as to not spoil the atmosphere. There are still invasions too, which can now take place while you’re still hollow, where you invade someone else’s game purely to kill them and steal their stuff.


In terms of visuals Dark Souls II was always a mild disappointment, both in terms of the slightly inferior art design and the low tech visuals that you’d never normally mistake for a late generation game. This new version improves the frame rate and resolution but it does nothing obvious for the complexity or level of detail. Most importantly the lighting is barely improved at all, and still nothing like as good as the early demos pretended.

That leaves this a sadly disappointing remaster and actually makes Bloodborne look all the better by comparison, despite its own visuals having been criticised at launch for being too ‘last gen’ in performance and appearance. So, terrible timing, but even if this is the weakest of the Souls games you should still prepare yourself for one of the best action role-players of recent years.

Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin In Short: Even if it’s only been a year, time has not been kind to Dark Souls’ sequel and this remaster does little to help the situation – even if it ‘s a hugely engrossing game in its own right. Pros: Combat is harsh but fair, role-playing elements are more varied and transparent than the original, and online is expanded just enough. New tweaks and additions are all welcome. Cons: The game world lacks the cohesion of the original and the visuals still struggle to impress. Slightly brighter tone and non-respawning enemies dilute the nature of the original. Score: 8/10

Formats: PlayStation 4 (reviewed), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and PC

Price: £44.99

Publisher: Namco Bandai

Developer: From Software

Release Date: 2nd April 2015

Age Rating: 16

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