Dark Souls II

Dark Souls II released today!

Darks Souls changed the way I view gaming, with its challenges, completely open story-line and fantastic setting. "Prepare To Die" boldly emblazons the game's cover, and die I did, over and over.  Death comes not only from the hundreds of different enemies prowling the various locations, but from the actual locations themselves. Never a hand railing, sometimes lava-filled, othertimes pitch black locales that leave you constantly in terror, breathless with what enemy will spring you at the next turn. In the gorgeous Crystal Cave you navigate across invisible paths. 

Not just bosses, but all enemies must be taken seriously; nothing comes for free.  Each enemy, each location is expertly designed, requiring a strategy, such as special armor or ranged weapons, depending on the boss.  No repeats, everything fresh and difficult in its own way.  

This makes for such a beautiful premise for a game. All the death, terror and destruction makes defeating a boss or ringing the second bell of awakening that much sweeter.  Because of the difficulty, you learn the intricacies of each locale or enemy; revisiting the location later is like revisiting an old friend. Although Grand Theft Auto V and Skyrim were fantastic games, Dark Souls takes the cake, harking back to what games used to be, not the movie-wannabe's they have morphed into.

I could ramble all day, but I think Kevin VanOrd of Gamespot wrote an eloquent review of not only Dark Souls, but Dark Souls II that capture the emotion and breadth of the games. And hit me up if you made it to Kiln of the First Flame.