Prepare to die: when a videogame prides itself in its commercials that it will kill you over and over again then that's a pretty bold marketing stratagem. When gamers thus indeed keep dying an unusual amount, yet still don't cease playing then the game must have done a few things right. Just like the "Souls" games made by From Software managed to admirably walk that difficult line between frustration and motivation.
The secret of those action RPGs: a clever game system that permits great freedom when it comes to developing your character, yet still mercilessly demands skill from the player. Or rather: if your character dies, you suck. A philosophy that, fortunately, still applies to DS 2. And that even though the third entry into the Souls series was supposed to have been more accessible, according to the creators. We'll explain why that's the case in the following pages.
Strange world, familiar task
First things first: fans of complex narrations and lengthy cutscenes are going to be disappointed yet again. Even though there's a fancy intro sequence to introduce the nameless hero's arrival in the mysterious kingdom Drangleic, after that the plot is mostly advanced through bits and pieces. Usually by means of optional monologues by merchants and other NPCs which don't really illuminate much about the enigmatic world. Just like in the last two games, basically. The same is true for your quest: your hero is struck by a curse of undeath and thus with a hunger for monsters' souls.
The base for the demon hunt is the humble settlement Majula. No monsters lurk here, but little by little, various services become accessible here to aid with your journey. Various stores sell weapons, armor and various items; mages and pyromancers teach you spells and the blacksmith will upgrade your equipment; you can talk to the so-called Emerald Messenger to level up. Unlike the predecessor...