Another Souls game in the books. As a veteran of all four previous Soul entries, this review is written from that perspective. Some of the issues I experienced with this may very well be lost on you if you're new to the series. This feels like the idiom, one step forward... two steps back, some things are better than ever and others are at their weakest. Bonfire placement is abysmal, making levels far easier than they need be. Design aspects feel recycled and stale at times with a few flashes of grandeur. Streamlined gameplay and upgrade mechanics mark a major improvement within the series. With the most challenging, fleshed out boss encounters yet. Still worth it though...

A lot of the grindy portions of the gameplay have been routed for a more streamlined upgrade system. No more, farming vast quantities of various individual enemies for their specific ore drops. Thank you. No more guessing which item you need to get to +9 to use the Boss Souls, though there are a few that if you don't want to look up take some pretty nifty guessing to get. I spent far less time in the menus of this one, meaning I was playing the game, which is a plus.

In detail, there are some previously stated issues with it. The bosses are harder in this, but the levels in general are easier. Bonfire placement is mostly to blame. It makes whole areas vanish before you really know what happened, making each area less memorable than the last. Nearly every boss has a straight path from a bonfire with at max 2 enemies awaiting you. Also... cool story another poison area... it'll be your favorite.

The storytelling is classic Dark Souls, read some stuff and fill in the holes with whatever you can. I found many of the item descriptions to be lacking though. Either too short, or no real information to be gleaned. As well, the content felt far less original than any other installment. This aspect is easily the weakest from any of the previous.

Most of the areas, and designs also feel a bit recycled. There are a few that stand out and make this it's own beast. Irithyll of the Boreal Valley portrays itself as the mystical phoenix sprouting from the ashes of an iconic location. It's unfortunate that this is an exception and not the rule. If you can recall a previous area from any of the other installments it makes an appearance in one way or another. The real issue at heart is the lack of effort to make them feel original in their own way.

The challenge provided by the bosses is what drives this into a refreshed experience. Once again, every idea will feel like a reprocessed version of a previous manifestation. Granted as well that most of the added difficulty of this one is provided merely by an increase in speed, damage, and stamina. Most feel balanced enough, but some will display signs of unlimited stamina, unfathomable hit boxes, and homing attacks that will rotate them 260 degrees on a single foot. Still though I felt that every concept that was done before was improved upon and made to be its own version of what it was.

Whether you're a Souls veteran or a newcomer this is sure to give you the enjoyment you're looking for. There are flashes of amazing uniqueness that will make you smile, and marvel at the artistic direction. Be warned that if you're a vet then these will be few and far between, and a ton of content will feel recycled. It's still Dark Souls though and that alone makes it worth playing, for the challenge and all.

Another Souls game in the books. As a veteran of all four previous Soul entries, this review is written from that perspective. Some of the issues I experienced with this may very well be lost on you if you're new to the series. This feels like the idiom, one step forward... two steps back, some things are better than ever and others are at their weakest. Bonfire placement is abysmal, making levels far easier than they need be. Design aspects feel recycled and stale at times with a few flashes of grandeur. Streamlined gameplay and upgrade mechanics mark a major improvement within the series. With the most challenging, fleshed out boss encounters yet. Still worth it though... A lot of the grindy portions of the gameplay have been routed for a more streamlined upgrade system. No more, farming vast quantities of various individual enemies for their specific ore drops. Thank you. No more guessing which item you need to get to +9 to use the Boss Souls, though there are a few that if you don't want to look up take some pretty nifty guessing to get. I spent far less time in the menus of this one, meaning I was playing the game, which is a plus. In detail, there are some previously stated issues with it. The bosses are harder in this, but the levels in general are easier. Bonfire placement is mostly to blame. It makes whole areas vanish before you really know what happened, making each area less memorable than the last. Nearly every boss has a straight path from a bonfire with at max 2 enemies awaiting you. Also... cool story another poison area... it'll be your favorite. The storytelling is classic Dark Souls, read some stuff and fill in the holes with whatever you can. I found many of the item descriptions to be lacking though. Either too short, or no real information to be gleaned. As well, the content felt far less original than any other installment. This aspect is easily the weakest from any of the previous. Most of the areas, and designs also feel a bit recycled. There are a few that stand out and make this it's own beast. Irithyll of the Boreal Valley portrays itself as the mystical phoenix sprouting from the ashes of an iconic location. It's unfortunate that this is an exception and not the rule. If you can recall a previous area from any of the other installments it makes an appearance in one way or another. The real issue at heart is the lack of effort to make them feel original in their own way. The challenge provided by the bosses is what drives this into a refreshed experience. Once again, every idea will feel like a reprocessed version of a previous manifestation. Granted as well that most of the added difficulty of this one is provided merely by an increase in speed, damage, and stamina. Most feel balanced enough, but some will display signs of unlimited stamina, unfathomable hit boxes, and homing attacks that will rotate them 260 degrees on a single foot. Still though I felt that every concept that was done before was improved upon and made to be its own version of what it was. Whether you're a Souls veteran or a newcomer this is sure to give you the enjoyment you're looking for. There are flashes of amazing uniqueness that will make you smile, and marvel at the artistic direction. Be warned that if you're a vet then these will be few and far between, and a ton of content will feel recycled. It's still Dark Souls though and that alone makes it worth playing, for the challenge and all.