The reputation of Dark Souls 2

Over the years I've read countless comments on how it's the worst or weakest entry, or 'different', usually with mechanical points I don't fully understand. It's the only one I haven't played, not because I avoided it. Was just busy with other stuff then 3 came out and I didn't even play that until after the complete edition came out.

So what's the deal? What's wrong or different about it? Is it the worst or is it the usual people being dumb? In near every case in my life regarding games, when they say something is trash it's usually doing something unique and is actually good.

I think about this a lot and it is really easy to break down the few key points IMO.

The world is not interconnected like DS1 and Bloodborne, both of witch usually rank in peoples top from games. Add to that some just really poorly thought out level design choices. There is a part in the wooded area that you cannot cross because of a simple knee high rubble. What is behind that rubble?... the end of the game. So instead of your character just jumping over it, and beating the game. You kill every major demon in this world to open the door next to the rubble. There are many instances just like this that completely take people out of the game, and makes the game seem cheap,

They changed engines on this game and I have never really liked a from game since. Everything since Dark souls and Demon's feels slightly off. They also adjusted some stats for the worst. They added adaptability which directly effects your I-frames. You can't get used to the roll and it's timings throughout the game, it is always changing with your stats. Just a poor choice. I believe it also affects roll distance, or maybe that's armor.

All that being said with the DLCS which take the game from a 7/10 to a solid 9/10 for me, it is a big game with a lot in it. They just threw everything at the wall, if it didn't stick, they tried their best to prop it up like it stuck. The appeal of this game for me is how different it is, and is how varied the builds can get as I believe it is easily the biggest DS game content wise.

One of the directors worked on Shadow Tower: Abyss and mentioned bringing that knowledge into DS2 in pre-release interviews, and I can feel it. Shadow Tower: Abyss is one of my favorite from games because it is bat shit crazy, same with DS2.
Praise be to Shadow Tower: Abyss

>The world is not interconnected
So it's like Demon's Souls?

>cannot cross because of a simple knee high
Isn't something similar in every game though?

>Everything since Dark souls and Demon's feels slightly off.
Can you elaborate? Though as a bow only user I probably won't understand

>Adaptability
Does it extend the i-frames? How does the timing change? Does the animation or speed of it change?

Sounds weird but not the worst thing. Eventually you'd get to a point where it's at the level you want.

What's the base version like then? Is it viable the whole game?

>DLC
That's included in the PS4 version right?

I have played this game for about 1100 hours. The online part is better than any From Software's games and the reason for which I came back to it several times. The world is interconnected more than Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3 but areas are less inspired. There are bad design choices but a lot of good things too. Scholar's edition is the way to go because the original release is very rough in some aspects. Adaptability is not a problem when you understand how it works and how many i-frames you are comfortable with.

>The online part is better than any From Software's games
Can you go into detail?

The online part consists of coop, invasions and proper PvP (everywhere with an item or in a specific ranked arena). You can find these things in every souls game but they all work only in DS2.

As an invader or a host's summon you can't use estus flasks to heal yourself (just miracles or a pyromancy) so if you invade a host with two allies you have a good chance to win with enough skill and a decent build. In Dark Souls 3 even veteran players can die against three beginners because the game is designed against invaders, every summoned player can use 7 estus flasks which are also a lot faster. In DS2 you can easily backstab the host when he uses an estus so you can overcome almost all obstacles.
PvP has not much activity in the areas now (at least on PC) but you can easily find people in the arena. DS2 has a lot of viable builds and there are always different things to try. You can even build a hybrid mage that uses poison and it works !
This is an example of a good player:


The arena has different ranks and you get the last one when you have 500 positive wins so some people use every cheap trick to not lose but at least they are motivated haha. You can get the rewards with NG+ and NG++ but not the flashy aura with 500 wins.

If you don't care about "spoilers", check this video out. It explains Dark Souls 2's shortcomings very well.

>viable builds
Is bow only viable in pvp?

I've noted this somewhere before, but my harsh opinion about the matter is this: Dark Souls II is the worst entry in the series. But Dark Souls II: Scholars of the First Sin Edition, is the best entry in the series. The little fixes and additions they made really shows just how much the series relies on its details.

The interconnected worlds was the worst originally, offering only a lineair experience. Unlike Demon's Souls or Dark Souls 1, you couldn't choose in which order to clear areas with very minor exceptions. The re-release fixed this by adding other optional paths and allowing key items to be found in numerous areas. Same with magic originally being wholly unbalanced, only to get good and honest fixes later-on and some lesser useful weapons and spells being useful now. The full version ends up having some of the best dungeons in the series as well as being the only game that has a legit NG+ that offers remixed enemies, new enemies and even bosses having helpers.

Content-wise it is the largest too, with a huge weapon-list, set of optional bosses and areas. While also adding new ways to play like Power Stancing, a hard mode, bonfireAeths adding NG+ early if you wanted and much more. The game is absolutely booming with content and gameplay options, but as a result also throws a lot what made the series so loved away. The lore is very cut and dry, lots of characters aren't fleshed out or are missing options. Personally, I don't care, but a lot did. The graphical downgrade at the time also didn't help.

Some other notes:

> adaptability
At base you had 1 frame of invincibility in your dodge iirc. So you really were forced to at least level the stat to 15 I think, it was just a pointless stat dump.

> piece of rubble
I don't mind this usually either, but in this game it really is a tad too far. Having to circumvent a few rooms in Resident Evil because Jill cannot roll over a bed is fine. Seeing 'the chosen one' scour the lands to kill 4 primevil giants for their souls to not have to climb 4 rocks...yeah. That's a bit too much.

> bow
You can play any way you want in this game. Did a Bow run myself actually. Works just fine albeit at a slight disadvantage originally until you get elemental arrows.

Bows are hard to use in PvP but I have seen some good players with it. Crossbows are much more common and easy to use. In DS3 crossbows are in a lot of builds.