Breaking News...Dark Souls II

[Etherian 76]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rPJaJ5ys_G0

 

Feel free to comment.

 

I remain,

[Chrona 82]

preordered it now

Release 14. march 2014

http://darksouls2.wiki.fextralife.com/Starting+Classes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=QFqxGggCXCo

Dark Souls 2 - Sorcerer

Dark Souls 2 - Temple Knight

Dark Souls 2 - Warrior

Dark Souls 2 - Dual Swordsman

 

 

[Ryanrocker 200]

Yup, me as well! Currently doing a playthrough as Ornstein Dragonslayer Cosplay in number 1. Can't wait to get my hands on that soundtrack, their music is so epic

[CoolColJ 87]

didn't like the first, so I probably won't like this one

[Chrona 82]

Namco-Bandai and From Software just released a new trailer for Dark Souls II, which shows off some of the games brutally challenging action and macabre atmosphere.

 

 

[Chrona 82]

Dark Souls vs Dark Souls 2

http://www.ign.com/wikis/dark-souls-2/Dark_Souls_vs_Dark_Souls_2

 

Dark Souls 2 is different than Dark Souls in several fundamental ways. While Dark Souls 2 features the legendary difficulty, exploratory spirit, and trademark epic boss battles of its progenitors, it alters several key game play components which players of the original Dark Souls take for granted.

Video: Making Dark Souls 2

Humanity and Hollowing

Humanity is handled much differently in Dark Souls 2. Humanity is no longer measured by a numeric rating, and need not be expended to kindle Bonfires. Instead, a single death strips a character of his optimized human state, rendering him Hollowed. Each death leading to Hollowing and death after Hollowing reduces a character's maximum HP. This reduction can eventually bottom out at restricting up to 50% of a character's available HP.

The only way to reverse this process and become human again is through consuming a Human Effigy, a fairly rare and precious item. Burning an Effigy immediately restores humanity and resets maximum HP to its optimal status. Note that this change does not actually restore any lost HP, it just resets the maximum, meaning you'll need to rest or heal afterward to enjoy the full benefits.

Leveling Up

Leveling is no longer accomplished at Bonfires. Instead, players visit a single woman who stands near a cliff and Bonfire in Majula. Players can Fast Travel at the begining of the game this time around. It's easy for players to return to this hub point and spend their souls to increase theirAttributes.

This lone woman also grants you an initial Estus Flask, and expands the capacity of Estus Flasks by integrating Estus shard fragments into the original flask. These flasks are still refilled via Bonfire. Later in the game, Estus Flasks can also be permanently improved at Bonfires by burning a consumable item, increasing the amount of HPO they recover in a single use.

Starting Classes

Dark Souls 2 includes eight starting classes, reduced from the ten available in the original Dark Souls. Two of these classes are brand new: The Explorer and the Swordsman.

The Wanderer, Thief, Pyromancer, and Hunter are no longer available as starting classes. Each class is specked and equipped differently to provide a player with a new starting challenge.

WARRIOR

Lives on the battlefield. High strength and dexterity. Starts with a shield.

KNIGHT

A traveling knight. High vigor and adaptability. No shield to start.

SWORDSMAN

A swordsman that honed his skills. Fights well with a weapon in each hand. Starts with an upgraded scimitar and longsword.

BANDIT

A ruthless bandit. High dexterity and can use a bow. Can react to both long range and short range threats. Best for players that want to start a dexterity build.

CLERIC

A cleric on pilgrimage. High faith. Has learned a healing miracle from the start.

SORCERER

A wise sorcerer. Can command sorcerey with high intelligence and attunement. Has learned soul arrow and is good at long ranged combat.

EXPLORER

An explorer traveling through many lands. Does not excel in any particular area, but comes equipped with many items, allowing them to fight advantageously from the beginning of the game.

DEPRIVED

A nude person with unknown background. Fights empty-handed. Starts at level 1 with all stats set to 6 and does not receive a starting weapon.

Timed Invasions

Visits to other characters' games are now limited by a timer. [1]Covenants still exist but have undergone some refinement.

Players will still have opportunities to both help or hinder those they visit.

Combat Changes

The AI is in some cases more aggressive. Targeting is refined, and back-stabs are significantly more difficult to land. Some enemies' weapons will embed in surfaces, requiring them to be dragged free and opening them up for counter-attack. [2]

Torches

Torches are now lit at Bonfires. They are a consumable item but may be lit without penalty.

Fast Travel

Fast Travel between Bonfires is now available from the beginning of the game. Players may travel at will between Bonfires without penalty, though doing so causes all enemies to respawn.

Physics

Ragdoll physics are now removed, replaced with much tighter body movement during wound animations and falling. [3]

[Chrona 82]

[Chrona 82]

via FB

DARK SOULS II for PC and Steam is coming on 25th April 2014!

PC & STEAM version will benefit from PC capabilities with increased texture resolution and an enhanced frame rate option. On top of that, FromSoftware have been working to perfectly adapt the game for a mouse & keyboard combo.

As for console, and while supplies last, fans pre-ordering the game will receive the Black Armour Edition – containing an Exclusive Metal Case, the Original Game Soundtrack and an early access to the Black Armour Weapon Set – or if pre-ordered on STEAM® fans will get bonuses - digital soundtrack and the early access to the Black Armour Weapon Set, the Official Dark Souls™ II Artbook in PDF format and The complete Dark Souls™ II Digital Comic Book (written by Rob Williams and Andi Ewington with art provided by Simon Coleby) as digital extras for a complete immersion in the universe of DARK SOULS™ II.

DARK SOULS II will be launching Across Americas on March 11th and across Europe and Australasia on March 14th on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game will then be available on PC and Steam on 25th April 2014.
Light a bonfire on www.DarkSoulsII.com/ to get more information about the game and pre-order offers.

 

[Chrona 82]

Prologue Trailer Part 1

[Chrona 82]

 

Dark Souls II: The Kotaku Review

P

12

Dark Souls II begins by telling you that you're flat-out screwed.P

The game opens with a smiling, blind, gap-toothed crone, telling you that you're cursed. If you stay where you are, your memories will fade and you will become a hollow — an empty undead beast that feeds off the souls of the living. Like many cursed before you must journey to a far off land, where an incredibly tiny chance at salvation lies. "Your wings will burn, time after time," she says, mockingly "for that is your fate."P

The old crone is not just talking to your character — she's talking to you, the player. She's addressing the strange masochist (like me) who allows themselves to get repeatedly kicked in the crotch by these games, yet continues to play them. She's saying, "You came back, and you'll come back again. It's inevitable, because that is who you are."P

If you're one of those weird Dark Souls diehards, and you're wondering if it is any less challenging than the previous entries, let the cruel laughter of these old crones ease your fears:P

3

If you've never played Dark Souls or its spiritual predecessor Demon's Souls, let me fill you in: They're brutal action role-playing games that do not explain a damn thing to you. Imagine Zeldafused with 2nd edition Dungeons and Dragons, with a mean streak six mile wide. You're not going to have your hand held. You will get stuck. You will get angry, frustrated, amused and want take a sledgehammer to your controller. But once you understand the psychotic dream logic of these games and recognize that at their core they are ultimately fair, you will feel a genuine sense of accomplishment. In gaming, that sensation is all too fleeting.4P

Dark Souls II continues the psychotic tradition of its forebears, this time in the kingdom of Drangleic. Like the games before, much of the plot is not told to you outright, but rather alluded to by a series of cryptic NPCs. The characters that help you in on journey are cursed as well — slowly losing their memories and humanity. It's a world of the dead and dying, at the bleak twilight of a once great nation.P

While much of the the tone and feel of the game has stayed true to Dark Souls, many of the core mechanics have been tweaked for the better. Many of these tweaks — like the focus on a hub area with a spooky maiden and the ability to warp between bonfires from the beginning of the game, are direct callbacks to the structure of the original Demon's Souls.P

One particularly interesting change is that individual enemies stop spawning after you kill them dozens of times. This keeps the pace of the game going by both throttling particularly difficult trouble spots and preventing players from lingering on a specific area. Players can then undo this using a very specific item at bonfires, allowing them to replay particularly tough boss fights and zones at a ramped up difficulty.P

56

One possible criticism you could levy against Dark Souls II is that at times it is a overly obtuse and illogical. Frequently I found myself frustrated and unsure where exactly I was supposed to go. Vital parts of the game are hidden in esoteric locations. Switches can be easily missed and paths to vital parts of the game remain hidden. One particularly infuriating example: If you do not talk to a specific NPC a certain number of times, they will not unlock a path leading to a giant chunk the game. This kind of stuff might push away first-time players.7P

On the other hand, that very lack of context forced me to talk with other people that were playingDark Souls II in tandem with me. It was a modern version of the playground conversations I had as a child, those days of swapping tricks and helping each other muscle through a particularly rough game. Much of that sense of communication might be lost once the game is out and walkthroughs become ubiquitous.P

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Dark Souls II is Dark Souls, Thank God

“I played Dark Souls II,” I said to a friend of mine one night at E3 over drinks. He leaned in. His eyes suddenly got wide and he got a little quiet. Read…

After it was announced, many people including me wondered and hoped that Dark Souls II would still be Dark Souls. On a some level, it is. The 'soul' of Dark Souls, that cruel yet fair sense of respect, is still there in all its unadulterated glory. But on another level,Dark Souls II is something much more — a game that carefully considers its lineage at every turn, makes significant and complex departures from the formula when it needs to and expands its scope.P

89

Reviewing this game took weeks off my life, leaving me sleep-deprived, stressed and sick. Meals were skipped and at most I slept 3 hours a night. But I beat it. I won. And that sense of accomplishment, that ability to look back and see a game as an actual journey, is the heart of what Dark Souls II is. I'll be damned if it was any other way.10P

Now if you'll excuse me, I need a nap.P

Full disclosure: this review was done on review code, before any servers were live. Multiplayer and PvP were not available. I will update this review when the servers are live and I have put a significant amount of time into retail version of the game.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Chrona