From Software’s Cult hit Dark Souls is a franchise that has a certain niche in the market. It’s the type of game you play if you feel like having your life stripped away countless times as the game slowly ebbs away at your sanity. Most of the attraction to the game generally comes from the tension the player feels due to the intense difficulty.
This is one of the things that the fanbase began to worry may be toned down for the sequel, Dark Souls II, as the series creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki had previously stated that the game will be more approachable than its predecessor. Of course this is a legitimate reason for the fanbase to be concerned. However I can happily say that will not be the case in Dark Souls II. Dark Souls II director Yui Tanimura has confirmed that the game will encapsulate that same sense of desperation through difficulty and level design that the original became known for when speaking with Forbes.
“I would like to clarify here that we do not have any plan to make the game easier, As Dark Souls focused on giving a sense of satisfaction to players, Dark Souls II is also pursuing to provide this sense. We cherish Dark Souls fans’ voices and would like to improve this game based on their voices to let them enjoy a highly challenging game.” – Yui Tanimura
Following on from that point, he then addressed an idea that many gamers grew concerned would destroy the online experience for the game. The idea of implementing an ‘Easy Mode’. Luckily for the fans, Tanimura also shot down the notion of an easy mode.
“We do not plan on having an Easy Mode, since we are creating this game with a thought that challenge and difficulty are core elements of the game.”– Yui Tanimura
Speaking with ShackNews he also spoke about the quality of the PC port of Dark Souls where he admitted that it fell short of the quality the game deserved. However he also assured the PC community that they will receive a better experience with Dark Souls II as they have been working on the PC version right from the start.
“Yes, we will definitely put more priority on the PC. Last time, we started working on PC after the console version was complete, This time, because we are considering the PC from the beginning, you can be sure there will be more care put into PC development.” – Yui Tanimura
Tanimura also spoke to CVG where he shared a little bit of insight into the multiplayer aspects of the game, mentioning that the server-based approach will allow them to try new things that previously were not possible with the game.
“In terms of network, we’ll have more follow-up information, Because the game is now server-based, we hope to implement new aspects into the game that are only possible because it is server based. We want to utilise that as much as possible to deliver a new experience.” – Yui Tanimura
He then also went on to reveal that the Dark Souls players will notice that some things will carry over to Dark Souls II. However aside from mentioning that some covenants and weapons will carry over, he didn’t specify exactly how this will play out.
“In terms of equipment and covenants, we can’t give you very much information at this point. But there will be things that carry over from Dark Souls to Dark Souls 2. There will be adjustment and newly added features as well.” – Yui Tanimura
Lastly here’s a bunch of new screenshots too. No release date has been announced yet, however you can expect a lot more details in the run up to E3 where we will likely get a concrete date too.
[Source: Forbes] [Source: ShackNews] [Source: CVG]
