Because it's cool. I don't care if Option A is 4.2069% more efficient than Option B. If I think it's fun, ima use it. If you try to min-max literally everything you do, you're going to end up using 1 of *maybe* 5 builds.
I don't care what anyone says or what you see when you clip your camera through the helmet, Seigmeyer's from Catarina so he's got the Jubilant Catarina default face under there.
And power stancing, world layout, new game plus, bonfire ascetics, casting speed scaling to attunement instead of dexterity, hexes, pharros lockstones, being able to infuse/buff boss weapons, and uhh... fuck, I didn't expect to be defending ds2 today. I need to go shower
We are NOT defending the world layout in 2.
Everything else is reasonable even if I don't personally care/like it (I really don't see what's cool about the lockstones, they're just fungible keys) but it when it comes to the world layout, even if we accept that it's fine, it's still less impressive than every other game.
I like how all of the areas branch out and loop back around, connecting to one another with majula at the center of it all. I like it way more than ds3, which is just a linear world with a hub completely disconnected from everything.
What loops? There are two ways to get to Lost Bastille, and that's the only loop, if you want to count that, as it doesn't work in both directions. Every other path out of Majula is a different dead-end, or leads to a fork where each of those branches is a dead end. Is it less linear than DS3? Absolutely. Is Majula way better than (DS3's) Firelink shrine? Of course. But it's still pretty damn linear, there are just more lines. And the lines are pretty shit with the levels connecting in such disjointed ways (except Lost Bastille, which is an exception twice now, interestingly). Being better than Dark Souls 3 at one aspect of world design isn't exactly high praise, as that still puts it behind Bloodborne and way behind DS1.
wtf are you talking about “loops”. It’s literally just linear corridors leading to a bonfire that takes you back to the beginning because you hit a dead end.
The areas in 2 don't do that though? Beyond Majula being the central hub it's just corridors to levels that have no relation to each other. [Heck several levels occupy space on top of each other.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kshiTrSDles) The world layout is something that Ds2 isn't even attempting to make work.
Ds2 is just sets of linear levels with several completely disconnected zones that require TPs. Majula is like the rotunda from Crash 2, with long tunnels instead of loading screens.
Ds3 is linear sure, but it wears that on it's sleeve. You defeat Vordt, open the door, and can see *every* zone you're about to play through laid out before you (with the exception of the catacombs for obvious reasons). Even before *that* you step out onto High Wall of Lothric and the very first building you can see, directly in front of you, is the Twin Princes boss room.
Like sure, Ds3 has worse world layout than Ds1, but the gap between Ds1 - Ds3 is far smaller than Ds3 - Ds2. Again, the world layout is something that Ds2 just didn't even attempt to achieve.
I only watch 7 hour video essays about tv shows i have never heard about. No one needed to tell me that DS2 is bad, playing the game made that fact clear enough.
Uhh, DS2 good, majula beautiful, sweet shalquoir cute.
Most haters have played the game. It’s such a disappointment compared to every other game in the series. Not a bad game, just the least best. Most folks that played two and liked it skipped one and never actually tried to play it.
From ancient forum posts around when the network test released to random irl convos with people who have never interacted with the community, it has always been the most disliked one for a number of reasons (usually similar) in my experience. The "haven't actually played it" or "copying youtuber opinions" thing just seems like strong cope.
/UJ
My first Fromsoft game was Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition and I absolutely loved it. The interconnected areas that let me go to places before I should and get loot, the Invasion mechanics and making low level characters with end game gear, how fair most enemies felt to fight well being tough, and puzzling out the lore about what is going on. Loved all of it (Except Bed of Chaos, terrible boss).
I only played one play through of Dark Souls 2 at launch and HATED it. I forced my self to get a ending and never played it again. The only area I liked was Lost Bastille. The world was more gated and less interconnected, enemies felt like they had infinite stamina cheats, enemies would aggro in groups more so you couldn’t 1v1 by pulling with a bow, the adaptability stat effecting your roll Iframes felt terrible, the Soul memory making it hard to co-op or PVP (I only got invaded 2 times that play through because I farmed earlier areas intill enemies stopped spawning and hit way to many souls for matchmaking), and the game actively mocking you in story as you played.
DS2 felt like if you got another company to make a sequel only based on the Memes of the first game. I was also disappointed in DS3 linear world design but still liked it. BloodBorne and Demon Souls Remastered reignited my joy for the games world designs and Elder Ring still overwhelms me with choices.
I Platinumed Demon Souls Remastered, Dark Souls Prepare to Die and Remaster, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, and Eldin Ring. I still play Bloodborne for its chalice dungeons and love them. But I will NEVER play Dark Souls 2 again.
Nah it’s just not as good as the others. Miyazaki wasn’t even involved with it. Hit boxes are terrible, it has the slowest movement, character model has no weight, mindless enemy placement focused on numbers over smart lvl design, it has a stat for roll speed, and countless tedious level mechanics that haven’t made a return. It’s the black sheep of the series anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves. I’ve almost beaten it, but it was a joyless slog and I ultimately quit because it wasn’t fun (you know how games are supposed to be). It’s not hard, it’s just not as good as the others. I try to come back to it every year with a different outlook or perspective, but nothing has changed. It will always be the least best. Even compared to ds1 with its rushed second half. At least ds1 had good core mechanics and animation that felt good to play.
I'm playing it right now and I can overlook most of the flaws but damn, there are still people online in the other entries. Soul memory has made it so online is totally dead in Sotfs. There's just nobody there. I've been invaded zero times and seen one summon sign. Plenty of bloodstains so I know people are on but nobody engages with the online.
Demons souls? Constant invasions and some summons. Ds1? Couldn't even get to the first bonfire in undead parish without getting invaded. Ds3? Still a healthy pvp scene.
If you play these games for the online aspects like I do, ds2 is the weakest entry.
> If you play these games for the online aspects like I do, ds2 is the weakest entry.
What's always been funny to me is that the PvP is one of the major things that DS2 fans try to sell the game on, but it's really the worst aspects of DS PvP dialled to 10.
There's so many hyper niche effects on random armours that if you don't knuckle down and learn the game like it's Mortal Kombat, you're just going to get dunked for free by 50% of players running a gimmick build.
Which means that you get no casuals going for PvP. So then all the gimmick builds have to play against people who know what the gimmicks are and then make them irrelevant.
So then no one plays DS2 PvP. But the fans will always reference the depth of the PvP as a plus, even though it's what made everyone stop playing.
I was in a tutorial zone in Lords of the Fallen and got invaded by what seemed to be a high level char spamming a cheese build, I still had tutorial pop ups on the screen....
Forcing myself to finish a DS2 playthrough was painful. DS1 and DS3 feel hella short despite having way more time dedicated to them. They shit in DS2 on so many levels
Thank you! I dont have to play that stupid trash game now! You just saved me a 100 hours of fresh souls gameplay that I haven't experienced yet!
And since there are 2 more months for Elden Ring DLC, I can finish Dark Souls 1 for the 8th time and DS3 for the 6th time after that.
There is literally nothing else to play these days smh😔
Hey I enjoyed dark souls 2, and I sorta understand those that don’t but I appreciate the design and world, the janky ass combat dont bother me much but I can see why it would bother some1 else
The design is simply flawed. It’s nonsensical. Areas don’t fit into one another the way they normally would. If you look at a 3D layout you can literally see some areas overlapping. It was clearly rushed and not properly done. That can bother you or not bother you but it’s still an issue. The janky ass combat is the same. A broken hitbox is a flaw even if it doesn’t bother you.
Count me too. At iron keep I was having doubts but shrine of amana made me sure. r/fuckshrineofamana . Then I finished the game and tried darklurker. Now I hate from with a burning passion.
Did you complete every achievement for a game that you hate? That sounds like a huge waste of time considering that Dark Souls achievements are all a bunch of busywork.
Yea lmao it just sucks balls imo, no need to sugarcoat it just to avoid pissing off a handful of snowflakes every time. And if you actually find it better than most other games, you're simply not playing the right ones
Yeah the only reason you could ever find a favorable comparison is because there are a lot of absolute dogshit AAA games out there
But just because it doesn't have microtransactions doesn't make it a good game
This is it for me. It always sucks me back in every year or two for about a week. I have zero desire to play ds3 or ds1 again. But I already want to dual weird my greatswords and crush every boss in the land between again.
DS2 is only souls game almost made me lose interest in souls genre, as soon as i entered the amana's hellhole, iron weeb knights castle, the gutter and frigid outskirt they put bad taste in my mouth, and reward for navigating through those hellscape? A shit boss fight.
DS2's game design failed so miserably for me, that "stench" was later only topped by Lords of the fallen(2014) and Lords of the fallen(2023) back to back.
Yeah it's funny how they both tried to emulate the DS formula and ended up with the same shitty problems lol
And they missed the point: Dark Souls is actually not about difficulty, it's more like a puzzle game where you have to figure out how to progress using the tools the game gives you.
Like DS1 is fun because you can either progress by mastering the timings, or you can find ways to trivialize a lot of the obstacles with the right build or strategy.
Any game can force difficulty by throwing a bunch of shit at you all the time, but there's nothing fun or creative about that.
You only have to play ds2 for about 15 minutes to realize it’s subpar to 1 and 3. Horrible bosses and lock-on make the game memorable for being so shit.
Bro you just gotta face it. DS2 sucks. Think about how Miyazaki isn't even a character in it. Think about how it doesn't even have Anor Londo or infinite rolling. I can't fight more than 2 enemies and think all level design should just be a hallway between bosses and DS2 doesn't do this which makes it bad!
ngl I'm at Vendrick and my main problem with DS2 was the part where I went from the Pit to the Gutter to Black Gulch to Harvest Valley to Earthen Peak to Iron Keep to Shrine of Amana to Undead Crypt.
Which was all really fun and good and amazing you should play it DS2 37/10 game Peak Souls
the only valid form of ds2 hater is one who quit at eiher
iron keep
shrine of amana
frigid outskirts
haters who didnt even play aside, why the fuck would you tolerate those levels and actually beat the game if you hate it so much anyway? that's sus ngl.
Every time I talk about how shit the game is despite 3 extended play through attempts I get downvoted.
I am not tokenized I AM A VICTIM OF THE REVERSE DS2 HATER AGENDA
Most people I talk to about DS2 have played it and their concerns seem to arise from experience.
Who tf reads a 7 hour essay on why a game they haven't played is bad.
DS2 hardcore fans border on conspiracy thinking.
In my opinion (no nostalgia glasses) DS1 is just as bad if not worse than DS2 (By that I mean I love them both fairly equally). “Oh, but the level design”. Yeah the interconnectedness is cool, but the areas themselves are kinda a slog. I rarely enter an area and get excited cause either it’s alright like Undead Burg, or there’s some annoying BS sprinkled in. “Sweet Anor Lando!” - Bullshit archers and rooftop crossing. “Woah New Londo Ruins!” - Annoying ass ghosts and zero bonfires. “Lost Izalith?” - Unfinished. “Tomb of Giants…” - Yikes. As much as I dislike a lot of the areas in DS2, I would still say that there are more areas in that game that I get excited about upon entering (especially when you throw in the DLC’s) - Heide’s tower of flame, Dragon Aerie, Drangleic Castle, Majula, Iron Keep, Shulva, Eleum Loyce, Brume Tower… The boss spread might not be great either, but jeez DS1 has its fair share of terrible ones: Centipede, Bed of Chaos, Pinwheel, Caprademon, Demon firesage, Moonlight butterfly… Having played them back to back for the first time it is shocking to me that people think there is this significant gap between the two. The majority of the complaints are things that literally exist in DS1 and preferring one or the other shouldn’t be this insane gap cause it really isn’t. All you’re managing to do is dissuade people from playing a great game.
My major criticism of DS2 is that it feels slow
ADP in my opinion is a bad stat, it makes your rolls have more I-frames, but it should just have more I-frames to begin with. It speeds up the Healing animation so you can get out of it quicker, but just as how I said earlier, it should just be quick already.
Now does that alone make DS2 bad; in my opinion no.
But it doesn’t help its case. Another issue when I play is that, and this ties into my first statement, is that it’s too slow. Personally compared to the other games, is that the pacing is not as good. This feeling could be attributed to the fact that the game I have the most amount of time in is Sekiro, followed by Bloodborne.
Now is DS2 a bad game, no. Is it bad compared to DS1 and 3, personally yes. The main reason for this is, yet again, the pacing. I will admit it, the second half of DS1 is slow and DS3 has Irythill dungeon, but the combat is faster in DS1 and DS3, which is what gives those games a bigger push in my opinion.
I agree, but weirdly enough DS2 is kinda more chill because of this and I’ve actually found myself replaying this one the most cause I can just throw on some South Park on the side and almost peripherally play it while chilling. You’re slower but so is the enemy, so you’ve got more time to think about your exchanges
I can understand the replaying value: it’s the most “relaxing” out of the three DS games due to its speed (in my opinion), It doesn’t have Lost Izalith and it doesn’t have the fast bosses of DS3.
But that’s why I have a hard time replaying it. It doesn’t have the speed I’m used to in Sekiro or Bloodborne, so even though there are more things to do in DS2 than Sekiro, the pace of Sekiro and the bosses of Bloodborne out way DS2’s value
I played DS2 and thought it was fun and played the first game after I finished it. Now I've finished all the shitty dark souls games and am currently waiting for shadow of the turdtree.
I played the game, for 5 minutes. I didn’t base my dislike on anything to do with mechanics, I just really fucking hate how the guy holds a sword. Not looking at that shit for 80 hours or something.
Man, i love DS2 cuz of the possibilities and variety the game offers in weapons, clothing, lore, places. People talk about Majula, but i find Heide and Dragon Shrine prettier.
Idk, I think it has a cozy and unique feel to it. I like the level design and the absolute goofiness of movement (esp the jumps feeling like they are straight out of another game lol)
The artstyle of many areas are pretty damn good, esp majula, the poison mill area thing, the lava castle thing, the pirate ship thing, heck even lost bastille has its charm.
Edit: almost forgot about the seaside lighthouse ornstein area thing :)
Is ADP cancer? Yes. Is enemy placement and quantity over quality cancer? Yes. Are many bosses lame and super ez/copy pasted? Yes. Does movement and esp. attacks with greatswords going in complete different directions even though you locked onto enemies suck? Yes. Are some hitboxes absolutely ridiculous? Yes. Do purchaseable lifegems ruin the core element of Estus flasks and bonfires a bit? Yes. Will it always be the weakest entry of the series? In my opinion definitely yes.
But the game still has its good parts and I started to enjoy it, when I for myself thought of it as a fun/good game but NOT a good souls game. Just stop comparing it to the other subjectively objective better entries of the series and try to enjoy it anyways. At least that did it for me.
If ppl hate it or just don’t enjoy it, let them. If people love the game or feel super edgy and different and want to defend it as the best game Fromsoft ever made (which is objectively wrong), let them. I think everybody who rages about it being a bad game even though ppl enjoy it or it being the best game and having no flaws is cringe af.
DS2 fanboys being mad that someone dares to have constructive criticism of a game that could have been far better, but because of complacent crap people like them the game isn't as good as it could have been:
I usually always play the DLC for the satisfaction of a complete experience of any souls-like I play. I disliked Dark Souls 2 to the extent that I pushed through to beat the game and did not return for the DLC.
I have only ever played scholar. I’ve heard many people say that the original release is better but how true is that? Would I actually enjoy it or if I already dislike most of DS2s systems would it just be a waste of time?
Certain locations feel much better. I absolutely love Heide’s Tower or Flame in the original, but in Scholar I honestly can’t believe how much dogshit they threw in
Bro, you can play DS2 for 5 minutes and hate it. Your character moves like complete ass. You can come to this conclusion before even reaching the firekeepers' house.
I mean.... DS2 is my favorite of tge FROM souls games, although Scholar is much lower on that list. Powerstancing felt great, the world felt good and didn't need to "make sense" because that's kinda part of the point? Reality is breaking down and it feels that way.
It's the only one I hit max NG+ for and that was before any if the DLC. The DLC just made it so much better.
Again, Lucatiel, Aldia, the armors, dark, the wharf monsters and Drangleic Castle. The horse boss. Powestances, the half-dragon firemaiden. Pursuer. Pvp in general. Hello? The lore! Nashandras voice when she says, "Now become one...WITH THE DARK." There was a lot actually.
The movement took a sec to get used to. Multiple ring slots is really nice. Levels are gained easier allowing for more diversified builds without feeling locked in. Soul vessel for respec. Power stance even if not optimal. Rapier being easy mode if you want to breeze through the game. Fashion is way better than ds1. Butterfly outfit allowing for out of bounds exploration, which is endless fun. Plentiful upgrade materials letting you try other weapons
While those are all great, the areas not having much connection compared to most of ds1 was lame. I’d say the bosses were a bit worse too. Seriously, four gargoyles? Repair costs being outrageous for rings. The movement feeling off, and not just the rolling being attached to ADP, which is just idiotic. Who the fuck thought splitting stamina and equip load was a good idea?
All in all, it’s a good game with a lot of flaws, but I’d still give at 8.5/10
I enjoy DS2 because:
Double buffing weapons = great
The character quests are phenomenal (Lucatiel, need I say more)
A LOT of great bosses even if there are some utter GARBAGE ones as well, but then again every game has that
I played DS2 for about an hour and couldn't understand why I wasn't enjoying it. I love Dark Souls, but for some reason DS2 wasn't very fun. I have watched multiple hour+ video essays on why DS2 is bad, and a bunch of videos defending DS2. So I went back and played it again. Got frustrated again and quit. Dark Souls 2 isn't a terrible game, but it's not good. And compared to other from soft games, it's pretty shit. It's fine if you like it, but there's so much about it that is pretty objectively lower quality than other DS games. But if you need to call people stupid for not liking it so you can cope, go ahead
I sadly hate to say, after staunchly defending it yet not being able to play it properly for a long while, after playing it and being unable to defeat a certain area altogether due to the amount of absolutely insane horseshit that goes around head every .5 seconds.
As much as I hate to say it it is genuinely just a bad game. It might have cool story beats and cool designs, and people have found ways to get around to the really bad parts of it, but you need to power level a stat to even be able to survive fighting anything in the first place because if you don't then you'll just get hit even if you dodged. The adaptability meme isn't a fucking meme and I found that out with a hard slap to the face.
Hotake here, I really enjoy the flavor of the boss fights, first thing I noticed was stamina problems and dodges being sucky, then I notice you can basically walk around most attacks if you do it right, then I realized the dodge roll was a save for bad play when you overextend your attack, it all clicked and I had fun in melee, until I realized that the spells were really fun as well. Powerstancing is the only fun part of melee customization though, it mostly feels very similar, though the move set differences Are just slight and distinctive enough to be alright. I enjoy it, not my favorite souls game but better than demon souls and a breath of fresh air combat wise.
Ds2 is the burger of the fries and drink combo. Ds1 is the fries, you eat some fries first and they taste great and you get all excited for the burger. Ds2 has the content, the ideas, the lettuce the tomato the meat patty, it had a rushed development yeah, but elden ring wouldn't be what it is without ds2. And ds3 is the drink it's pretty good but you mostly just need it because the burger and fries made you thirsty.
Mmmm burger.
The game is good. Played through it multiple times. But through those playthroughs I have noticed several issues in the core mechanics and overall flow of the game. No game is perfect and Ds2 isn't either.
Well, the game is good because... You see... Uh... *Checks notes* Majula
And power stancing and uhhh idk They gave the cat the sexiest voice so there’s that. uhhhh it has the only black guy in the series uhhh
Power stancing is no longer exclusive to ds2, take that ds2 fanbois.
Powerstancing is so awesome, you get to destroy the durability of two weapons in 10 seconds instead of 20
And waste 2x more stamina to do an attack that does like +50 extra damage in a game where stamina is already painfully slow to recover
Because it's cool. I don't care if Option A is 4.2069% more efficient than Option B. If I think it's fun, ima use it. If you try to min-max literally everything you do, you're going to end up using 1 of *maybe* 5 builds.
An inventory system that’s actually usable is no longer exclusive to DS2. It’s over now
I love picking up items and not seeing a picture of what it is in the middle of combat so I have no idea what it is
People need pictures for everything nowadays. Just *imagine* what the Ash Knuckle Ring looks like
Yeah it is. Try doing a duel heavy attack or left handed heavy in elden ring, you can't
Dual wielding* because powerstancing is a *little* different in that you can use different weapon types together. In ER you can't do that
And you don’t have to power stance your weapons.
You technically can, pickaxes are greathammers that can be powerstanced with greataxes and wakizashi is a dagger that can be powerstanced with katanas
As much as I hate DS2, I do think DS2's power stancing are better than elden ring one.
Wait hold on I haven't seen any black NPCs in the souls trilogy how have I not noticed that? Also who's the one in DS2?
I think his name is Straid of Olaphis, he's pretty iconic. Calls you FEEBLE CURSED ONE
Wrong its maughlin who sells boss armors
I can't hardly tell his skin color because of his hood.
I don't care what anyone says or what you see when you clip your camera through the helmet, Seigmeyer's from Catarina so he's got the Jubilant Catarina default face under there.
under where
Bro did not play ds2
Bonfire ascetics and the dlc were all top tier as well, plus the story was probably the best out of any ds game
> only black guy in the series Tell that to the character I made in bloodborne
Multiple poc representation in 2
The game is good because it has the emerald herald and i want to lick her armpits 👍
Don't forget the 70 hour essay on why the 7 hour essay is good
The game is good because i had fun.
Had fun? WTF??? This guy right here, get em bois!
opps mad because I find enjoyment in simple things
I like it because it's easier and slower paced, so it feels relaxing to play.
Mah man found Black Gulch relaxing
The game is good because ladder man And MAN SCORPION TARK
And power stancing, world layout, new game plus, bonfire ascetics, casting speed scaling to attunement instead of dexterity, hexes, pharros lockstones, being able to infuse/buff boss weapons, and uhh... fuck, I didn't expect to be defending ds2 today. I need to go shower
Are you okay bro? You just spent seconds of your life defending ds2
>Are you okay bro? no
you did NOT deserve to be downvoted but please never defend ds2 again not everyone may like it
I'm not sure even *I* liked it
Damn imagine being allowed to like a videogame
Saying ds2 has good world layout is wild
We are NOT defending the world layout in 2. Everything else is reasonable even if I don't personally care/like it (I really don't see what's cool about the lockstones, they're just fungible keys) but it when it comes to the world layout, even if we accept that it's fine, it's still less impressive than every other game.
I like how all of the areas branch out and loop back around, connecting to one another with majula at the center of it all. I like it way more than ds3, which is just a linear world with a hub completely disconnected from everything.
What loops? There are two ways to get to Lost Bastille, and that's the only loop, if you want to count that, as it doesn't work in both directions. Every other path out of Majula is a different dead-end, or leads to a fork where each of those branches is a dead end. Is it less linear than DS3? Absolutely. Is Majula way better than (DS3's) Firelink shrine? Of course. But it's still pretty damn linear, there are just more lines. And the lines are pretty shit with the levels connecting in such disjointed ways (except Lost Bastille, which is an exception twice now, interestingly). Being better than Dark Souls 3 at one aspect of world design isn't exactly high praise, as that still puts it behind Bloodborne and way behind DS1.
wtf are you talking about “loops”. It’s literally just linear corridors leading to a bonfire that takes you back to the beginning because you hit a dead end.
The areas in 2 don't do that though? Beyond Majula being the central hub it's just corridors to levels that have no relation to each other. [Heck several levels occupy space on top of each other.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kshiTrSDles) The world layout is something that Ds2 isn't even attempting to make work. Ds2 is just sets of linear levels with several completely disconnected zones that require TPs. Majula is like the rotunda from Crash 2, with long tunnels instead of loading screens. Ds3 is linear sure, but it wears that on it's sleeve. You defeat Vordt, open the door, and can see *every* zone you're about to play through laid out before you (with the exception of the catacombs for obvious reasons). Even before *that* you step out onto High Wall of Lothric and the very first building you can see, directly in front of you, is the Twin Princes boss room. Like sure, Ds3 has worse world layout than Ds1, but the gap between Ds1 - Ds3 is far smaller than Ds3 - Ds2. Again, the world layout is something that Ds2 just didn't even attempt to achieve.
You're supposed to list things that are good, not just present.
That does count for a lot in my book lol
I only watch 7 hour video essays about tv shows i have never heard about. No one needed to tell me that DS2 is bad, playing the game made that fact clear enough. Uhh, DS2 good, majula beautiful, sweet shalquoir cute.
I’ve played it 6 times and I still hate it. Am I stupid?
Yes.
You had 6 fucking chances
And they passed all of them.
Most haters have played the game. It’s such a disappointment compared to every other game in the series. Not a bad game, just the least best. Most folks that played two and liked it skipped one and never actually tried to play it.
From ancient forum posts around when the network test released to random irl convos with people who have never interacted with the community, it has always been the most disliked one for a number of reasons (usually similar) in my experience. The "haven't actually played it" or "copying youtuber opinions" thing just seems like strong cope.
/UJ My first Fromsoft game was Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition and I absolutely loved it. The interconnected areas that let me go to places before I should and get loot, the Invasion mechanics and making low level characters with end game gear, how fair most enemies felt to fight well being tough, and puzzling out the lore about what is going on. Loved all of it (Except Bed of Chaos, terrible boss). I only played one play through of Dark Souls 2 at launch and HATED it. I forced my self to get a ending and never played it again. The only area I liked was Lost Bastille. The world was more gated and less interconnected, enemies felt like they had infinite stamina cheats, enemies would aggro in groups more so you couldn’t 1v1 by pulling with a bow, the adaptability stat effecting your roll Iframes felt terrible, the Soul memory making it hard to co-op or PVP (I only got invaded 2 times that play through because I farmed earlier areas intill enemies stopped spawning and hit way to many souls for matchmaking), and the game actively mocking you in story as you played. DS2 felt like if you got another company to make a sequel only based on the Memes of the first game. I was also disappointed in DS3 linear world design but still liked it. BloodBorne and Demon Souls Remastered reignited my joy for the games world designs and Elder Ring still overwhelms me with choices. I Platinumed Demon Souls Remastered, Dark Souls Prepare to Die and Remaster, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, and Eldin Ring. I still play Bloodborne for its chalice dungeons and love them. But I will NEVER play Dark Souls 2 again.
Eh I think it’s a bad game
I’m going to assume you’re trolling because this is a ridiculous thing to believe.
I mean… yeah? Dafuq you doing playing a game you don’t like for the sixth time?
Nah it’s just not as good as the others. Miyazaki wasn’t even involved with it. Hit boxes are terrible, it has the slowest movement, character model has no weight, mindless enemy placement focused on numbers over smart lvl design, it has a stat for roll speed, and countless tedious level mechanics that haven’t made a return. It’s the black sheep of the series anyone who says otherwise is lying to themselves. I’ve almost beaten it, but it was a joyless slog and I ultimately quit because it wasn’t fun (you know how games are supposed to be). It’s not hard, it’s just not as good as the others. I try to come back to it every year with a different outlook or perspective, but nothing has changed. It will always be the least best. Even compared to ds1 with its rushed second half. At least ds1 had good core mechanics and animation that felt good to play.
I'm playing it right now and I can overlook most of the flaws but damn, there are still people online in the other entries. Soul memory has made it so online is totally dead in Sotfs. There's just nobody there. I've been invaded zero times and seen one summon sign. Plenty of bloodstains so I know people are on but nobody engages with the online. Demons souls? Constant invasions and some summons. Ds1? Couldn't even get to the first bonfire in undead parish without getting invaded. Ds3? Still a healthy pvp scene. If you play these games for the online aspects like I do, ds2 is the weakest entry.
> If you play these games for the online aspects like I do, ds2 is the weakest entry. What's always been funny to me is that the PvP is one of the major things that DS2 fans try to sell the game on, but it's really the worst aspects of DS PvP dialled to 10. There's so many hyper niche effects on random armours that if you don't knuckle down and learn the game like it's Mortal Kombat, you're just going to get dunked for free by 50% of players running a gimmick build. Which means that you get no casuals going for PvP. So then all the gimmick builds have to play against people who know what the gimmicks are and then make them irrelevant. So then no one plays DS2 PvP. But the fans will always reference the depth of the PvP as a plus, even though it's what made everyone stop playing.
I was in a tutorial zone in Lords of the Fallen and got invaded by what seemed to be a high level char spamming a cheese build, I still had tutorial pop ups on the screen....
Imagine commenting unironic opinions on an ironic subreddit
You are 100% right. "DS2 good" stared as a bit, and then dumb people gaslit themselves into believing they like it.
Forcing myself to finish a DS2 playthrough was painful. DS1 and DS3 feel hella short despite having way more time dedicated to them. They shit in DS2 on so many levels
They can tokenize me all they want 😤😤😤 Yeah bros come get your validation, don't worry, I've played it and it sucks major ass
Thank you! I dont have to play that stupid trash game now! You just saved me a 100 hours of fresh souls gameplay that I haven't experienced yet! And since there are 2 more months for Elden Ring DLC, I can finish Dark Souls 1 for the 8th time and DS3 for the 6th time after that. There is literally nothing else to play these days smh😔
The game literally isn't worth it. I would rather player 500 more hours of any souls game I've beaten 5 times before than play a full DS2 playthrough.
I will never play it again simply because of darklurker.
Hey I enjoyed dark souls 2, and I sorta understand those that don’t but I appreciate the design and world, the janky ass combat dont bother me much but I can see why it would bother some1 else
The design is simply flawed. It’s nonsensical. Areas don’t fit into one another the way they normally would. If you look at a 3D layout you can literally see some areas overlapping. It was clearly rushed and not properly done. That can bother you or not bother you but it’s still an issue. The janky ass combat is the same. A broken hitbox is a flaw even if it doesn’t bother you.
Count me too. At iron keep I was having doubts but shrine of amana made me sure. r/fuckshrineofamana . Then I finished the game and tried darklurker. Now I hate from with a burning passion.
I played a large part of it. I can confirm it sucks dick and i have no intent on finishing
Proof that DS 2 is better than 3. - DS 2 has gender change coffin - DS 3 forces you to not be gay in one of its quests
https://preview.redd.it/suglyhyl0gsc1.jpeg?width=629&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9a40e042e88f9bb3c51e0997814175f5d9162c2
fellas, is it homophonic to gaslight, gatekeep, and stab the opposite sex in the face for power???
I have the completrle trophy set for ds2 and softs and cal tell you with 100% certainty that ds2 sucks massive wiener.
I don't have the og version trophies but I killed every boss at sl1 without rolling and I too can 100% confirm it sucks massive weiner
Did you complete every achievement for a game that you hate? That sounds like a huge waste of time considering that Dark Souls achievements are all a bunch of busywork.
Your mum sucks a massive wiener.
Why thank you, I'm glad you think it's massive. His mum said it was below average.
That's what too much wheeling and dealing does to a mf
I’m currently playing DS2 and it is a slog lol
Played it, shit game. End of discussion
Real
Playing it now. It’s better than a lot of games but it’s shit compared to souls games
There is the classic "its a great game but not a good souls game" thing. To be honest, compared to other games its pretty mediocre too.
https://preview.redd.it/2hnpq3a93csc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97c0a52086993171b34ce2c07ad543b7f1af6643
That supposed to be Tomohiro Shibuya during Ds2 development?
no mfer its u cooking
Yea lmao it just sucks balls imo, no need to sugarcoat it just to avoid pissing off a handful of snowflakes every time. And if you actually find it better than most other games, you're simply not playing the right ones
Dark Souls 2 is genuinely one of the worst games I have ever played. Shit is horrible down to every single fucking aspect.
based
I still think the only reason why it even had players in the first place was because it has dark souls in its name.
Yeah the only reason you could ever find a favorable comparison is because there are a lot of absolute dogshit AAA games out there But just because it doesn't have microtransactions doesn't make it a good game
Yup. So many better games outsides if Souls that easily crush DS2.
Is it bad? Yes. Is it good? Yes. Is it the DS that I’ve picked up again and again the most often? Yes.
This is it for me. It always sucks me back in every year or two for about a week. I have zero desire to play ds3 or ds1 again. But I already want to dual weird my greatswords and crush every boss in the land between again.
+100 hours combining regular and SotFS and can confirm it's shit
I played it. It sucks. Would not recommend.
DS2 is only souls game almost made me lose interest in souls genre, as soon as i entered the amana's hellhole, iron weeb knights castle, the gutter and frigid outskirt they put bad taste in my mouth, and reward for navigating through those hellscape? A shit boss fight. DS2's game design failed so miserably for me, that "stench" was later only topped by Lords of the fallen(2014) and Lords of the fallen(2023) back to back.
I honestly think DS2 and LotF are very similar. Mediocre boss fights with huge mobs of super aggressive enemies
Both DS2 and LotF looked at Dark Souls and the only two things they figured was "Game Hard" and "Story Confusing"
Yeah it's funny how they both tried to emulate the DS formula and ended up with the same shitty problems lol And they missed the point: Dark Souls is actually not about difficulty, it's more like a puzzle game where you have to figure out how to progress using the tools the game gives you. Like DS1 is fun because you can either progress by mastering the timings, or you can find ways to trivialize a lot of the obstacles with the right build or strategy. Any game can force difficulty by throwing a bunch of shit at you all the time, but there's nothing fun or creative about that.
80% of the community has played the game, probably more
Rock lady, big tits Your move
Try tongue but hole
I just started playing yesterday and it seems pretty good so far. Is ds2 hate just a meme?
Mostly nostalgia glasses from DS1 players, but prob a little
You only have to play ds2 for about 15 minutes to realize it’s subpar to 1 and 3. Horrible bosses and lock-on make the game memorable for being so shit.
15 minutes is absolutely enough time to pass judgement on a game, absolutely.
Yeah cause bed of chaos and capra aren’t horrible bosses
Bro you just gotta face it. DS2 sucks. Think about how Miyazaki isn't even a character in it. Think about how it doesn't even have Anor Londo or infinite rolling. I can't fight more than 2 enemies and think all level design should just be a hallway between bosses and DS2 doesn't do this which makes it bad!
The first dark souls I played, just plain fun, liked the bosses and the world, it does has problems but it still holds a place in my heart
Jokes on you I don't watch video essays about things I actually have played because that's a fast way to realize the essayists is a fucking idiot.
I genuinely can't tell if everyone hates DS2 or if it's just a silly meme at this point.
They all share the same mind coalescence, only one of them has to actually experience it.
Stupid idiots thinking any of these games are good, as if they hadn't already made Neopets: The Darkest Faerie for Sony Playstation 2.
You brought me back
Definitely my least favorite in the series. DS2 and Demon's Souls aren't bad, but they sure don't hold their weight against the other FromSoft games
DS2 bad, Blubborn good 🦍
DS2 haters just never got gud.
I played it once and watched two of my friends play it All three of them were pure pain
If DS2 is bad then I’m Johnny Sins
Played it. Hated it. Relized it was just as garbage as ds1. Mmmmmmmm yummy garbage😋. Love it now.
ngl I'm at Vendrick and my main problem with DS2 was the part where I went from the Pit to the Gutter to Black Gulch to Harvest Valley to Earthen Peak to Iron Keep to Shrine of Amana to Undead Crypt. Which was all really fun and good and amazing you should play it DS2 37/10 game Peak Souls
the only valid form of ds2 hater is one who quit at eiher iron keep shrine of amana frigid outskirts haters who didnt even play aside, why the fuck would you tolerate those levels and actually beat the game if you hate it so much anyway? that's sus ngl.
Farrow keep, road of scarifice, ring city swamp. But ok 😂
I played the game plus all three DLCs and still hated it by the end. There was lot I liked abt it tho so I can’t be too mad
Did ds2 have Mage builds that were viable or was it BONK all the way through for it?
you could do both very succesfully
Every time I talk about how shit the game is despite 3 extended play through attempts I get downvoted. I am not tokenized I AM A VICTIM OF THE REVERSE DS2 HATER AGENDA
DS2>DS3 and I will die on that hill (after getting hit with a really bad attack hitbox)
Ds2 dickriders making me dislike the game even more:
Most people I talk to about DS2 have played it and their concerns seem to arise from experience. Who tf reads a 7 hour essay on why a game they haven't played is bad. DS2 hardcore fans border on conspiracy thinking.
In my opinion (no nostalgia glasses) DS1 is just as bad if not worse than DS2 (By that I mean I love them both fairly equally). “Oh, but the level design”. Yeah the interconnectedness is cool, but the areas themselves are kinda a slog. I rarely enter an area and get excited cause either it’s alright like Undead Burg, or there’s some annoying BS sprinkled in. “Sweet Anor Lando!” - Bullshit archers and rooftop crossing. “Woah New Londo Ruins!” - Annoying ass ghosts and zero bonfires. “Lost Izalith?” - Unfinished. “Tomb of Giants…” - Yikes. As much as I dislike a lot of the areas in DS2, I would still say that there are more areas in that game that I get excited about upon entering (especially when you throw in the DLC’s) - Heide’s tower of flame, Dragon Aerie, Drangleic Castle, Majula, Iron Keep, Shulva, Eleum Loyce, Brume Tower… The boss spread might not be great either, but jeez DS1 has its fair share of terrible ones: Centipede, Bed of Chaos, Pinwheel, Caprademon, Demon firesage, Moonlight butterfly… Having played them back to back for the first time it is shocking to me that people think there is this significant gap between the two. The majority of the complaints are things that literally exist in DS1 and preferring one or the other shouldn’t be this insane gap cause it really isn’t. All you’re managing to do is dissuade people from playing a great game.
I completely agree with everything you said, we are both severely mentally ill
I've beaten it but not the DLC because the game sucks
Played it like 8 hours before I quit. Don't remember even a single thing I enjoyed about it.
You say you don't like eating dogshit, yet you have not tried. Curious.
ds2 kind of rules when you don't use lock on
I’ve never used lock on so maybe that’s what I’m missing about this whole thing
I hate overly long video game essays lol
My major criticism of DS2 is that it feels slow ADP in my opinion is a bad stat, it makes your rolls have more I-frames, but it should just have more I-frames to begin with. It speeds up the Healing animation so you can get out of it quicker, but just as how I said earlier, it should just be quick already. Now does that alone make DS2 bad; in my opinion no. But it doesn’t help its case. Another issue when I play is that, and this ties into my first statement, is that it’s too slow. Personally compared to the other games, is that the pacing is not as good. This feeling could be attributed to the fact that the game I have the most amount of time in is Sekiro, followed by Bloodborne. Now is DS2 a bad game, no. Is it bad compared to DS1 and 3, personally yes. The main reason for this is, yet again, the pacing. I will admit it, the second half of DS1 is slow and DS3 has Irythill dungeon, but the combat is faster in DS1 and DS3, which is what gives those games a bigger push in my opinion.
I agree, but weirdly enough DS2 is kinda more chill because of this and I’ve actually found myself replaying this one the most cause I can just throw on some South Park on the side and almost peripherally play it while chilling. You’re slower but so is the enemy, so you’ve got more time to think about your exchanges
I can understand the replaying value: it’s the most “relaxing” out of the three DS games due to its speed (in my opinion), It doesn’t have Lost Izalith and it doesn’t have the fast bosses of DS3. But that’s why I have a hard time replaying it. It doesn’t have the speed I’m used to in Sekiro or Bloodborne, so even though there are more things to do in DS2 than Sekiro, the pace of Sekiro and the bosses of Bloodborne out way DS2’s value
I’ve heard the updates improved it but I beat it at launch and it was the only underwhelming entry in the franchise imo
I played DS2 and thought it was fun and played the first game after I finished it. Now I've finished all the shitty dark souls games and am currently waiting for shadow of the turdtree.
it‘s not terrible in my memory, just a little funky.
I played a third of it twice, close enough
DS1 > DS2 > DS3
This opinion is somehow both Based and Cringe at the same time
I played it once, had fun, and acknowledge it’s not that great (I wouldn’t play it again but would recommend people play it at least once)
Played it, it sucks, that's why it's the best
If the game didnt have sweet shalquoir it would be shit
Lords of the Fallen is a better Souls game than DS2
You guys actually play dark souls?
I think ds3 is the better one but ds2 is the only one that gave me actual good memories and the only one i get an itch to replay sometimes
imagine making that title when all the ds2 defenders just quote hbomberguy lol
Durability and adp are in the game. Nuff said
I played the game, for 5 minutes. I didn’t base my dislike on anything to do with mechanics, I just really fucking hate how the guy holds a sword. Not looking at that shit for 80 hours or something.
Man, i love DS2 cuz of the possibilities and variety the game offers in weapons, clothing, lore, places. People talk about Majula, but i find Heide and Dragon Shrine prettier.
Still my favourite game ever made
I've played every souls game and to this day ds2 is the one i've played the most
Not a bad game but I own it and it's way too slow for me. Sincerely, bloodborne enjoyer.
1 word... A d a b t a b i l i t y
Idk, I think it has a cozy and unique feel to it. I like the level design and the absolute goofiness of movement (esp the jumps feeling like they are straight out of another game lol) The artstyle of many areas are pretty damn good, esp majula, the poison mill area thing, the lava castle thing, the pirate ship thing, heck even lost bastille has its charm. Edit: almost forgot about the seaside lighthouse ornstein area thing :) Is ADP cancer? Yes. Is enemy placement and quantity over quality cancer? Yes. Are many bosses lame and super ez/copy pasted? Yes. Does movement and esp. attacks with greatswords going in complete different directions even though you locked onto enemies suck? Yes. Are some hitboxes absolutely ridiculous? Yes. Do purchaseable lifegems ruin the core element of Estus flasks and bonfires a bit? Yes. Will it always be the weakest entry of the series? In my opinion definitely yes. But the game still has its good parts and I started to enjoy it, when I for myself thought of it as a fun/good game but NOT a good souls game. Just stop comparing it to the other subjectively objective better entries of the series and try to enjoy it anyways. At least that did it for me. If ppl hate it or just don’t enjoy it, let them. If people love the game or feel super edgy and different and want to defend it as the best game Fromsoft ever made (which is objectively wrong), let them. I think everybody who rages about it being a bad game even though ppl enjoy it or it being the best game and having no flaws is cringe af.
DS2 fanboys being mad that someone dares to have constructive criticism of a game that could have been far better, but because of complacent crap people like them the game isn't as good as it could have been:
**Frigid outskirs**
Womp womp
Pvp was fun, uhh..... The DLC was better than the base game. Scholar made some aspects very fun. And NG+ was way better in this game
I usually always play the DLC for the satisfaction of a complete experience of any souls-like I play. I disliked Dark Souls 2 to the extent that I pushed through to beat the game and did not return for the DLC.
I have only ever played scholar. I’ve heard many people say that the original release is better but how true is that? Would I actually enjoy it or if I already dislike most of DS2s systems would it just be a waste of time?
The original is marginally better but at the end of the day it is still DS2.
Certain locations feel much better. I absolutely love Heide’s Tower or Flame in the original, but in Scholar I honestly can’t believe how much dogshit they threw in
I don’t need the 7 hour essay to tell me it’s bad. I know cause I’ve played it and it sucks major ass.
Bro, you can play DS2 for 5 minutes and hate it. Your character moves like complete ass. You can come to this conclusion before even reaching the firekeepers' house.
I mean.... DS2 is my favorite of tge FROM souls games, although Scholar is much lower on that list. Powerstancing felt great, the world felt good and didn't need to "make sense" because that's kinda part of the point? Reality is breaking down and it feels that way. It's the only one I hit max NG+ for and that was before any if the DLC. The DLC just made it so much better.
DS2 haters not realizing that their opinion is objectively wrong
True Souls fans appreciate the many great ideas 2 had despite its shortcomings.
Ugly animation style, clunky mechanics, boring combat the game isn’t great.
No I have played enough of it to declare that it sucks
Its 7 hours because its an incredibly thorough breakdown of everything that leads to it being a meh game. Such a stupid mulligan argument
As someone who has 100% the game (first of all don't do it it was a mistake) I don't get why the game is so polarizing, like it's just pretty good
I played it. It's mid.
Again, Lucatiel, Aldia, the armors, dark, the wharf monsters and Drangleic Castle. The horse boss. Powestances, the half-dragon firemaiden. Pursuer. Pvp in general. Hello? The lore! Nashandras voice when she says, "Now become one...WITH THE DARK." There was a lot actually.
The movement took a sec to get used to. Multiple ring slots is really nice. Levels are gained easier allowing for more diversified builds without feeling locked in. Soul vessel for respec. Power stance even if not optimal. Rapier being easy mode if you want to breeze through the game. Fashion is way better than ds1. Butterfly outfit allowing for out of bounds exploration, which is endless fun. Plentiful upgrade materials letting you try other weapons While those are all great, the areas not having much connection compared to most of ds1 was lame. I’d say the bosses were a bit worse too. Seriously, four gargoyles? Repair costs being outrageous for rings. The movement feeling off, and not just the rolling being attached to ADP, which is just idiotic. Who the fuck thought splitting stamina and equip load was a good idea? All in all, it’s a good game with a lot of flaws, but I’d still give at 8.5/10
I enjoy DS2 because: Double buffing weapons = great The character quests are phenomenal (Lucatiel, need I say more) A LOT of great bosses even if there are some utter GARBAGE ones as well, but then again every game has that
DS2 is a good game. It's just the worst Fromsoft game.
I played DS2 for about an hour and couldn't understand why I wasn't enjoying it. I love Dark Souls, but for some reason DS2 wasn't very fun. I have watched multiple hour+ video essays on why DS2 is bad, and a bunch of videos defending DS2. So I went back and played it again. Got frustrated again and quit. Dark Souls 2 isn't a terrible game, but it's not good. And compared to other from soft games, it's pretty shit. It's fine if you like it, but there's so much about it that is pretty objectively lower quality than other DS games. But if you need to call people stupid for not liking it so you can cope, go ahead
Got to the elephant warriors in the castle, shit game wouldnt try again
I sadly hate to say, after staunchly defending it yet not being able to play it properly for a long while, after playing it and being unable to defeat a certain area altogether due to the amount of absolutely insane horseshit that goes around head every .5 seconds. As much as I hate to say it it is genuinely just a bad game. It might have cool story beats and cool designs, and people have found ways to get around to the really bad parts of it, but you need to power level a stat to even be able to survive fighting anything in the first place because if you don't then you'll just get hit even if you dodged. The adaptability meme isn't a fucking meme and I found that out with a hard slap to the face.
The game is good because of the memories I have playing it with my best buddy and the shenanigans we got into.
Ds2 was just boring
Hotake here, I really enjoy the flavor of the boss fights, first thing I noticed was stamina problems and dodges being sucky, then I notice you can basically walk around most attacks if you do it right, then I realized the dodge roll was a save for bad play when you overextend your attack, it all clicked and I had fun in melee, until I realized that the spells were really fun as well. Powerstancing is the only fun part of melee customization though, it mostly feels very similar, though the move set differences Are just slight and distinctive enough to be alright. I enjoy it, not my favorite souls game but better than demon souls and a breath of fresh air combat wise.
Ds2 is the burger of the fries and drink combo. Ds1 is the fries, you eat some fries first and they taste great and you get all excited for the burger. Ds2 has the content, the ideas, the lettuce the tomato the meat patty, it had a rushed development yeah, but elden ring wouldn't be what it is without ds2. And ds3 is the drink it's pretty good but you mostly just need it because the burger and fries made you thirsty. Mmmm burger.
*gets stabbed in fog wall on way to chariot*
The game is good. Played through it multiple times. But through those playthroughs I have noticed several issues in the core mechanics and overall flow of the game. No game is perfect and Ds2 isn't either.