New printings of the Dark Souls: Design Works trilogy are now available from Udon

It's been a good long time since we've had a reason to bring up Dark Souls: Design Works �and it's amusing to go back and read Chris' thoughts about the art book from 2014. If you're in the mood to look at some badass dark-fantasy imagery, it's never too late. Udon Entertainment has issued reprints of the Design Works books for the whole trilogy.

The main difference with these reprints is that they sport new cover art. I'm sure some readers will prefer the original tome-like cover design, which is classy, but I'll admit that I'm a sucker for the cra??zed Gwyn concept art �that fiery backdrop really pops.

These hardcover books focus on concept art, key visuals, and character and monster designs, but there are interviews?? ?with From Software developers, including big boss Hidetaka Miyazaki. So if you want to see the Capra Demon up close, this is your chance.

[caption id="attachment_335188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The new covers use "production artwork."}[/caption]

Where to buy 'em

• Dark Souls: Design Works on Amazon for $33.08
• Dark Souls II: Design Works on Amazon for $44.99
• Dark Souls III: Design Works on Amazon for $44.99

At 128 pages, Dark Souls: Design Works is the lightest of the group; the scattershot Dark Souls II has 240 pages, while Dark Souls III comes out on top with 336 pages.

Remember the first time you gazed out on Irithyll of the Boreal Valley? An unforgettable sight, for sure.?? (Followed by an equally unforgettable gotcha moment.)

According to Udon, the three Dark Souls: Design Works books are now back i??n stock "while supplies last." The original printings "may s??till be available at some retail outlets."

If you've already been there and done that with the Dark Souls trilogy, it's worth reminding everyone that Elden Ring will be getting a pair of official guide books �the Books of Knowledge �from Future Press later this year. I'm imagining some future grandkids unearthing a whole shelf full of From Software art books in a cluttered sto?rage unit.

The post Da?rk Souls: Design Works art books are back with new covers appeared first on Destructoid.

Challenge accepted

Dark Souls II had a few of the toughest bosses in the series, but they'd be especially hard if you played the game in first-person. That's what a modder named Be??nzoin-Gun has done, detailing his creation in the video above. It involves a ?rework of the game's camera system, which tricks the bow/binoculars perspective into sticking for good.

You can find the actual download link and instructions in the YouTube video, just be ?aware that it's from a third-party location, and all the usual risks are involved.

The post Dark Souls II gets a pretty sweet first-person ??mod appeared first on Destructoid.

Crown of the Ivory King

After a brief delay, the Dark Souls II DLC trilogy has come to an end with Crown of the Ivory King. It's available today on Steam and Xbox 360 and tomorrow on PlayStation 3 for $9.99 -- or you can get all three add-ons bundled togeth?er for $24.99. I might do that (but wait for a sale).

Just looking over the screenshots, this final act seems the most immediately compelling to me -- love those snow-covered landscapes. To that end, I'll need to fight the urge to directly compare it to Dark Souls' Paint??ed World of Ariamis. Such an excellent area.

I? see Chris already has a draft of his ??review in our post editor, so expect that to go up this week.

The post Dark Souls II’s final Lost Crowns DLC chapter is here appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm interested to see what From can do with snow

Snow isn't a common theme with the Souls series, so it's interesting that the upcoming Dark Souls II DLC Crown of the Ivory King will take place on an icy tundra. Thi?s new batch of screens looks suitably dreary, and I h??ope it lives up to the bar that was set by the second DLC.

This should be the last batch of add-ons for the foreseeable future, and there will be a Souls related break until Bloodborne hits next year.

The post Feel the icy chill of these Dark Souls II Crown of the Ivory King DLC scre??ens appeared first on Destructoid.

That white hot light

While Dark Souls II brought me back to that special place that I found with Demon's Souls in many ways, the first DLC pack, Crown of the Sunken King, didn't go far enough with its concepts.

It's really hard to give us a worthwhile add-on with Artorias of the Abyss looming over it, but the second pack, Crown of the Old Iron King, does a much better job of distilling the Souls experience.

Dark Souls II: The Crown of the Iron King (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: August 26, 2014 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
MSRP: $9.99 ($24.99 Season Pass)

Iron King starts off exactly the same way as Sunken King. This time around you'll make your way through fire and brimstone to the Primal Bonfire of the Old Iron King, which will allow you to enter a door and enter the DLC. Almost immediately the zone draws you in, kicking off with a vast expanse of castles, clouds, and a giant imposing chain that leads to the core part?? of the add-on -- Brume Tower. From there you can touch the bonfire and teleport around to any area at will.

Unlike Sunken King where I had no real attachment to the zone, Old Iron King exhumes lore and nuance. Ghostly whispers in the dark, melted and ash-ridden corpses, and even the types of enemies you'll encounter all tell a story that's relevant to the area you rode in on. Don't expect anything new or min?d-blowing -- it simply fits, is all. The imposing bronze-kitted skeletons feel like natural denizens, as do the hulking giants that spew lava from their arms.

One of my favorite new enemy types are the harmless barrel-holding imps, wh??o you can "corral" into fires to blow them up and dish out damage to other baddies. In addition to a set of brand new foes you'll also find the Ashen Idols -- mysterious demons that are impervious to damage unless you strike them with special items called "smelter wedges." You'll get a handful of these items at the start of the DLC, then you're on your own after that.

If you're the type of person who rushes through zones in Souls games, you're going to be disappointed when you conquer the main path in just several hours. But fortunately as someone who loves the spirit of exploration, I found a number of sidepaths, including a giant optional zone that is one of the biggest tests of skill in the entire game. Everything in Iron King thankfully gels with rest of the game both aesthetically, and in terms of overall level design. While there were a few parts of Sunken where I became frustrated and didn't feel as compelled to go on, Iron King sucked me in.

Bosses however are still a problem, re-iterating the biggest issue from the first DLC. They simply either aren't memorable enough on their own, or they're complete re-skins of prior encounters from the core game. That's not to say that they aren't just as satisfying at times as th?eir predecessors, but for a piece of $10 DLC it would be nice to have all-new content. 

Crown of the Iron King didn't blow me away, but it's a very nice zone that feels like a natural extension of Dark Souls II, and it's meaty enough to feel like a real DLC and not just a bonus area. Now that there are two DLCs down and one to go, it's hard to really recommend the Season Pass unless the third zone really knocks it out of the park. Stay tuned in September for our coverage of The Crown of the Ivory King.

The post Rev?iew: Dark Souls II: The Crown of the Old Iron King appeared first on Destructoid.

It's no Artorias, but it'll do

2014 has been very good to me, but Dark Souls II is one of my favorite games of the year. Many debates have raged on as to whether or not it's as exceptional as its predecessor (Demon's Souls is better than both), but having played it prior to launch without any hints or guides, I heartily enjo?yed getting lost in its labyrinthine tunnels and deadly?? arenas.

The Crown of the Sunken King DLC expands that goodness by about five to ten hour?s depending on your skill level, and even if it's one of the less remarkable levels in the game, it's still worth playing.

Dark Souls II: The Crown of the Sunken King (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Released: July 22, 2014 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
MSRP: $9.99 ($24.99 Season Pass)

So here's what you're getting with Crown -- three new areas, new spells, more items, and extra enemies. Not all of them are created equal however, as some of the baddies feel like re-skins of prior models (one actually is a re-skin), and not all of the w??eapons and items are particularly useful for extended p??laythroughs. Still, the core areas are very well done and manage to differentiate themselves from the rest of the series.

Entering the DLC is dead simple, and will likely appease fans who found the process to access the Artorias content in the previous game frustrating. All you have to do is have the Black Gulch area cleared (up to and including The Rotten?? boss). In that area is a new snake-like statue -- just touch the statue and you're in.

There's a bonfire right near the start of the DLC, and with Dark Souls II's convenient travel system, you can head to and from the content anytime you?? please. This is a huge plus for me, since the DLC doesn't lock you out after completing it and feels like a genuine expanded portion of the game that you can return to and explore freely.

Crown of the Sunken King starts off in a giant open cavernous area, filled with ancient Aztec-like structures. It gives a real Indiana Jones vibe, which is accentuated by special obelisks that you can strike to raise or lower specific platforms. The Souls series has always had environmental manipulation ??in some form, but here it feels a lot more liquid than normal, and figuring out the puzzle of the ruins felt more taxing than most zones.

In fact, the DLC is actually one of the more difficult zones I encountered in general, as enemies do tons of damage, nearly everything poisons (even regular foes) and there are pits at every turn.?? Just when I thought I had mastered an enemy type a new concept sprung up in its place, and I can't cou?nt the amount of times I misjudged a jump only to fall into the abyss. If you're looking for more of a challenge, this will suit that need nicely.

As far as the enemies ?go, the base models feel like modified skeletons, but have an interesting "glass armor" feel with a unique green color scheme. The entire DLC has a cohesive green hue to it, without going overboard like Blood Gulch's shiny emerald lighting. One of the most devious adversaries though is the poison statue cluster -- which is basically just a bunch of poison statues cobbled? together. It's a lazy design, but it's an effective enemy that will keep you on your toes.

Sadly, the boss fights aren't nearly as memorable as the bar that was set in Artorias. While those had completely original and terrifying models like Manus, Crown borrows some concepts from the original game -- and even if a few aren't directly taken, they still feel pretty static overall outside of the final boss. Having said that, I was still consistently entertained throughout the entire DLC, even i??f I wasn't blown away.

Dark Souls II: The Crown of the Sunken King is not a "must have" add-on, but it does its job of delivering more Dark Souls. As always, I advise you to skip out on the Season Pass until all three of its pieces are out so you can judge it by the strength of its parts. However, hardcore Souls fans will want to at least buy Crown simply to experience a challenging new are?a that's worth trekking?? through.

The post Review: Dark Souls II: T??he Crown of the Sunken King appeared first on Destructoid.

July 22 for PC and Xbox 360; July 23 for PS3

The last batch of images for Crown of the Sunken King left me anticipating this Dark Souls II DLC which is, oh good, only a week off. There's more where ??that came from.

Using an item acquired in the DLC, players will reach the new area by way of Black Gulch. Hate that trap-filled?? place, but ?so be it.

Crown of the Sunken King is the first of three planned releases for the game. The second and third packs will arrive on August 26 and September 24, respectively. I'm torn betwe?en getting this stuff on consoles, where my save files are, or starting anew on PC for the better experience.

[Via Gematsu]

The post One week to go: M?ore Dark Souls II DLC screens while we wait appeared first on Destructoid.

A glorious peek into a potential future for professional gaming competitions

A lot of us would find eSports far more alluring if the genres associated with these competitions were more diverse. We see plenty of first-person shooters, RTS, fighting games, and MOBAs. But what about something atypical like Dark Souls? 

YouTuber Green Toast has given this some thought, apparently, hashing together some Dark Souls II gameplay footage with Korean Dota 2 commentary. And you know what? This concept has some potential. I could totally get behind a Souls game as an eSport.

If Dark Souls II Became an Esport [YouTube via Kotaku]

The post Here’s what Dark Souls II would be like as an eSport appeared first on Destructoid.

'Crown of the Sunken King' DLC

In case you haven't heard, DLC is coming to Dark Souls II. Three add-ons in fact! The first up is Crown of the Sunken King, set to drop on the ???PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 on July 22nd.

To celebrate, Bandai Namco sent over some screens to that show off some of the new locales -- yep, this is a Souls game alright, but it's going to have to do a whole lot to top Artorias of the Abyss.? The Season Pass is listed at $24.99 if y?ou're interested.

The post E??njoy these new Dark Souls II DLC screens before you cryogenically freeze yourself until July appeared first on Destructoid.

Here's Distortion2's 20:14 run

I haven't been keeping up with Dark Souls II speedruns. I should be. We got a tip in this weekend about Marksel's 21:25 w??orld-record any% run, which has since been topped by Distortion2's 20:14 run, included above. Seems they'v?e got a bit of a friendly rivalry going on right now.

How are these times feasible? Glitches. Bypassing the Shrine of Winter. Running above and below the environment. Binoculars, which inadvertently allow for absurd movement speeds.

I realize that any% runs aren't as interesting to some of you w?ho prefer to see most if not all of a game's content bested, not skipped, and I tend to agree. All the same, watching people obliterate a game I've poured an ungodly amount of hours into is captivating and oddly satisfying.

[Thanks, Steven]

The post It’s possible to beat Dark Souls II in 20 minutes appeared first on Destructoid.

Praise the sun

Dark Souls II has been out for a few weeks on consoles, enough time for fans to really dig in, and now PC players have shown up in style. I'm liking the game -- less so than its predecessors, overall -- but still: when I'm not playing it, I'm thinking about how I could be playing it. Uh huh.

One aspect of Dark Souls II that's impressed me is the diversity of its covenants. As someone who traditionally stays away from the more PvP-oriented groups, I was compelled to get mixed up in one covenant involving turf wars, and another that has to do with ringing a bell. (Let's save specific spoilers for the comments.) I'd be curious to hear -- what's your f?avorite covenant?

Personally, some of my favorite moments in Souls games are helping other players take down demons and, particularly in Dark Souls II, pointing out illusory walls. It's a feel-good break from the norm of dread and ??despair, and I'm a sucker for all the goofy gestures. What about you?

The post What’s your Dark Souls II covenant of choice? appeared first on Destructoid.

Plus a launch trailer, if you don't give an eff about spoilers

Oh, hey! Dark Souls II is out today on Steam!

From Software's coveted action-RPG will unlock slightly earlier than expected at 3:00pm Pacific (thanks, Jacob!). Consider this your last chance to get in there for the pre-purchase bonuses: earlier access to 10 weapons and shields, the soundt???rack, comic book, and artbook.

The PC launch trailer, included above, is spoiler-filled so I'd advise against watching it unless you're okay with seeing some of the bosses. For me, not knowing what's ahead is half the fun, if not more. We'll also have a PC Port Report for Dark Souls II coming up tomorrow morning.

The post Dark Souls II unlocks on Steam this afternoon appeared first on Destructoid.

From April 25 to May 2

There was some confusion this morning about a possible delay for the PC version of Dark Souls II, which is already later than its console counterparts. Regrettably, there is a delay, to May 2 -- but only in t??he Unite?d Kingdom, and only for boxed copies of the action-RPG.

In a statement provided to Eurogamer, publisher Namco Bandai sai??d "It will be delayed unfortunately and we apologize to UK customers. This is due to a manufacturing issue with packaging. To confirm, this will only affect the UK boxed launch." That's got to be painful.

I kind of wish I would've just held out for the digital PC release, myself. I bought it on day one for Xbox 360 but haven't had hardly any time to play the darn thing yet. Oh well.? L?ive and learn.

"Manufactur??ing issue" holds boxed PC Dark Souls 2 back in UK [Eurogamer]

The post Boxed PC copies of Dark Souls II delayed in th?e UK appeared first on Destructoid.

Tips from Junglist and VaatiVidya

Alongside today's launch of Dark Souls II, the game's Australian YouTube channel published the above tutorial video featuring Jeremy "The Junglist" Ray and YouTube Souls expert VaatiVidya. It's a thorough explanation of how many of the game's systems and mechanics function. Most of this will be old hat to fans, but it also does highlight some of the differences between this sequel and the original Dark Souls, so ??there??'s some value for the experienced as well.

It's a beast at 40 minutes, but there's de?nsely packed information in there.

The post Prepare to die less with this Dark ?Souls II strategy overview appeared first on Destructoid.

Prepare to die...roughly the same amount

My experience with the Souls series is one of my favorite memories of my entire gaming career. Playing Demon's Souls for the first time made me feel like a kid again, back when ??games didn't hold your hand and explain every single facet of the adventure -- leaving everything to your imagination.

Even though Dark Souls was mainly just a refinement of the formula on a technical level, it offered up all-new experiences that felt wholly unique, and raised the bar in many respects. But then something changed -- Hidetaka Miyazaki, the producer and arguably the heart and soul of the franchise left, passing the torch to Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura to carry on his legacy.

Once again, Dark Souls II remains relatively unchanged from its predecessors, and still offers up most of the same magic that you fell in love with th?e first two times around.

Dark Souls II (PC, PS3, Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Released: March 11, 2014 (PS3, Xbox 360) / April 25, 2014 (PC)
MSRP: $59.99

Dark Souls II in some ways feels like a natural progression from its predecessors. The most on-the-nose example of that is how it blends the concept of Demon's hub world and Dark Soul's open world, complete with numerous branching routes. After completing a short tutorial area (that's completely optional), you'll ??stumble across the town of Majula -- a location that houses the core bonfire and a number of NPCs. From there, you can choose between five paths (only three are available at first), and embark on your adventure. Each path leads to a new area, which in turn will branch off into other areas, with secret zones and locations to find along the?? way.

In short, Dark Souls II is massive. From Software has stated that the world is five times larger than Dark Souls, and even though a lot of that is the fact that many zones now have more lavish real-time backgrounds, the game is still fairly large. For reference, I spent over 30 hours exploring the core areas, and around 20 more trying to find everything there was in the game -- that's just for one character, and that's no??t even including any New Game+ playthroughs or extended PVP sessions.

From Software has done a great job with the new locations, and the vast majority of them have a look that's completely unique to Dark Souls II. Although there are a few familiar themes like castles and tombs, it adds its own signature to them, and differentiates itself very nicely. The zones are so memorable, in fact, that I can actually map out a path in my head throughout the game by memory. I love each game's world in its own way, and Dark Souls II is no different.

You'll be able to connect to these areas more easily now through the fully-featured fast-travel system, which allows you to instantly teleport to any bonfire you've visited before from another fire. While your first reaction may be a groan, I found myself loving this system as it opens up the world more-so than ever before. Exploration is always paramount in this franchise, but the fact of the matter is some areas in any Souls&nb??sp;game?s aren't worth trekking through multiple times, so this feature is a welcome one.

That said, one thing I didn't particularly like about this mix of philosophies is how From Software went back to the method of leveling up by speaking to an NPC at the hub world. It wasn't a huge deal when you had to go back to the Maiden in Black in Demon's, but Dark Souls felt like such a huge upgrade when it added the ability to level up at bonfires. This constantly keeps you in the game with zero downtime, always ready for adventure. In Dark Souls II, I often would run "err?ands" while I was back in? town and it felt weird in comparison.

But forget all that! I'm sure you've been waiting to hear about how difficult the game is, and whether or not the new directors made it more "casual." Worry not, fellow adventurers, because Dark Souls II is still very much a Souls game in just about every way. There are still ridiculous hordes of enemies to fight, tons of traps to spring, and locations that are deliberately designed just to troll you. But as always, patience will be rewarded, as the Souls games aren't unfair, eschewing ?fake difficulty for challenging design.

Bosses are a bit of a mixed bag this time around, but I'm pleased to say that overall I think it's one of the most challenging games ??yet when you add i??n the fact that a few fights are over-the-top hard. Expect a lot of humanoid encounters (and more encounters in general, actually), and a few bosses that will make you want to throw your controller into the wall.

When I say "mixed bag" though, I'm referring to the fact that a few foes feel like throwaway encounters or clones (in fact, a few are clones, within its own world) -- a stark contrast to the complete originality of its predecessors (which, we have gl??eaned from interviews, has a lot to do with Miyazaki's direction). But thankfully, there were an equal amount of bosses that I'd put at the top of my list for the entire series to balance these feelings out, and a number of them made me rethink ev?erything I knew about the series tactically.

Dark Souls II also makes a few major concessions that franchise fans will undoubtedly find polarizing. First, every time you die in Hollow form, your maximum health bar reduces in size -- eventually down to 50 percent. Remember how everyone hated the curse debuff in Dark Souls? Imagine every death as a curse. The kicker is that the only way to get your health back is to use a human effigy item, which are sometimes hard to come by. Although they are a rare drop from enemies, stores only sell a limited amount (and at a high price), so you will often find yourself fighting through entire zones and up thro??ugh the boss with half health. Some will find it to be an annoyance -- I actually enjoyed the challenge.

The other big change is the fact that enemies completely de-spawn after killing them 10 times in a zone. The fallout for this is two-fold -- now you can basically brute-force your way through a tough area by constantly dying and killing off enemies in your way, and you can no longer grind at length. That's right -- grinding is actively discouraged in Dark Souls II. Personally, I'm a bit torn on ??this decision, but I found myself not really suffering from its consequences throughout. Only once did I ever find myself having to clear an area 10 times, and the fact that you can't just ??over-level makes the game harder.

In terms of figuring out where to go next, I dare say Dark Souls II is by far the most cryptic Souls game From Software has crafted, as a few required objectives will probably take some of you hours to find. For instance, one massive (required) area that splits off into multiple zones can only be accessed by talking repeatedly to one NPC who seemingly has nothing to do with the story. Is it obtuse? Sure -- but this is the Souls franchise we're talking about. It's a series that demands your full attention at all times, and it's a refreshing break from the automatic on-rails tutorial-laden games th?at are flooding the market these days.

Online features are back, as are a ton of covenants that directly influence online play. Players can now summon others with more options (like voice chat, which cleverly requires?? a talisman), and likewise, there are more opportunities for PVP, and actual rewards for said combat. You can still leave notes for everyone as well, and enemies can invade you even if you're in Hollow form. Other than that last bit multiplayer is roughly the same as in past games -- which?? is a good thing. With all the new items and tactics, I'm sure the meta will evolve for months to come just like previous entries.

Since this is such a massive game though, there's plenty to do on your own. There's secret areas galore, hidden items, tons of gear, and a hefty amount of optional bosses, with one in particular that will challenge every facet of your Souls talent. It hel??ps that subsequent New Game+ options return, with the added bonus of being more fleshed out this time around, with new enemies and bosses returning as regular foes.

Creating and customizing new characters is as just as fun as ever too, since there are more weapon and spell options than in the past. Upon completing the game I had three options: continue exploring my current world, start a New Game+, or roll a different characte??r. Those are all great choices to have considering how long just one playthrough can take.

Rest assured if you liked Dark and Demon's you will like Dark Souls II. I was skeptical at first given the proposed changes, but ultimately I had an enjoyable time as I was aimlessly exploring its world and dying over and over to its bosses. Although the loss of Miyazaki stings a bit (particularly in the boss design department), I think this new team did an excellent job without him, and I'd love to see yet another Souls entry as soon as possible.

Prepare to die, my friends.

The post Review: Dark Souls II appeared first on Destructoid.

A bit of alright town

Dark Souls II trailers have been sort of weird. I suppose they're trying to not scare people away with the, "this is the hardest th?ing ever" shtick, opting to appear?? more accessible and hip.

Don't care. One more day. Unless you're holing out for the PC version, bless your (dark) soul.

That thing at 1:16.

The post Odd music choice in the trailer can’t dull my Dark Souls II hype appeared first on Destructoid.

More than a month after consoles

There was concern that the PC release of Dark Souls II would arrive long after the game hits Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 11, 2014. While the PC date isn't as bad as some had feared, i??t's?? by no means right around the corner, either: April 25, 2014.

As much as it would be nice to play the game at a higher resolution with better frame rates the first time around, I absolutely do not trust myself to hold out until late April. Looks like I'll be buying Dark Souls II twice -- first on consoles,? and again on Steam at some point.

The post Dark Souls II set for April 25, 2014 on PC appeared first on Destructoid.

Just look at some of that stuff

Dark Souls II has done a pretty decent job of giving everyone the impression that they need to prepare for death again. Well, if you want to escalate things a bit and go beyond death, the Collector's Edition of Dark Souls II should up the ante nicely, as t??his? video demonstrates.

Dubbed the "Black Armor Edition", this set comes with exclusive warrior knight artwork, the soundtrack, a 16-ounce 12-inch PVC warrior knight figurine, limited edition hardbound art book, and a full color cloth map. Maybe it's the way that the unboxing video frames everything, but it seems like everything present wonderfully complements Dark Souls II.

The Collector's Edition drops alongside the game on March 11 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. If nothing else, it m?ight dampen the frustration of inevitable death.

The post Dark Souls II CE unboxing makes ??death look worth i?t appeared first on Destructoid.

I think they wanted a less scary and less hopeless trailer

It's not a bad trailer, but I suppose it just feels tonally different than usual. The music sounds like something out of a gritty cop/crime movie, but the voice over does speak to series fans specifically, while broadly ??being a sort of halftime locker room pep talk.

It's less bleak, I guess, instead focusing on the hard won triumph you may eventually earn. ?Neat.

March 11, guys!

The post This Dark Souls II trailer is something different appeared first on Destructoid.

Uh, what?

Well this is pretty surprising. Unless it's a mistake, Dark Souls II has been given a "T" rating from the ESRB for "Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Violence", whereas the first two games have been granted an "M." It's not a reason to freak out of course, as we'll need to see the finished product to see if anything really makes a di?ffere??nce.

As for the actual listing, some of the explanations include, "Players use knives, swords, and arrows to defeat enemies. Comba?t is highlighted by cries of pain and small splashes of ?blood. The words 'bastard' and “pr*ck” can be heard in the dialogue."

I highly suggest staying away from the full ESRB li??sting because they spoil a few bosses.

Dark Souls II [ESRB] Thanks Jeff!

The post Dark Souls II earns a ‘T’ rating from the ESRB appeared first on Destructoid.

If an Amazon listing's to be trusted

Only a bit shy of a month away from Dark Souls II's console release, many are left wondering when exactly the PC version will be unleashed upon the masses. From Software's said in the past that it would see a sligh?t delay so as to make sure it doesn't half-ass the game on PC, but nothing more concrete's been revealed about the length of that wait. Luckily, ??Amazon may have just cleared that up.

According to a listing on Amazon for a digital copy of the game, Dark Souls II will release on PC on May 31, 2014. Of course, Amazon isn't always entirely accurate with these sort of details ??-- sometimes using them more as rough estimate placeholders. However, even if the Saturday May 31 date is off, it's probably not far from when the ??actual release will be.

So, that leaves almost three e??ntire months between the console and PC versions' respective releases. Thr??ee more months to anxiously await the many cruel fates that await you. Three more months before the self-loathing kicks in. Three more months your keyboard gets to be not smashed to smithereens.

Dark Souls II [Amazon]

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There may be post-release content after all

It was admirable of From Software to treat Dark Souls II as "a full game," in the words of producer Takeshi Miyazoe, and not plan for DLC as a required part of production. I don't think any of us are expecting anything less from the studio. That said, after Artorias of the Abyss turned out the way it di?d, I wouldn't mind DLC for the sequel. No?t at all.

Talking with OXM, Miyazoe has since expressed more of an openness to the concept, saying "There is definitely potential, I think. Again, it's all about fan feedback. Right now we are concentrating on completing what we've got, but I think there are next steps on how we can expand on Dark Souls II. So I'm not really ready to say look forward to more information, but I think the potentia??l is definitely there."

So, yes -- count me as a fan who would like more Dark Souls content.

"There is definitely potential" for Dark Souls ??2 DLC, says Namco [OXM]

The post Dark Souls II DLC will depend on fan feedback appeared first on Destructoid.

'Into the Light'

Namco Bandai has released the first few pages of the Dark Souls II digital comic, titled "Into the Light." It's written by Rob Williams and Andi Ewington, and you can find it here on the official Facebook page.

It appears as if new pages will be revealed bi-weekly, so check back occasionally to get the full tale as the game heads into a March 14th launch date. A date that I can't wait for, by the way!

Dark Souls 2: Into the Light [Facebook]

The post The intro for the D?ark Souls II digital comic is out now appeared first on Destructoid.

Praise the sun!

Lately, Namco Bandai has been pretty keen to show off its upcoming title, Dark Souls II. With early 2014 looking pretty packed, From Software's next entry in the Souls series looks to be the one to keep an eye out for. In the recent issue of the Famitsu, readers got a taste of what to expect in the u??pcoming action/RPG title.

The magazine went in-depth with the reveal of two brand new covenants; the Warriors of Sunlight, which is an evolution of Sunlight Covenant ??in the original game, and the Guardians of the Bell, a black phantom focused faction where players are summoned as the notorious entities and must stop other players from ringing two bells within the game world.

In addition to this new info, we got ??a whole slew of new screenshots showing off much of the new enemies, areas, and loot. Take?? a look!

Dark Souls 2 scr??eenshots highlight Covenants, online multiplayer [VG24/7]

The post Dark Souls II screenshots show off new covenants appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, box art

From Software has revealed the new Japanese boxart for Dark Souls II, and has uncovered retailer specific weapon DLC in the process. Based on the outlet you reserve the game at (such as Geo, Best Denki or Amazon.co.jp), you can obtain certain pieces of DLC listed in the gallery -- thankfully nothing hu??ge is in there.

Whether or not these pre-order bonuses will make it to America is unknown, but you can c?urrently reserve the Collector's Edition, which nets you a 12 inch figure with a display box, a hardbound art book, a microfiber map, the soundtrack, and a metal case.

Store Announcement [Dark Souls.jp]

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Impressions from the North American beta

When Demon's Souls was released and I wrote up my review, many readers didn't believe that I had actually completed the game. But I didn't get what all the buzz was about, because I've never found the Souls series to be particularly tough -- at least, compared to some ot??her games out there.

The real reason I enjoy them is because they constantly make you think, and consistently challenge your sense of security. The Souls series is a paramount achievement in gaming because you nev??er truly feel at ease, even in many of the supposed "safe zones."

After it was announced that Dark Souls II would be? streamlining some features to more accommodate players of all skill levels, I was a bit taken aback, mostly because I feared that From Software would go overboard and remove what made the franchise so  magical in the first place.

Thankfully, most of my fears were squashed after?? actually playing it, although I do have some slight concerns.

[The Dark Souls II beta is currently under NDA, but Destructoid has been granted permission to publish impressions. All impressions must have the expressed written consent of a Namco Bandai representative.]

After booting up the PS3 beta and selecting from the optional light, medium, heavy, magic, and ranged classes, I was immediately on my way with my heavy knight. But classes are merely an easy way to ease new players into the realm of the Souls series, and as always, they are completely customizable -- so after quickly realizing that I didn't like my slow rolls due to my heavy armor, I outfitted my character with some medium-class ro??bes.

Once I rocked my black robes, I felt completely at home and started wrecking shop. Hilariously enough, immediately after starting the beta (every participant gained access at the exact same time), I saw some bloodstains on the floor, which meant that some other players had died mere?? seconds into the launch, falling off a cliff or into one of t?he holes in the first cave.

I made my way through said cave, making sure to avoid the pits that claimed other souls, and fought a few standard zombies before making my way to a castle. With my shield prepped, I predicted an enemy ambush, and sure enough, an unde??ad thief-type enemy sprung out, which I quickly dispatched. I made my way through the castle and down into a forest area, where I encountered my first challenge -- a putrid executioner enemy with two sickles in tow.

Most of his moves were fairly predictable as he was slow on the draw, but depending on your character he can easily rip through your stamina/guard and kill you ??in a few hits. I decided to avoid this encounter for now and head up a hill, where I tangled with a smaller version of the executioner, and four red NPC phantoms in a row ??(two had sickles just like the prior enemies, and two had whips).

After baiting out one phantom after another to avoid a giant battle royale, they were gone forever, and I made my way across a bridge to the first boss fight -- and thus my first death, turning me into a Hollow (undead), and chipping off a bit of my maximum health in the process. In Dark Souls II, subsequent deaths now ch?ip off more and more health if you're Hollowed, so in that regard yo?u do have to watch your death count. But you shouldn't be dying as much in general, which I'll get to later.

Although I would come back later and best said boss by solving its puzzle of sorts, I decided to go the other path and see what I could find before I returned to him?? -- but not without using an item to regain my humanity and health bar. In that area, I found a network of mountains and caves, which we've all seen before, but designed very well nonetheless, and filled with thief-like enemies that were quick on their feet.

The thieves were formidable, if only because you usually encounter th??ree or four of them at once. Given the fact that they can attack very quickly and bust out a bow at will, damage can add up fast, especially if you happen to get stun-locked. Using a ru?sh-down technique and whittling down their numbers fast is the best way to go.

Combat has been slightly changed, as rolls seem to have less invincibility frames, but parrying also seems to be a bit easier to pull off. Jumping is now mapped to clicking in the left stick which is an improvement, but the animation itself still feels unwieldy and unpredictable. The game also feels more fluid in general, most likely due to a more stable framerate. I have no technical specifications to back that up, but that's how it feels anyway. Nothing in the beta chugged quite as hard as a lot of areas in the first Dark Souls.

I decided to I picked up two friendly players along the way, and we faced some predictable challenges before diving into the other boss fight found in the beta, which we cleaned up in no time at all -- even if we had ton of fun in the process. But the area beyond said boss ??was gated off for the beta, so I backtracked a bit, grinded out some soul experience to level-up at the bonfire checkpoint, and went back to finish off the boss that had bested? me previously, which was also really fun.

So far, so good, right? Well, as I made my way through the beta and completed every possible area, I did ??notice that I had an easier time getting through it than I did in past games. While I could chalk part of it up to skill after completing both previous titles multiple times, I did see a few major design choices that influenced my perception as well. For one, I didn't notice any major traps in the beta outside of a few chests, or anything that would otherwise perform a one-hit kill.

Although this is just a beta, and thus a slice of the game, I did expect a few "holy shit!" moments like a Raiders of the Lost Ark boulder that never really came. Every tricky situation I encountered usually had some sort of telegraphed moment that has been done before, or some way to avoid it. I'm sure in the fi?nal game we'll see more surprises, but for now, it felt like standard fare -- things most players would have no trouble conquering after a few educational deaths.

Lifegems are another major tweak that made the Dark Souls II feel a bit easier. Simply put, gems are items that can be used while walking (unlike your Estus Flasks that you have to stop and use, and are now slightly slower to drink), and cause a heal over time effect. The amount of healing is not only rather large, but you can also use them while avoiding enemies, and they drop like hotcakes all over t??he beta when you slay enemies, and you can seemingly pick them up at every turn.

During boss fights or particularly tough mini-boss encounters, all I had to do was pop one off after getting hit, with little fear of running out of them as I could earn more within the confines of each battle. This could just be an isolate incident of giving players more tools to test the beta, but personally, I hope the gems are toned down in the final release. The actual boss fights themselves also weren't really up to par with the rest of the series in terms of difficulty even if they were enjoyable in their own right, and you can read about those in my accompanying piece to avoid spoilers here.

I also had some time to experiment with PvP, which is as great as it's ever been. Since it's completely governed by the player base, you really can't go wrong here, and the vast amount of styles available in the beta really lends itself well to showing off the solid foundation. In Dark Souls II you can now be invaded by red phantoms while in Hollowed form, which is one major improvement, and almost balances out the easier feel of PvE. Since Dark Souls II feels more fluid, the tweaked engine only benefits PvP. Backstab hitboxes also feel smaller, which makes for less cheap tactics when playing against others. There's even a Covenant that deals w??ith protecting those who are invaded, so expect an even deeper PVP system overall.

I have some concerns about Dark Souls II, but overall I had an amazing time, and I really wanted to dive in again after the short beta period ended. While I'm not certain that it can live up to the expectations of the first two games based on my play session, those are some pretty big shoes to fill -- and I have little doubt that it'll be anything less than worthy of calling itself a Souls game. For those of you who are keen on giving i??t a try for yourself, a new beta round opens up on October 27,?? 2013.

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A director interview

In this interview video, Dark Souls II director Yui Tanimura discuss??es the core of the series, trying to innovate while staying true to what made the last game so successful from a design perspective, and challenges faced during development.

Toward the end, talk of the game's closed beta is broug??ht up and with it, a snippet of footage showing messages, bloodstains, summons, and invasions. Notice the White Phantom's health bar on the left-hand side of the screen, which comes in addition to the one located over the player character's head? Nice. Very nice.

The post A brief look at summoning in Dark Souls II appeared first on Destructoid.

Look for them in the final game

From Software has narrowed down the fan-made shields for the Dark Souls II design contest and a few of them are spectacular. The six winning artists will get their design put into the game, their name in the credits, and a signed copy of Dark Souls II.

The winners of the Asia and United States categories -- the lion and the tally-mark one, resp??ectively -- are my favorite, but these along with the green eye shield aren't going to be in the game. The artists who designed them are getting a signed copy, however, so that's something.

After looking over some of the losing entries, I'??m hopeful a gracious modder will once again come through to allow for custom shields.

Dark Souls II Shield Design Contest Winners! [Facebook]

The post These?? winning community-made Dark Souls II shi??elds rock appeared first on Destructoid.

Big game publisher no match for Global Towing Inc

While Namco Bandai and From Software may have proven their mastery of the fantasy RPG genre with the critically-acclaimed Dark Souls series, this scene outs??ide of E3 2013 shows that even the mighty game publisher is no match for Los Angeles' notoriously strict parking laws. 

On Wednesday this Dark Souls II branded bus was seen b?eing loaded onto a tow-truck outside the Los Angeles Convention Center's West Hall. While it's possible the bus had fallen prey to simple engine trouble, the large "Tow-Away Zone" sign makes us wonder if someone at Na??mco Bandai wasn't paying attention in driving school.

The post Dark Souls II caught breakin’ the law appeared first on Destructoid.

Yes, please!

Sony "dropped the ball" with Demon's Souls, SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida confessed to Polygon. After co-developing the acclaimed PlayStation 3 title with From Software, Sony declined to publish the game in western markets, a decision the platform-holder likely regrets now that its spiritual successor, Dark Souls, has spawned a franchise for Namco Bandai.

Yoshida expressed a love for Demon's Souls and added that he would?? really like to see potential sequel on PlayStation platforms. Whether that desire will ever manifest into a reality remains to be seen. Sony does, however, retain the rights to the intellectual property and Yoshida claims to have a great relationship with From Software, so, anything is po?ssible.

Sony studios head wants to see more Demon's Souls [Polygon]

The post Sony executive loves Demon’s Souls and wants to see more appeared first on Destructoid.