As many gripes as I had playing the original Dark Souls there was no denying it was an entertaining and rewarding experience. After a short break of playing some more relaxing titles I returned to the series to play Dark Souls 2 (DS2). It would be near impossible, even more impractical, to try and review DS2 without make lots of comparisons to the first game. In the minute to minute grind they seem almost identical but once you look at the big picture there are some noticeable differences between the two. Both games shine in different areas. While one or the other may appeal more than the other to different crowds the fact remains that anyone looking for an absurdly challenging adventure will enjoy this game.
Not much has changed as far as the core experience goes in DS2. You kill enemies, collect souls, level-up and reinforce equipment all while trying not to die. Try is a key word as you will die over and over again. Hopefully you'll learn a little something with each death. Just like before you only get one chance to get back to where you died if you want to collect your souls. You'll need all the souls you can get for leveling and shops. Majula is your base of operations and you'll return there frequently to upgrade your weapons and level up. This is made easier now in the second game as you instantly have access to the ability of warping to and from any bonfire you light. Bonfires work as save points and really help give you a sense of progression. They also have the benefit of restoring all you estus flasks which you can use to recover health out on the field. Just keep in mind that sitting at one will also cause all the normal enemies in the world to respond.
There are some other small changes between this and the first game. For one thing if you continue to kill any particular enemy multiple times they'll eventually stop re-spawning. This works to help players as they get stuck while also reducing chances to grind for souls. Jumping is made easier too as it no longer needs to be assigned to the same button as your sprint. Rolling is still a key tactic to avoiding damage however the effectiveness of your roll is now based on character stats instead of equipment weight. The stats options have also been tweaked. The overpowered endurance stat from the first game is now split into two stats; endurance which is now focused on stamina vs vitality which focuses on equipment load. Also the useless resistance stat is replaced with adaptability which not only strengthens resistances but decreasing the time it take to use items while potentially increasing your combat poise.
What really makes DS2 stand out from its predecessor is its size. This is a gigantic game with tons of different zones to explore and loot. Swamps, forests, sewers, castles, caves, mountains, ruins; DS2 features just about every place you can imagine and then some. I thought this game was never going to end and I was a hair over fifty hours into DS2 by the time I beat it. However, what the second game gains in content it loses in narrative and consistency. Where everything felt connected in the first game this one feels just like a hodgepodge of different ideas all thrown into a blender. This is great for the sake of variety but it also makes the world much less believable therefore making the player feel more removed from the experience.
The changes mostly had a positive impact for me. Although the first game definitely had the superior level design DS2 was still a lot of fun to explore. Exploration and the sense of progression advancing from one bonfire to the next is my favorite part of this series and I got to spend a lot more time doing that in this game. Many of the bosses in the first game annoyed me and it seems like the boss battles in DS2 were a lot more thematic and enjoyable (this may be because they seemed a little easier too). Although I did like this game a little better they are both excellent games. I only wish both titles could have done a better job getting new players up to speed and explaining some of the intricacies. If you can get past that though you'll bound to have a joy good time getting you butt kicked in Dark Souls 2.