Dark Souls 2 is out and we’ve given it a verdict in our Dark Souls 2 review.
Breaking from the linearity of the first game, Dark Souls 2 will allow players to wander off the suggested track right from the off. If they’re brave enough, they can walk straight into areas which the designers intended for folk halfway through the game and kitted to the nines in high-level gear.
This is because “Freedom of exploration is something we want to prioritise for Dark Souls 2,” Director Yui Tanimura told Digital Spy. Not player survival, clearly.
“In Dark Souls 1, you were able to travel to several areas, but hopefully for Dark Souls 2, there you have more freedom to explore throughout the game.We realise in Dark Souls 1 there were some certain orders, like ringing the bells or going to Anor Londo, which is not necessarily a bad thing. In Dark Souls 2, we’re hoping we can provide more freedom so things don’t have to necessarily be done in a certain order.
“We’re hoping that if the player tries hard enough, or are willing enough, they could even start halfway through the game, depending on how willing or how brave they are.”
Skilled players often find themselves far and above the difficulty level dictated by developers. So FromSoftware’s decision to open the world up to you and let you find what you’re comfortable with is an exciting one. If it works, hopefully we’ll see more developers doing the same.