Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - Review

“A murky, forgotten land. A place where souls may mend your ailing mind.” – A review of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. 

If you’ve read my review of Dark Souls, you’ll know already that I am not the biggest fan of the games. I am, quite simply, not who these games were made for. Did I get on better with Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin?

Released in 2015, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is another challenging entry in the Souls series. Atmospheric and punishing, its set in the world of Drangleic, a beautiful yet bleak world full of lore, secrets, and a true sense of melancholy. Each ruined castle and misty forest has secrets to be revealed – you just have to go and find them.

You are, once again, encouraged and sometimes rewarded for exploring. There are often hidden treasures or even shortcuts to be found, but beware – there are, in equal measure, highly difficult enemies to battle and deadly traps waiting for you. The world is again full of connected areas but it’s more fragmented than the first game; the game doesn’t have a natural flow to it in the same way the first game did, and it does feel like some areas are linked for the sake of it.

We can’t talk about a Souls game without mentioning combat, and of course it’s challenging. My first thought is that the AI feels much more aggressive, and enemies will follow you for far longer once they know you’re there. I also found that some combat, such as backstabs, felt a lot more difficult to land, and considering how hard I found the first game, I wasn’t thrilled by this discovery. (Yes, I know, I need to git gud.)

With that said, the character levelling system is way more flexible, and whilst there are less classes to choose from, there are two brand new ones, making this a pretty replayable game. There are of course also tonnes of boss fights, and whilst some feel a little repetitive or derivative, there are some truly meaningful and memorable encounters that fans of this style of game will love.

There are really positive things that I’d like to note. The atmosphere is haunting and oppressive, and the soundtrack, whilst sparse, is highly effective at building tension and giving you a sense of achievement at each victory.

Sadly, I think Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is the weakest of the series. I just feel that it lacks the polish and precision of the first game, and the uneven world design was a tad disappointing. With that being said, if you enjoy the feeling of a hard-earned victory, I’m sure you’ll enjoy Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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