Dark Souls II splits fans with its more scattered level design and a hero that handles a little differently. Once you accept the formula, you find the most generous entry in zones, weapons and build variety, and it is huge.
Your verdict
Category
Action RPG1 player16+
Description
Action RPG by FromSoftware and Namco Bandai, March 2014. The Bearer of the Curse explores the vast kingdom of Drangleic to find the source of souls and contain the Undead Curse. Demanding combat with humanity stats influencing abilities, cooperative and invader online multiplayer, melancholic interconnected universe. Second Dark Souls saga entry bringing new customisation systems.
Dark Souls II review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
Twilight dark fantasy of flawless coherence: ruined castles, nightmarish creatures and veiled light weave a melancholy, hostile world. The sense of level design and the oppressive atmosphere compose an austere beauty. This art direction, dark and fascinating, redefined an entire strand of video games.
Carried by Yuka Kitamura and Motoi Sakuraba, the music unfurls sumptuous orchestral and choral themes that raise each boss to the rank of a grand tragic opera. Between solemnity and despair, the score embraces the melancholy of a dying world. This symphonic richness, more present and grandiose, elevates the funereal atmosphere of the game.
Drangleic is a kingdom that forgets: the cursebearer gradually loses the reason for his quest, the characters he meets fade sentence by sentence, and the search for King Vendrick leads to a throne whose meaning no one remembers. FromSoftware makes amnesia the very substance of the story, every scrap of dialogue a fragment fighting its own disappearance.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Facing ever-present death by weighing each blow and each dodge endlessly renews the urge to cross the next threshold of a vast, hostile world. Improving your build, uncovering a shortcut and felling a dreaded boss reward the stubbornness. Less coherent than the original, it sometimes frustrates, but its loop of effort and reward keeps a stubborn hold.
Difficulty
"Punishing"
More focused on handling groups of enemies and positioning, this entry punishes recklessness and greed above all. Pacing your stamina, spotting traps and learning each area the hard way are the player's daily lot. Its difficulty, sometimes harsh but coherent, rewards rigor and perseverance, true to a saga that turns death into a genuine learning tool.
Lifespan
"Massive"
Drangleic sprawls as a melancholy, fractured kingdom where every region hides its own perils and shortcuts to uncover. A humanity gauge shaping your abilities, online co-op and invasions weave a replayability that reaches well past the main quest. Juggling builds and braving New Game+ stretches the adventure for a long time. It is this depth of exploration and customisation that still earns it a stubborn place within the saga today.
A FromSoftware sequel widening the world and melancholy of the series while keeping its trademark difficulty, the second pillar of a line turned cult. Distributed in the West, its appeal lies in this status as a major chapter and markedly rarer Asian pressings rather than mass distribution. A piece valued by fans of arduous action RPGs and the Souls saga.
Memorable bosses
More teeming, this sequel multiplies its fearsome guardians, from the tenacious Pursuer to the elite duelists of the expansions like the Fume Knight or Sir Alonne. Each fight calls for patience, reading distances and fine stamina management. The tone may differ, but the demands stay intact, and the best duels rank among the most memorable in the line.
Is Dark Souls II still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2014 on Xbox 360, FromSoftware's Dark Souls II extends the cult formula into the dying realm of Drangleic, with a more fragmented structure and a difficulty that leans more on enemy numbers. The build customisation and the wealth of weapons and spells reach a considerable scale, rewarding experimentation. The atmosphere and world cohesion charm less than the first, and some zones lack inspiration. But the combat depth and replay value stay immense. For fans of demanding role playing and devotees of the series, this entry keeps very solid qualities today.
