DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin

I played Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin after completing Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Dark Souls III, and out of all of them, this is easily my least favourite. That said, there is still something different about this game. It has a strange charm that kept pulling me back, even when it felt like the game was deliberately testing my patience. There is so much random nonsense: huge groups of enemies, constant ambushes, and areas that sometimes feel difficult for the wrong reasons. The bosses are often the easiest parts of the game. Fighting the hundred enemies placed between you and the boss is what makes certain sections almost unbearable. Whenever I reached that point, I took a break and returned later instead of forcing myself through it. Despite all of that, I still recommend the game especially if you have already played another Souls game. You just need the discipline and patience to stick with it. Dark Souls II may be deeply frustrating, but its unique atmosphere and charm make it an experience worth having at least once.

I love this game despite its flaws. Yes, the combat is a step down compared to Dark Souls, Dark Souls III, or Elden Ring. It feels slower and less refined. But what it loses in combat, it more than makes up for in adventure. Every time I replay it, I end up collecting almost every item. The world constantly rewards curiosity with little details and unique mechanics. Light a torch in the wrong place and you might summon an invader. Small ideas like that make each area feel memorable instead of blending together. The DLC areas are still some of the best level design From Soft has ever made. They are challenging, interconnected, and packed with interesting encounters. The build variety is another huge reason I keep coming back. Every run gives me an excuse to try something different. Not every experiment works. ADP is still a strange solution to a problem that did not really exist, and several mechanics feel like overcorrections to Dark Souls. But I appreciate that the game was willing to take risks instead of simply making Dark Souls 1 again. Majula is still my favorite hub in the series. Watching it slowly fill with merchants and familiar faces as your journey progresses makes it feel like a place you're actually rebuilding. It is also the only game in the trilogy that makes meaningful changes in New Game Plus. New enemy placements, new items, and new surprises give you a reason to keep playing instead of just watching the numbers go up. It is messy, ambitious, and sometimes frustrating. But it is also the Souls game I revisit the most.

For the longest time I thought this game just had the issue of being "not a good Souls game but an alright game". Mediocre game in a great series syndrome. After having spent 30 hours in this game, I can now with utmost confidence say this is one of the worst games I have ever played in my life. 32 bosses and maybe 5 of them were good or interesting. You can take absolutely nothing for granted in this game, and I don't mean that in a "hardcore survival sim" type of game, more along the lines that if you give this game an inch of reprieve it will take your ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ leg off. I felt nothing upon beating this game and only felt relief upon it being deleted from my system, relief at the knowledge that it can't hurt me any more. DS1 has jank compared to today, but it is still perfectly playable. DS2 actively hates you for each second you spend playing it and it will make itself known. If anyone tells you they like this game, then you know one of two things. Either they are a sadist of the highest order, or Benjamin Netanyahu has them saved on CashApp.

Le meilleur souls. A condition d'aller regarder des guides en lignes

なんだかんだで、２でしか味わえない感覚は確実に存在する 一番評価したいのは、とにかく装備がたくさんあることとモーションが凝ってること 仮にこのゲームがソウルライクのフォローゲームだったらもっと評価されてたはず…そういう出来だと思います

Après environ 30 heures de jeu et l'obtention des 100 % de succès, mon avis est assez partagé. Le point fort du jeu est clairement son univers. L'ambiance fonctionne très bien, les environnements sont variés et certains combats de boss sont vraiment réussis. En revanche, j'ai souvent eu le sentiment que la difficulté venait davantage du level design que des ennemis eux-mêmes. Beaucoup de zones semblent conçues pour frustrer le joueur : embuscades permanentes, grands groupes d'ennemis, placements parfois artificiels, longues traversées avant certains objectifs... J'ai eu plus de difficultés sur certains passages remplis de monstres que face à plusieurs boss, ce qui donne parfois une impression de difficulté forcée plutôt que de challenge bien équilibré. Les boss sont d'ailleurs assez inégaux. Certains offrent de très bons affrontements, mais beaucoup se révèlent finalement plus simples que les niveaux qui les précèdent. Cela crée un rythme étrange où la tension retombe au moment où elle devrait culminer. Malgré ces défauts, le jeu reste agréable à parcourir, surtout pour les amateurs du genre Souls. Il possède une vraie identité et suffisamment de qualités pour donner envie d'aller jusqu'au bout, même si certains choix de conception peuvent agacer. Note personnelle : 7/10.

Not even close to done, but enjoying myself for sure. Not as good as DS3, but still have the same fulfilling moments when you beat a boss or figure out a puzzle the game throws at you. Just a part of the Fromsoft legacy.