Unlike the previous Darkest Dungeon, this game is much more fast-paced and forward-moving, adopting more roguelike elements.

“ Darkest Dungeon II’s gameplay is an interesting evolution of its predecessor-being both improved and starkly different.” Taking some cues from The Oregon Trail, every leg of the journey consists of branching paths that may lead to treasure or certain doom. Players begin each quest in a stagecoach, choosing an adventuring team and venturing into the dangerous frontier. I’ve seen it described as a “road trip from Hell,” and honestly, it’s an apt description. But the game’s narrative needs to provide an impetus for the gameplay-as the nature of the Darkest Dungeon being shrouded in mystery works in the game’s favour.ĭarkest Dungeon II’s gameplay is an interesting evolution of its predecessor-being both improved and starkly different. It’s an interesting reinvention of the Darkest Dungeon story, staying connected to the series’ familiar lore, but deviating just enough to keep it interesting. Rather than a group of adventurers venturing into the titular dungeon in order to seal its horror from the world, Darkest Dungeon II sees its adventuring party travelling to a new Darkest Dungeon in a world driven mad by its influence-carrying the last light of Hope to the heart of the dungeon to restore order to the world. The plot of Darkest Dungeon II is more or less the same as the first, with some minor changes. What results is a game that keeps everything that was good about its predecessor, and morphs it into something fresh, exciting, and profoundly cruel-and I mean that as the highest compliment. However, unlike most good sequels that build upon an established foundation, Red Hook Studios saw fit to completely revamp its flagship title for a more accessible, yet consistently punishing experience. When I first saw the announcement for Darkest Dungeon II, I expected a familiar albeit improved trek through familiar, terrible territory. He was, after all, the one who first fostered my love of Bloodborne.

Perhaps it was recommended to me by my friend and former colleague Brendan Quinn, who usually brought such terrible oddities before me. It seems fitting for a game about hapless adventurers struggling against the cruelty of a maddening dungeon-it hooked its tendrils in me and made my mind a void, its origin a complete mystery.

As I began writing the review for Darkest Dungeon II, I desperately tried to remember the events that led me to delve into Darkest Dungeon only to be left completely vacant.

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