Dark Souls II to feature more open-world elements than original

Dark Souls II will feature more of an open world than its 2011 predecessor, developer From Software has said.

"Freedom of exploration is something we want to prioritise for Dark Souls II, even more so than Dark Souls 1," said director Yui Tanimura in an interview with Digital Spy.

One goal for Dark Souls II is for the player to have more "freedom to explore," adds Tanimura. "We realise in Dark Souls there were some certain orders, like ringing the bells or going to Anor Londo, which is not necessarily a bad thing."

In Dark Souls II, From Software is hoping for the players to have enough freedom that "things don't have to necessarily be done in a certain order."

"We're hoping that if the player tries hard enough, or are willing enough, they could even start halfway through the game, depending on how willing or how brave they are."

"You won't have to follow a certain line, it will be unique for all players, I think," concluded Tanimura.

Dark Souls II will be released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March 2014.