'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Even though the game doesn’t have a direct connection with it’s predecessor, it is set in the same background and has enough in it to attract you. It’s been five months since the game was released on PC and the game has received praise from all quarters universally. Simply put, the game tests you completely making life harder.
Every time you fall, you will learn a lot on how to proceed further in the game. Everytime you die you lose a little of your humanity and that has been seen as a matter of concern because you think twice before moving forward because of that and at one point you will be having only 50% of it left with you. In order to regain humanity, you have to use a ‘human effigy’ or go to another player’s world and help him/her to conquer. Victory at each step doesn’t come easily, in fact it comes with a price and in the end you just keep collecting the souls of the enemies which you can use to increase your attribute or to purchase items.
One thing that really needs to be commended is the fact that the player doesn’t have to get stuck at any point. Stuck at a haunted dock full of fire-wielding marauders? Then you can move down a well and that will lead you to a tomb full of talking rats. And if you are finding it difficult to get past a particular boss, then you can always use a different route. The Drangelic world is so big with different locations and you will find out different ways to die at the hands of the monsters and beasts in the game.
The Multiplayer feature is something that will attract the fans as you can actually summon two players to join you and help you battle a boss. Once you put down a ‘sign’ the other playes will activate it and then join you. But remember, you can summon players only if you are in a human form. But your friends can summon you even if you are in a hollow form. Some bosses are vulnerable to particular forms of damage and you need to take advantage of that. Magical weapons, spells, lightning, or fire are some of the forms that you can use against the boss if you have the certain skill level.
Plot
The plot is pretty unconventional and it has several unknown elements attached to it. The story revolves around the undead human who goes to Drangleic (a place that is home to powerful souls that can help Undead regain their humanity) bearing a curse. The player goes to a place called Majula, and there we will meet our guide called as the Emerald Herald. She will ask us to seek four ancient beings with immense souls, and Vendrick, the king of Drangleic.
After we seek the four souls, we will gain access to Drangleic Castle and will be meeting the castle’s queen Nashandra. She sends us to meet King Vendrick. But after finding out that he has gone hollow we must travel through Aldia's Keep and meet the Ancient Dragon. Now there is this Ashen Mist Heart which the dragon will be giving us if we don’t provoke it, but you can also take it by force by killing it. The queen then asks us to seek the Forest of the Fallen Giants. We then have to travel through time using the Ashen mist heart and interact with the dead giants who will claim that the forest was attacked by Vendrick at Nashandra's request.
We then have to fight the leader of the giants and gain access to the throne below the castle. At this point, the player reaches their final objective, and the door to the Throne of Want must be opened in order to become the next monarch. The Emerald of Herald lets us know that Nashandra will actually be trying to stop us from "linking the fire"; the act of offering oneself up as fuel for the First Flame of the world. Linking the fire can temporarily cure the curse and can also prevent darkness from spreading all over the world. You proceed by defeating the Throne watcher and defender and then finally you will be surprised when Nashandra herself appears as the final boss. She is revealed to be a fragment of Manus, the "Father of the Abyss", who was the final boss the Artorias of the Abyss expansion for the original Dark Souls. After defeating her, the player becomes the next monarch.
The game actually never slows down and in fact runs at 60 frames per second on PC. Like I already mentioned before, every battle tests you and gives you a feeling of satisfaction of solving a tough puzzle. The graphics is just gorgeous to say the least, and the battles that you have with the bosses will prove to be iconic and memorable. Maintain your stamina all the time and time your attacks to perfection in order to succeed.
Final Verdict
Even if you finish the game once, make sure you play it again as you can unravel a lot of surprises and secrets. The multiplayer mode, the tense encounters, the graphics, they all would want you to play the game again and again. Definitely one that you wouldn’t want to miss out.
System requirements
Minimum
- OS: Windows XP SP3, Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8
- Processor: AMD Phenom II X2 555 3.2 GHz or Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo E8500 3.17 GHz
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT, ATI Radeon HD 5870
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Hard Drive: 14 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX 9 sound device
Recommended
- OS: Windows 7 SP1
- Processor: Intel Core i3 2100 3.10 GHz or AMD A8 3870K 3.0 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 or higher, ATI Radeon HD 6870 or higher
- DirectX: Version 9.0c
- Network: Broadband Internet connection
- Hard Drive: 14 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX 9 sound device
