Dark Souls II

This thread is not for those wishing to keep unspoiled about the game. Please visit the Dark Souls thread for a less spoilery atmosphere.

As we approach the release date for Dark Souls II, the need for its own thread seems to be more and more obvious. As a motion has been made by Question Marc in the Dark Souls thread, i'll just go ahead and make this now.

This was the idea behind the two threads for right now, proposed once again by Question Marc. This thread will be for the hard facts we find out prior to and after the games release and for any particularly big WM Gs supported by particularly big evidence revealed.

Now I myself am sorta on Team Blind Run but let me see what I can do to set the stage:

Dark Souls II is a non-direct sequel (from what people can infer from the beta) to the original game. It's plot is built around the premise of an undead plague much like the first game but in a new land called Drangleic - a place that is not all sushine and rainbows anymore, compared to it's glory days. This place seems to attract those afflicted by the undead disease (dubbed the Darksign in the previous game) as it carries the reputation of being able to keep those who suffer from it from losing their sanity and going Hollow. Why it can is a mystery to us all right now but your character is one such individual cursed by the Darksign, seeking aid in Drangleic.

World Premiere Trailer

Cursed Trailer (Most Recent)

edited 25th Jan '14 10:03:17 AM by InfiniteParagon

We also have an entry for it.

For those not in the known, here are a few changes that we know of, in no particular order:

• Penalty for dying is back. Each time you die, your maximum health is reduced a bit. I can go down to half what it would be in human form. The penalty only applies when in Hollow form, of course.

• Hollow Form doesn't protect you from Invasions anymore. The only way to avoid Invasion is to go offline.
  • I don't know if we can now summon people when Hollowed.

• To compensate for the above, you can join a Covenant where an allied player gets summoned whenever you get invaded. Any player summoned through this Covenant will be ignored by the enemies, allowing him to freely pursue the invading player.
  • Of course, Environmental Hazards still hurts both Invaders and Allied Phantoms.

• Summons now stay with you only for a set amount of time.
  • AFAIK, we don't know if Covenants affect that time. No idea either if Invaders are also constrained by a time limit.

• A list of the achievements has been leaked. MINOR SPOILERS WARNING.

• Dual Wielding ain't useless anymore! Now when you equip two weapons, you get access to new movesets.

• Bosses won't necessarily appear at the end of the level now. For instance, they might appear in the middle of a stage.

• You can now free-aim crossbows and spells like you'd do with bows.

• Dark Souls II takes place in the same world as Dark Souls, but not in the same location. Apparently, it's in the South Pole of the world of Dark Souls.

edited 25th Jan '14 10:29:11 AM by MisterC

Thanks for noting the gameplay aspects of the game, C. Slipped my mind to do that. :P

Can't think of everything, heh.

These are also only the ones I'm aware of. There might be more, or these might even have been changed.

Oooh, didn't know about the Covenant that auto-summons an allied phantom. That does take some of the sting away.

I'm quite interested in the 'Abysmal' Covenant mentioned in the achievements. The Primal Bonfires also sound interesting.

Uh, isn't Drangleic from north? Said so in the trailer.

Ah, I see that the covenant to protect others from invaders is seperate from the one that lets you be protected.

Shame there isn't a way to have both. I'd rather be able to give assistance and recieve, not just have it one way.

... That isn't really a spoiler, right? The "anti-dickwraith squad" was already mentioned without spoiling.

edited 25th Jan '14 7:28:11 PM by Kurgy

I don't see how a friggin gameplay mechanic should count as a spoiler. I mean, there's a reason why there's a trope called First-Episode Spoiler. Now, the only problem (a big one if I may add) is how to find it.

edited 25th Jan '14 9:58:14 PM by Culminus

Yeah, I don't think game mechanics needs spoiler'ing. If people don't want to know about 'em, why the frick would they come in here to begin with?

My guess is that it'll be like the Way of the White: right at the beginning of the game.

I'm just parroting what I heard. I have no idea if it is actually in the South Pole or not, hence the "apparently".

edited 26th Jan '14 7:46:09 AM by MisterC

I hope there's a boss that hunts you throughout the level. That would be really cool. The devs said in an interview that you might be able to Sequence Break at some points and kill a boss before the end of the level.

I think what the "south pole" statement meant was that the contrast between the settings of the first and second game is like the contrast between the north pole and south pole. Not the literal physical location.

Do we know if the Mirror Knight will be tied to a covenant or not? I can't imagine his summons will trigger a blue phantom or anything.

I think it will probably work like Old Monk, where anyone who invades or summons in the area has a chance of showing up in the mirror.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/dark-souls-ii-could-end-up-with-dlc-despite-earlier-claims/1100-6417443/

As long as it's of the same quality as Dark Souls' DLC and isn't obviously cut out of the main story, I'm fine with that.

... So I went and pre-ordered a collectors edition. I hope I won't regret.

BTW, is it true that Black Armor / Collectors Edition comes with exclusive equipment?

Though the main incentive to buy CE was all the phat lewt. I might be nerdy enough to frame that map and put it up on my wall.

edited 3rd Feb '14 2:20:25 PM by Kurgy

There's a map in the Collector's Edition? Surely it goes against the gradual discovery of the Souls world...

I want a map as a consumable item (like Binoculars) in Dark Souls for a LONG time. Not that I don't have a sense of direction, it's just hard to keep track of collectibles and hidden items without one.

I beleive the first Dark Souls collectors edition also came with a real life map. Except it was just for the undead burghs, I think.

I'm guessing this "authentic cloth map" is more to just look cool than actually help with the game. And I'm cool with that. As well as the Warrior Knight figure.

They should have made a bonfire table lamp or something.

Bunch of info.

Nice bunch of infos. I'm liking most of these.

I hope the "Praise the Sun" gesture is back, or at least gets a nod somehow.

You're in luck.◊

YES

YES YES

What does that even mean?

edited 6th Feb '14 12:55:08 AM by JimmyTMalice