Dark Souls 2 Gameplay Revealed

Hardcore gaming fans who like virtually insurmountable challenges will be happy to know that Dark Souls 2, the much anticipated follow-up to Dark Souls, will be at least just as tough as its predecessor. This became clear when Japanese developers From Software released a 12-minute demo video revealing the gameplay and general feel of their latest product.

The game is still in development and a release date has not yet been announced. So far, all we know is that Dark Souls 2 is being developed for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows. Whereas the original Dark Souls did not perform too well on PC, struggling with frame rate problems and several bugs, developers promise they will be more careful with the sequel.

In terms of plot, we don’t know much except that Dark Souls 2 will focus on a different character: a cursed hero who is trying to find a cure for his condition. The game will stay true to its predecessor, in that it will retain the same spirit and mood, it will be set in the same universe and will apparently feature some characters from the initial Dark Souls.

The gameplay mechanics and controls will be more or less the same, the game universe will be about twice larger, but the beginning will be designed so as to be more accessible to newcomers. This gave birth to concerns that Dark Souls 2 would be easier than the first game, which is known for its considerable difficulty.

But developers insisted that this is not what they had in mind, and the recently revealed demo video is likely to put all worries to rest for good. In the short 12-minute span of gameplay revealed, the character is seen being killed several times, in many different ways.

Even more than its predecessor, Dark Souls 2 offers more realistic battle sequences and exploration. Foes are designed to actually react to the player’s actions and adjust their own tactics, so there is no way of predicting the outcome of a fight. The players will actually have to come up with their own strategies and learn how to react quickly in order to progress in the game.

Much like Dark Souls, the sequel brings players face to face with seemingly impossible challenges that you will have to go against over and over again and die several times along the way before being able to overcome them. In the end, this is what makes the Dark Souls gaming experience so rewarding: death is the only way you can move forward in this game.

[Image via Forbes]