@tidruG: I was trying to be coy, but you're right it didnt read well so I removed that part.

Casuals should not play any entry in the Souls series, and they should only be allowed to professionally review the game in a transparent setting such as the one found here. This is the casual review of this game as opposed to Kevin's review. Justin went into the game not looking for a challenge, but for his hand to be held so hard that had the game been made to include his demands, it would've been completely out of place in the series. Why anyone would think that starting with a sequel to what many consider to be the most challenging game in the past 10 years was a good idea, is completely beyond me. I really am appalled at the attitude of this review, basically stating that the chance to make meaningful mistakes should be removed. You didn’t find the Herald? You got destroyed in combat, and rightfully so. This reviewer considers attention to detail "tedious" as he states multiple times. Surely instead of incremental stat upgrades which allow complete customization of the way a character is played (altering I-frames, weapon/armor selection, roll speed/distance) the game should have major upgrades (damage + 25% with all melee weapons, heavy armor unlocked, 2h weapon speed bonus) of a limited number so as not to confuse the player. Surely we should have a prominent, fully voiced story, complete with damsels in distress and evil wizards who laugh maniacally as they shout “You’ll never stop me!” If it were up to the reviewer, we would have one kind of RPG. We would see Skyrim reproduced a thousand times with its boring, generic, and uninspired world. We would have quest markers in every single game, and important characters highlighted with a huge sign that says "GO HERE" above their heads. Punishment wouldn’t exist in video games, as they would be created to please the lowest common denominator. I really am sick and tired of hearing this every time a soul’s game is released. I say this to anyone who feels that the Souls series should be influenced by the above review: Stop pretending to like a certain style of game, and go play games that you enjoy. There is already a market saturated with them for casuals to enjoy. I do not want what happened to the Elder Scrolls series to happen to the Souls series, even though it’s looking like that’s where we’re headed.

All of this said, Dark Souls II is not beyond criticism. If there is one thing I agree with the reviewer about, it’s the loss of maximum health upon death. This serves almost no meaningful purpose other than to add to the frustration and difficulty one is already clearly experiencing. The first game was just fine (see: perfect) without this mechanic, and it doesn’t need to exist. If you are having a hard time with an area or boss, the game shouldn’t get harder. Dark Souls II also fails to incorporate the interconnected world of the first game. And one could even argue that the first game was more balanced and “finished” at least in terms of graphics and polish. These things, however, are not a huge deficit to a series that prides itself on challenge and mysterious immersion.