Dark Souls II

Dark Souls II begins in Drangleic, a kingdom whose ruins draw the Bearer of the Curse in search of a way to escape undeath. At Majula, a coastal settlement that serves as the game’s hub, the Emerald Herald directs the player toward four powerful souls. They are associated with the Lost Sinner, the Old Iron King, the Rotten, and the Duke’s Dear Freja. Collecting them opens a route toward Drangleic Castle and the fate of King Vendrick.

Vendrick’s story emerges through places and encounters rather than a single continuous account. His war with the Giants left Drangleic devastated; the player later enters memories of that conflict using the Ashen Mist Heart. Vendrick himself is found in the Undead Crypt, far from his throne. His queen, Nashandra, waits near the Throne of Want. Depending on the player’s actions, the final confrontation can also include Aldia, Vendrick’s brother, whose experiments and questions about the curse run through the game.

FromSoftware developed Dark Souls II, and Bandai Namco published it in 2014 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows. Its world differs from the tightly interconnected Lordran of the first Dark Souls: Drangleic is organized around routes that branch from Majula, with later travel made easier by warping between discovered bonfires. Death gradually reduces the character’s maximum health while hollowed; using a Human Effigy restores human form. Bonfire Ascetics let players increase an area’s difficulty and bring back certain defeated bosses without starting a new playthrough.

Combat adds “power stance,” which gives characters wielding compatible weapons in both hands a distinct set of attacks when they meet the attribute requirements. The Adaptability attribute affects Agility, which in turn influences actions including the timing of evasive rolls. Online matchmaking also uses Soul Memory, a running total of souls acquired, alongside other conditions. These systems make choices about equipment, leveling, and repeated exploration particularly consequential.

Three downloadable chapters expand Drangleic’s history: Crown of the Sunken King explores Shulva, Sanctum City; Crown of the Old Iron King leads to Brume Tower; and Crown of the Ivory King takes place in the frozen city of Eleum Loyce. The 2015 edition, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, brought the game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and updated its Windows release. On those platforms, it also revised enemy and item placements, giving returning players a substantially different journey through familiar areas.