It’s more than Dark Souls II in full HD, right? Yeah kinda. It’s more like a Game of the Year Edition, complete with all DLC and an increase in resolution and frame-rate. Is it worth it?
If you haven’t played Dark Souls II? Absolutely. But you might want to be playing Bloodborne if that’s the case.
And that’s what makes this so tricky. While Bloodborne remains unfinished, I’d probably recommend playing that over Dark Souls II, but that’s just me. If you’ve just finished Bloodborne and you feel like a rest before embarking on a NG+? Sure. Dark Souls II is gonna be perfect.
But me? I’m still plugging away at Bloodborne. It’s bad timing really.
If Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin had come out a month or two ago I’d be flat out obsessed with it. As it currently stands I simply don’t have the time.
What are your thoughts?
Comments
36 responses to “Community Review: Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin”
Tried it for 5 minutes and thought ” I may as well just play more Bloodborne,” and switched the disks :p
I did exactly the same thing
Sometimes I feel like Kotaku is too obsessed with Dark Souls. *flees*
I love the series a lot, but I agree with this.
Kotaku could post nothing but Dark Souls articles and it’d still not be enough. Dark Souls is life. Praise the sun.
Touch the demon inside me.
Let them have their fun.
It’s what the people like, so who cares?
Hey, I’m not really having a go at them. Just giving feedback.
I didn’t mean to insinuate that you were, just seemed like an odd choice of place to say it.
I mean, do you want them to be less obsessed or something?
Nah, not at all. And I also understand that writing comes easy when it’s something you’re passionate about and I’m glad that Mark gets to do that. And yeah, this is a stupid place to comment about it cause no one forces me to click on the articles and I mostly don’t. Dark Souls just feels like a club I’m not a part of. And will never be apart of. I’ll be over here with my Pillars of Eternity and Life is Strange, now. 😛
Sorry guys!
Don’t apologise!
I didn’t mean to call you out or anything! :’O
Just seemed an odd place to say it was all :3
Was meant to be tongue in cheek too and only half serious. I feel myself getting a bit defensive when people put weight or read too much into a comment that I didn’t intend to be any thing other than a joke. Was apologizing mainly for the defensiveness. 😛 *group hug*
See, now you gotta edit that d-bag comment out cause you’re making me feel bad! :’O
Haha! Done! 😀
Hey, sorry if I came across as a bit standoff-ish :O
Wasn’t my intention, but reading it back it sounded a lot more dick-ish then intended :O
Sorry Daniel!
(edit: I meant I sounded more dick-ish than intended, if that wasn’t clear)
@liondrive: Nah, in hindsight it was a little unintentionally obnoxious posting my comment on a Dark Souls article. You’re all good, bud. 🙂
Kotaku community is the best – only place (on the net) I ever see people disagree in a rational and adult manner.
Props
See funny thing for me here is im the exact opposite I feel like bloodbourne is to in excessible. For starters I don’t like the art style or the van helsing feel. I don’t dig the Victorian setting or the sooooo many grey colours and churches. I love the fact that every new area in dark souls is a different colour and very vibrant.
I also don’t dig the lack of armor and weapons and I really ain’t keen to feed my balls through the mincing machine more than I am on dark souls. I already swear at the tv enough and shit my pants when a hard enemy is baralling for me. I’ll admit I never made it very far in souls on the original 360 versions the frame rate or lack there of made the experience ny on unplayable for me. And I didn’t want to play it on pc.
So I find now I’ve been rewarded and I’m very happy, I’m hopeful they will do a re release of the original dark souls for next gen consoles I’d pick it up in a heart beat. Time will tell but so far I’m loving dark souls 2 scholar of the first sin. It’s exactly what I wanted.
Tldr
Bloodbourne just isn’t for me
I loved how in Demon Souls every area was a theme like Super Mario 64 had a hub. Ahh the memories. Still Bloodborne is so focused in settings, theme etc that it makes most other games story telling look umh, terrible.
How far through Bloodborne did you get exactly?
I bought it and it’s great. I only got into Dark Souls 1 after all the Dark Soils 2 talk last year and that game on the 360 has soaked up over 200 hours since. I bought DS2 on 360 last August but was still too obsessed with the first to get anywhere – last year I beat the Kast Giant and Dragonrider (by fluke) and that was it, the day they announced an Xbone version I traded the 360 copy back to JB and it was worth the wait.
I actually found Forest of the Fallen a Giants a lot easier (but it may be that I just knew where some enemies were going to spring from)
The graphics are amazing and yeah much brighter than Bloodborne’s perpetual darkness.
My only issue is when you hop out into the dashboard – the game doesn’t pause or suspend (most Xbone games do) so there is no pausing on the new consoles either
It’s basically a multiplayer game, although the MP elements are relatively light. Inability to pause is routine in multiplayer.
Otherwise you could just pause when a player invaded you until they went away.
I’ve barely even had time to start on Bloodborne, let alone this, because it’s school holidays I can only play games that are kid friendly, and lately at night I’ve been either too tired or at work. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back to it tonight, but I’m going out for a work colleagues birthday, so I’ll probably be too drunk to play it properly.
If you wear the top hat in bloodborne, the game switches into a hilarity-filled child friendly playground of delights
You bad man, insidious you! lol.
I picked this up over the weekend. I’m also still playing Bloodborne and have no intention of actually playing DS2: SotF for a while yet, but it’s reassuring to have it there.
I do think Dark Souls 2 is a fantastic game though and even sometimes underrated – it’s often judged a little harshly for the fact that it wasn’t the first game and didn’t have the Miyazaki edge to take it all the way home.
I never quite finished it at the time and was actually put off resuming my old file when I heard about the impending remaster, so it’ll be great to play this ultimate version once the thrill of Bloodborne subsides a little.
I’m just surprised to see my cat sleeping peacefully next to the sound system while the vicar is screaming in her death throes.
Your cat is probably evil (like most cats) and the screams feeds its soul. I wouldn’t sleep with the door open man. Just sayin’…
I once went to sleep in an existential state (not to be clarified on a public forum). The cat sat beside me and stared me in the eyes all night. Better the devil you know I guess haha.
Lol. Yup.
I have been super excited for this for months, but have to wait till tomorrow till I can play it (stupid birthday). Will I play it now? Will I play Bloodborne instead? Or will I just ignore both of them and play Lego Marvel super heroes instead? Who knows!
I’m short, I’ve never played Dark Souls II and am therefore completely unqualified to review it. I give it 5 stars.
Super excited for this! Loving Bloodborne but still feeling the crave to visit Majula again. I’ve got credit on the US store so waiting for it to pop up this week…
This is the first souls games I’ve played after playing it my bro’s house and I’m hooked
Been a long time since I’ve been caught off guard at 2am still playing the PS4. The frame rate is excellent compared to what i saw of the ps3 version.
I have quite a big issue with the PC version of this. They added in all this graphical stuff which had no reason not to be on the PC in the first place and are charging over 50 dollars for it.
It feels like a bit of double dipping.
I had it on xbox 360. This is a far superior copy of the game. Better graphics, higher framerate, which makes all the difference. No screen tearing, New enemy placement. I knew there would be a GOTY edition, so i never got the dlc on 360, so its perfect for me. Stuck with a xbox one, so im missing out on bloodborne for now. Sad. If you like souls youll love this.
honestly, given Marks obsession with Bloodborne (knowing he was obsessed with Dark Souls) why not have a different contributor do the community review?
fresh take, not a generic comment in lieu of an actual review?
Popped it in straight away, to give it a test (as I pretty much have to do with all newly bought games). And it’s looking great. Tried it on the PS4, and frame rate is feeling really smooth so far, and graphically it’s looking nice.
I bought it since I hadn’t played the DLC, and the visual/performance upgrade is a very welcome addition.
I only played ds1 and loved it ,but never got to play part 2 and now that is on ps4 I can’t wait to get started but only after I beat bloodborne at the final boss now once I beat it I will play ds2 then new game +on bloodborne!! Is going to be a fun summer!