黑暗的灵魂二世的美丽打开动画集the horrific and terrifying tone that is the entirety of the game's experience. As I watched and listened, I began to feel something stirring deep inside me. There was no mistaking that feeling—it was fear, plain and simple. I realized that my patience was about to be tried and my character's soul tortured. I was right. Dark Souls II is a trial of patience and perseverance that stands tall as one of the best games of the year. ThePlayStation 3($185.09 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)version is reviewed here, but Dark Souls II is also available onXbox 360($118.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window)and PC.
Like a Moth Drawn to a Flame
Dark Souls II begins without many of the mechanisms we've taken for granted in contemporary gaming. There's no tutorial at the beginning of the game. Likewise, there's no information about characters, classes, gifts, weapons, magic, or items. You don't even get a pamphlet that details the control scheme. The only preparation that you're given is that you must prepare to die, because "like a moth drawn to a flame your wings will burn in anguish time after time." You play as a cursed soul doomed to walk the Kingdom of Drangleic in search of more souls. If you don't collect enough souls fast enough you will become like your enemies—a hollow man.
You create your character by choosing a class, a gift, a name, and appearance. Classes include warrior, knight, swordsman, bandit, cleric, sorcerer, explorer, and deprived. The knight is a good choice for novice players, as it is an all-around decent melee class. The sorcerer, on the other hand, wields magic attacks over distance, which makes it a good class for those who want to avoid hand-to-hand combat. At any point in the campaign mode you can save and restart as a different character class.
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Bonfires: Checkpoints and Much More
Bonfires, which are scattered very thinly throughout the world, are important items to find as they provide checkpoints and save points.When characters rest at a bonfire, their health and stamina refill, along with spells and Estus Flasks (used to restore health). Negative effects such as bleeding and poison are removed, too.
You can also level up your character, reinforce weapons and armor, repair equipment, attune spells, and warp to other bonfires (a convenient method of fast-traveling around the world). Resting at a bonfire is an essential part of the Dark Souls II experience, but be aware that enemies will respawn and traps will reset. Dark Souls II is all the more challenging for the scarcity of bonfires in the game, to the point where it occasionally becomes irritating.
Laughable Collision Detection
Dark Souls II has satisfying, hard-hitting action, butit suffers from poor collision detection in some places. It's one thing to walk next to a wall and see my sword go through it. It's an entirely different matter to trigger NPC interactionthroughthe wall.
For example, I walked up to an external wall of a house in order to look for pick-ups. Just as I noticed that the tip of my sword went through the wall, I heard a voice from within the house speak to me. If From Software is going to develop a game that demands extreme control in order to cross a bridge successfully, then I'm going to hold them to the same exacting standards and ding the developer for poor collision detection.
Online Extends the Experience
Dark Souls II contains an intriguing online mode that blends the single-player campaign with multiplayer elements. Throughout the campaign, other players flit through the world as translucent spirits, and you'll find messages scrawled on the ground. I found the messages close to useless; for example "chest ahead" while standing in front of a chest, or "left, suffering." You'll also find bloodstains on the ground that trigger helpful replays of another player's recent death, so you get an idea of the actions you should avoid.
Entering covenants in campaign mode lets you form teams for player vs. player matches. Covenants allow your teammates to summon you when they're being attacked, even when you're in campaign mode! This provides deep integration between the online and local worlds.
Patience Will Be Rewarded
Dark Souls II is a fantastic action-RPG you'll either love or hate. If you're impatient and want to rush through the game in a single sitting then this is absolutely not the game for you. If, on the other hand, you delight in exploration and the intricacies of combat, then you will love this game, hopefully as much as I do. After dozens of hours of gameplay I'm still enthralled. Dark Souls II is a fearsome and fun journey that shouldn't be missed.
The highly anticipated sequel to 2011's runaway hit action-RPG arrives with a terrifyingly immersive environment packed with difficult challenges. This is classic role playing at its finest—even with some wacky collision detection.
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