Dark Souls II Previews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on October 17th, 2013

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The UI in Dark Souls II is much slicker than its predecessor too, with clearer menus which hint at the increased accessibility the game's director Yui Tanimura has implied he will implement. Outside of combat, the on-screen display will now minimise to offer a less obscured view of the game's impressive vistas.

The combat mechanics have changed, lending Dark Souls II's fighting a different pace and feel from its predecessor. The temple knight now has offensive faith magic in addition to his more familiar buff and healing spells. His Dark Orb spell allowed him to attack enemies over distance with the use of a magic sceptre. The sorcerer class employed a mix of pyromancy and soul magic, since the pyromancer class has now been retired. The most impressive of the new spells was his Soul Greatsword, a huge blade of light that proved particularly useful when attacking the Copse's assassin mobs.

The other class I tried, the warrior seen so prominently in the game's advertising, made use of a sword-and shield and a zweihander. There are now three weapon slots for the left and right arm, as opposed to Dark Souls' two, which will allow for more variety in builds than before. Of the three classes I played, this was the one I used the most. Before I preferred magic classes, but there are subtle changes to the melee combat that make it more enjoyable for me.

The finicky lock-on system has been improved, for instance. When retreating from an opponent, you can now turn heel rather than slowly backpedal, keeping an eye on your opponent. Trees and foliage in the way now become transparent. The warrior's zweihander, while difficult to get used to, is extremely satisfying to use, particularly on the Copse's disgustingly bloated, sickle-wielding butchers.

I think it's important to touch on difficulty first. One thing I noticed in both the beta and the Mirror Knight demo is that common enemies are more unpredictable. Huntsman's Copse is littered with stealthy bandits that rush you with daggers and are adept at dodging your returning attacks. Typically, original Dark Souls enemies could be read quite easily. You'd stand there with your shield up waiting to trigger a soldier's attack animation, and then simply step back while it swiped at thin air. Once the barrage was over, you could then step in for some free hits. Rinse, repeat, done.

In the Dark Souls 2 beta however, I felt that enemies possessed a greater range of attacks that changed up regularly. There are also several instances where hasty players could find themselves trapped among a pack of bandits while on precarious stone walkways. Once that happens it's quite easy to become staggered or knocked off into the abyss below. I saw a lot of blood stains in these areas indicating that other online players had been killed there but I think my recent obsession with both Dark and Demon's Souls made me think more strategically about my approach.

But when things did go wrong, they quickly turned catastrophic. The beta houses a dark cave area that really showcases the game's new light mechanic. Essentially, there are some areas in Dark Souls 2 that can only be illuminated with a flaming torch. The catch is that once you hold a flame you do so by sacrificing your shield. I found it to be a punishing risk-reward system, particularly in the Mirror Knight demo. In the beta however, there are a few dark areas and not a single torch in sight, unless I missed them of course. It proved savage to begin with.

Much like its predecessors, the gameplay focuses on patient combat, rewarding those who block, counter, and dodge, and punishing those who rush in. One thing I noticed, and this could be because I chose the swordsman, was that I had an easier time battling the enemies of Dark Souls II than I have with the previous two games. Recovery items were plentiful, as were souls, and though this could have been for the demo (and from what I hear, the beta as well), there was no spirit mode for when you died and lost your body.

During my time with the demo, I had no problem dispatching the weaker enemies, and while one of the new demonic knights - a beast of a warrior wielding a giant mace and protected by a glinting steel shell to prevent backstabbing - provided a hefty challenge at first, his moves were predictable enough for me to take him down after a while.

While I swiftly made my way through the castle section, the Mirror Knight himself was a different story. When you reach the inner sanctum of the castle you go toe-to-toe with a hulking knight carrying a mirrored shield that's able to spawn other knights that attack you. His lackeys were relatively easy to doge and counter, but the Mirror Knight was able to take me down in just a couple of swings of his lightning-infused sword. Additionally, his moves are far less predictable than those of normal enemies.

The combat system has also seen a plethora of refreshments which make for slightly slower, yet more visceral fights. One contributing factor to this is the overall rate at which characters move: simply removing clothes will no longer make your character quicker, as the new '˜agility' statistic handles this exclusively. On the surface this sort of tweak may seem relatively pointless, but it improves the balancing of different character builds extremely well. To this end, adjustments have been made to other staples of battle: backstabbing is seemingly more difficult for bigger, more destructive weapons while parrying takes far more concentration, and now knocks enemies to the ground. However, dual wielding is the biggest addition to the combat system, meaning that come release, you'll be able to successfully wield a weapon in each hand. While this could be done in the previous game, the feature has been completely revamped here, and now boasts unique animations and move sets that make using a dagger duo a very viable option.

Other improvements to the animation system are noticeable throughout. The incredible roster of unique movements for each weapon has been retained, but the characters now traverse the environment more realistically than ever before. The graphics too have seen advancements: surfaces appear to be less flat and the detail in armour and robes is remarkable. However, the most impressive update is in the lighting engine: fires and torches give off a tangible warm glow creating flickering shadows, while the light of the moon augments the landscape with a realistic blue sparkle. Even in this early state, it's a gorgeous game, and if it's anywhere near as huge as its little brother, then that's a massive accomplishment.

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