Dark Souls II

"Go Beyond Death"

— Dark Souls II Tagline

Dark Souls II is a fantasy action-RPG game developed by From Software and is a follow up to Dark Souls. It was announced on December 7, 2012. The game has been published for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC by Namco Bandai Games. Dark Souls II was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 11, 2014 in North America; was released on March 13th in Japan and Australia; and March 14th in Europe. The PC version was released on April 24th, 2014.^[2]

Plot

The story of Dark Souls II is not directly connected to Dark Souls, though they are set in the same world.^[3]

The game takes place in Drangleic, a once prosperous land under the rule of King Vendrick, which has fallen to ruin throughout the ages with the raging war between humans and giants, the sudden disappearance of the King, and a newfound abysmal plague. Like many others, the protagonist has come to the crumbling kingdom in search of a cure for their crippling affliction, the curse of the Undead.

Gameplay

Similar to the previous title, players customize the gender and physical features of their character in addition to choosing a starting class, which determine the stats and equipment that the player begins with, and a starting gift. From a third-person perspective, players explore a continuous, open world that is roughly the same size as the original game, but with more freedom in how the player can progress.^[4] Akin to the notorious difficulty of its predecessor, players are confronted by a persistently hostile environment with unrelenting enemies and bosses – death is a central theme. As enemies are defeated, souls are accumulated, acting as both a form of currency and means to increase attributes. Unlike the first game, however, the player can have a voice chat with other players in their world.

Special Editions

Pre-ordering Dark Souls II through either Gamestop or Amazon will allow the choice of two special editions:

Black Armor Edition. This special edition includes a metal case, the soundtrack from the game, and early access to the following weapons and shields:

Collector's Edition. This special edition includes a 12-inch warrior knight figurine that is in the full Faraam Set, art book, cloth map of the game area, plus the Black Armor Edition of the game. However, in some regions, this edition may have pre-sold out.

The Lost Crowns

The Lost Crowns is a three part DLC for Dark Souls II announced on June 4th, 2014. They are to be released episodically for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. A season pass will offer all three episodes for $25. Each episode can be bought seperately for $9.99.