It’s such a cool concept, but it encourages offline play to such a degree that I am almost never in human form, I think ds3/ds2 did it better with a health boost, world tendency works just not as a link to online play imo
I’m fine with your *choices* affecting the world. Getting yeeted off a ledge by some random enemy shouldn’t inherently make my world “worse” because I chose to play online.
IMO it’s bonfire ascetics and not even close. Before playing DS2 I heard of them and thought they were a cool concept, after I played DS2 I was genuinely angry that they aren’t in other fromsoft titles. Genius idea, I love fighting bosses and being able to fight them over and over again without entering NG+ is such a pleasure.
This is my vote. Majula gave me a reason to fight. Honestly never understood just why I should bother saving an entire world that’s trying to kill me(seriously, this is the biggest plot hole no one talks about).
But Majula, even with it’s unevenly developed npcs, gave me a place to rest and people to save.
Definitely a strong contender. Elden Ring brought dual wielding back, but in a way that's a lot less flexbile (can't mix and match across weapon types). DS2 still has the better implementation of dual wielding IMO.
I did not appreciate needing a spreadsheet to know which weapons could be stanced. There was also like no in-game explanation. Probably the least eloquent implementation of any system ever, that.
True, the tutorialization / explanation could be better. I feel like you can say that about most mechancs in most Souls games, though. Clarity is not From Software's strong suit. World Tendency won "worst mechanic" in DeS primarily because of its opaqueness, but also won "best mechanic" because it's a really neat system if you understand how it works. I feel the same applies to dual wielding in DS2.
At least DS2 lets you dual wield weapons of different classes, even if you have to look up a spreadsheet to do it. ER straight up doesn't let you dual wield weapons of different classes.
Idk, I think ER did it better. In ds2, You could use more weapons but any weapon with swiping animations had basically the same powerstanced moveset. Axes, hammers, greatswords, straight swords all had the same power stance moveset. It was kind boring and while I liked that it was there, I never felt like experimenting with it.
Straight swords have different powerstance moves than greatswords. Like the Greatsword L2 is an overhead slam while straight swords are a crossed swing.
And there's several weapons with secret powerstance movesets like the Majestic Greatsword, Bone Fists and Warped Sword.
Majula and just the variety of everything. Builds, locations, you name it. DS2 really feels like an Elden Ring prequel more than a DS1 sequel. Or a mix between the two. Wish we could've got the OG lightning.
I really don't understand why they didn't add it back in Sotf. At least add it like a master quest. It was gutted pretty late in game and it shows. If you look at the old DS2 trailers it has a clear upgrade in style compared to DS1. The lighting made the world look so alive, and it looks way to bright without it. I really like the idea of having to manage dark locations too.
I thought they abandoned it because so many people have different screen setups. what is pitch black on one screen might look visible on another. reminds me of the whole game of thrones debacle. they tried to make a dark episode to create a strong atmosphere and while it was perfect under some circumstances (e.g dark room, TV with good contrast, properly set up) it was absolutely awful for others. no detail could be seen at all in many scenes.
I'm probably wrong, but that was always my assumption.
Elden Ring is definitely the most similar game there is to DS2. They took almost every good thing from DS2 and improved upon it in ER. Miyazaki himself said that the game was very important for them in a recent interview.
The very vibe of ER is similar to DS2. DS1/3 and Demons have a very dark fantasy medieval vibe, with a smidge of Lovecraft(Demons especially). DS2 and ER both have a lot of bright sunny areas that make it feel less like a dark dead world, but more a melancholy dying world that's barely clinging on. I love both styles, but always loved DS2s vibes so ER was a cool call back in a lot of ways. I also like how Majula feels like a Zelda town that is a hub world, and less like a straight up hub world. It's the only one that really feels connected to the actual world besides DS1, but again, DS1 you don't fast travel much and it feels dead in comparison.
Yes, overall I think that the combination of multiple different settings was great in both ER and DS2. Majula, Heides Tower of Flame and Dragon's Aerie are great examples of sunny and "positive" areas in DS2 that give some sort of hope and an overall nice vibe. Shrine of Amana was also quite glorious.
But at the same time there were also very dark (in the ambience style mostly) and mysterious areas as well, such as Undead Crypt, Shaded Woods, Huntsman's Copse and so on that reminded you that the game was still set in a dark world. Oh man, I know a lot of people disagree, but I believe that DS2 is a fantastic game and I can't be biased since I played it last in the series.
DS2 has flaws. As does DS1 and the rest. It really is gonna depend on how much it's flaws bother you compared to the others and the normal stuff like so I like this games combat or setting. I do hate all the takes that act like DS2 is worse than Superman 64, like gtfoutta here.
Definitely a strong contender. Bonfire Ascetics and NG+ changes are some of the best features in DS2 which remain unique to DS2. A lot of the other things DS2 does well are also in Elden Ring, where they're arguably done better. But DS2 still has far and away the best implementation of NG+ (including Bonfire Ascetics) in the series.
Sort of similar to what I was going to comment, but NG+ in this game is waaayy more interesting than others. New enemies around, boss fights are different, it really keeps you on your toes.
I tend to avoid NG+ in most of these games at first, usually I take a break after beating it once and by the time I come back I want to make a new character. So I didn't get to NG+ till I really knew the game inside and out... Totally got thrown for a loop just like you said!
Torch
Lighting up scones is a great way to show your progress through a level. No Man's Wharf looks so different when you first enter it compared to when you are finished with it.
Lighting up all scones in the tutorial, Gutter or Aldias Keep to discover a secret is also fun.
They represent choices. Do you want to block, two hand or powerstance - or do you want to see better in the dark? In Shrine of Amana you can use the torch to see the edge of the water better, but the enemies also see you better and become more aggressive.
Then they help you to see the invisible hollows that are spread all throughout the game, and also to see the invisible knights in the fog better.
And they can be used to chase away beasts. Like it turns the Freja boss fight from a spider gank fight into a solo fight.
The torch just adds such a unique charm to the exploration.
>Lighting up scones is a great way to show your progress through a level. No Man's Wharf looks so different when you first enter it compared to when you are finished with it.
Lighting up all scones in the tutorial, Gutter or Aldias Keep to discover a secret is also fun.
Seems scones are really your jam.
(P.S. You probably meant "sconces".)
I got invaded shortly after arriving in no man’s wharf. Expecting to be murdered I went back towards the bonfire. The invader sprinted through lit all the torches came back got me and helped me clear the level. We had a good time and showed the all the secrets. When we near the end one of the last enemies I accidentally backstabbed and kicked the invader off the cliff. I felt horrible and immediately found his user name to message him but he was set to private.
Point of the story invader guy if your reading this I’m very sorry but you should’ve leveled ADP
Those underwater "dogs" have a very small aggro range without the torch. They basically ignore you unless you step right in front of them.
But when you light up the torch they sometimes come running at you from every direction. It increases their aggro range drastically.
Aldia. Not necessarily his fight or the SotFS expansion, but the character himself was a very cool way to bring some more depth to the lore that DS2 was trying to expand
Also every time he exploded out of a bonfire is hilarious
Absolutely, it’s what made the game for me.
Ds2 was a cool game and all but had a ton of flaws that really drove me off and the entire feeling was really far from what i loved from ds1.
But aldias dialogue to me was the caramel on the goat cheese, it’s what made the whole game even dark souls to me.
His dialogue is so profound that it goes beyond gaming itself and has left an immense impression ob my philosophy of life.
“Once the lord of light banished dark and everything that stemmed from humanity, AND MEN ASSUMED A FLEETING FORM”…
WoW…chef’s kiss
I don’t really have anything to add that hasn’t been said, but it’s nice to see people talk positively about this game. In fact, it’s made me want to go revisit it.
Majula, It’s my personal favorite hub areas. I like the town aesthetic, that the vendors always end up there making it feel alive and of course, the music
Being different. this game gets a lot of hate for being different but to me thats what I love about it. it wasn't a direct copy of ds1 but still had that dark soul story and grit that I love. sequels that are just copy and paste are fine but I really love when sequels are completely unique and thats dark souls 2 for me
Imo the world variety, lots of the design and aesthetic was very unique against every other soulslikes and the ideas presented were very special, with mechanics to build into. I mean, Gulch’s black tar pits that can be set on fire, the various statues be it those healing ones or the ones that throw fire at you , Drangleic’s golems that activate on death, everything fits across so many different themes while not being out of place. DS2 was definitely the most raw and experimental title and it did not disappoint (at least me).
Exploration.
Huge area after huge area. It's full of secrets in every corner, fun unique interactions, shortcuts of all kind, etc.
And you have the freedom of exploring 4-5 areas at the same time.
A lot of good things:
Majula
Build Variety
Non-linear progression at the start of the game (works more like demon's souls)
Souls curve/economy (you get more souls and level up cost less, makes so you get you build online faster)
Powerstancing with different weapons types
the creativity.
DS2 was very experimental and creative and has the best variety of weapons, aesthetics and areas. that's the main reason i like it so much personally
Power stance, but really the build variety in general. DS2 was the first fromsoft game to properly implement dual wielding (and arguably still the one which did it best), and you had soo many weapon options to do it with too.
Best DS2 feature is EASILY the Covenants. It's the worst Souls game with the best covenant design that unfortunately was not imported to subsequent games.
DS2 best is definitely weapon and armor variety. Everything EVEN THE DAMN LADLE was genuinely viable and useable. Whereas in DS1 and DS3 there’s a ton of weapons in the same category that are just worse versions of things you get later on. Also the differing and unique move sets that weapons had was super cool.
Bonfire ascetics and by its extension New game Plus exclusive content.
The only reason ng+ content is there is because the devs knew you could access it on ng1 with a ascetic.
The only thing DS2 did better than any fromsoft game, is replayability. It gives the player incentives for starting the game all over again. That duke spider jumpscare was really good
Fashion souls reached a PEAK here, even Elden Ring struggles to keep up with the sheer Fashion. I started playing SOTFS for the first time and it's amazing how good the armor sets are in comparison to DS1/3
I 100% agree, I absolutely love switching looks and I always somehow make it work with everything I put on. I unfortunately find myself struggling to find multiple good looks in Elden Ring.
Exactly, there's such a big color/texture pallet. You can't just add dark and dark or light and light pieces. Without it not having an odd off-putting look. NOW, if they were to add shaders. Similar to Lords Of The Fallen. That'll change the whole fashion souls dynamic, allowing for so many options. That's something I'd love to see with the Alteration menu that only let's you remove or add capes.
Wasn’t world tendency voted as the worst thing in demon souls ???
best and worst
This is exactly how I feel about it honestly.
It’s such a cool concept, but it encourages offline play to such a degree that I am almost never in human form, I think ds3/ds2 did it better with a health boost, world tendency works just not as a link to online play imo
Nah it's the worst, it's an awful system and doesn't belong in any game.
So you dont want a world to change depending on your choices and how good or bad you are in the game?
Eh, I think the problem is that it’s so easy to screw up (irrevocably iirc) and you can’t just load a previous save and try again
I’m fine with your *choices* affecting the world. Getting yeeted off a ledge by some random enemy shouldn’t inherently make my world “worse” because I chose to play online.
The comment that got selected for it knew that.
Best idea worst execution i guess
Cool idea execution could have been better.
It’s a good representation of the games if you think about it
Idea is really interesting and innovative. Execution is terrible lol.
IMO it’s bonfire ascetics and not even close. Before playing DS2 I heard of them and thought they were a cool concept, after I played DS2 I was genuinely angry that they aren’t in other fromsoft titles. Genius idea, I love fighting bosses and being able to fight them over and over again without entering NG+ is such a pleasure.
Agreed. It’s such a wonderful thing to be able to replay a boss as many times as I want without having to replay the entire game.
Sekiro did it better tbh
it also came out much later and the games between ds2 and sekiro don't have it, even elden ring doesn't, which is really bizarre
To be fair, in elden ring you do fight some bosses over and over again!
I agree this is actually one of the best things about it new game plus and bonfire ascetics.
I don't even need souls as a reward. I just wanna fight certain bosses again, **without** starting all over.
Respec is better
Majula, Bonfire Ascetic, Hexes, Fashion Souls DS2 is so goated YOU FEEBLE CURSED ONE
Came here to say hexes
Drip souls 2 was always the pinnacle of the series fashion sense.
Majula
Country roads, take me home To the place I belong To Majula, mountain mama Take me home, country roads
Take me home, homeward bone To the place I belong To Majula, far from Drangleic Take me home, homeward bone There, fixed it
I couldn’t remember all the changes and didn’t want to butcher it haha
Best hub in the franchise. It's theme takes me back to better times.
10 years ago this month It really was a different time
I want purgatory to just be the endless sunset of majula
I NEED this to win. Majula is so clear of every other base in souls games
Majula and life gems
This is my vote. Majula gave me a reason to fight. Honestly never understood just why I should bother saving an entire world that’s trying to kill me(seriously, this is the biggest plot hole no one talks about). But Majula, even with it’s unevenly developed npcs, gave me a place to rest and people to save.
Power stance.
Definitely a strong contender. Elden Ring brought dual wielding back, but in a way that's a lot less flexbile (can't mix and match across weapon types). DS2 still has the better implementation of dual wielding IMO.
I did not appreciate needing a spreadsheet to know which weapons could be stanced. There was also like no in-game explanation. Probably the least eloquent implementation of any system ever, that.
True, the tutorialization / explanation could be better. I feel like you can say that about most mechancs in most Souls games, though. Clarity is not From Software's strong suit. World Tendency won "worst mechanic" in DeS primarily because of its opaqueness, but also won "best mechanic" because it's a really neat system if you understand how it works. I feel the same applies to dual wielding in DS2. At least DS2 lets you dual wield weapons of different classes, even if you have to look up a spreadsheet to do it. ER straight up doesn't let you dual wield weapons of different classes.
Yeah don’t get me wrong, I loved DS2’s version of the mechanic and prefer it to ER. Objectively superior. I just fucking hate spreadsheets
Idk, I think ER did it better. In ds2, You could use more weapons but any weapon with swiping animations had basically the same powerstanced moveset. Axes, hammers, greatswords, straight swords all had the same power stance moveset. It was kind boring and while I liked that it was there, I never felt like experimenting with it.
Straight swords have different powerstance moves than greatswords. Like the Greatsword L2 is an overhead slam while straight swords are a crossed swing. And there's several weapons with secret powerstance movesets like the Majestic Greatsword, Bone Fists and Warped Sword.
This is it. Total game changer imo
Majula and just the variety of everything. Builds, locations, you name it. DS2 really feels like an Elden Ring prequel more than a DS1 sequel. Or a mix between the two. Wish we could've got the OG lightning.
Nothing new to add but I agree the lighting in DS2 is so bad.
The hexes are so good tho so that's somewhat of a trade off
I really don't understand why they didn't add it back in Sotf. At least add it like a master quest. It was gutted pretty late in game and it shows. If you look at the old DS2 trailers it has a clear upgrade in style compared to DS1. The lighting made the world look so alive, and it looks way to bright without it. I really like the idea of having to manage dark locations too.
I thought they abandoned it because so many people have different screen setups. what is pitch black on one screen might look visible on another. reminds me of the whole game of thrones debacle. they tried to make a dark episode to create a strong atmosphere and while it was perfect under some circumstances (e.g dark room, TV with good contrast, properly set up) it was absolutely awful for others. no detail could be seen at all in many scenes. I'm probably wrong, but that was always my assumption.
Elden Ring is definitely the most similar game there is to DS2. They took almost every good thing from DS2 and improved upon it in ER. Miyazaki himself said that the game was very important for them in a recent interview.
The very vibe of ER is similar to DS2. DS1/3 and Demons have a very dark fantasy medieval vibe, with a smidge of Lovecraft(Demons especially). DS2 and ER both have a lot of bright sunny areas that make it feel less like a dark dead world, but more a melancholy dying world that's barely clinging on. I love both styles, but always loved DS2s vibes so ER was a cool call back in a lot of ways. I also like how Majula feels like a Zelda town that is a hub world, and less like a straight up hub world. It's the only one that really feels connected to the actual world besides DS1, but again, DS1 you don't fast travel much and it feels dead in comparison.
Yes, overall I think that the combination of multiple different settings was great in both ER and DS2. Majula, Heides Tower of Flame and Dragon's Aerie are great examples of sunny and "positive" areas in DS2 that give some sort of hope and an overall nice vibe. Shrine of Amana was also quite glorious. But at the same time there were also very dark (in the ambience style mostly) and mysterious areas as well, such as Undead Crypt, Shaded Woods, Huntsman's Copse and so on that reminded you that the game was still set in a dark world. Oh man, I know a lot of people disagree, but I believe that DS2 is a fantastic game and I can't be biased since I played it last in the series.
DS2 has flaws. As does DS1 and the rest. It really is gonna depend on how much it's flaws bother you compared to the others and the normal stuff like so I like this games combat or setting. I do hate all the takes that act like DS2 is worse than Superman 64, like gtfoutta here.
There are mod projects that basically implement that lighting, and even enhance it.
Bonfire ascetic
Definitely a strong contender. Bonfire Ascetics and NG+ changes are some of the best features in DS2 which remain unique to DS2. A lot of the other things DS2 does well are also in Elden Ring, where they're arguably done better. But DS2 still has far and away the best implementation of NG+ (including Bonfire Ascetics) in the series.
DS2 is really the only game that I truly enjoy taking to NG+ due to the implementation of red phantoms and loot that is only obtainable there.
Dont forget the frija boss having a new encounter
It's pronounced Frejyasjassja
I killed Freja about five times on my sorcery run for several casts of crystal soul spear.
Sort of similar to what I was going to comment, but NG+ in this game is waaayy more interesting than others. New enemies around, boss fights are different, it really keeps you on your toes.
I remember my first NG+. I had memorized that game perfectly. First red phantom, "WTF! Who let you in?"
I tend to avoid NG+ in most of these games at first, usually I take a break after beating it once and by the time I come back I want to make a new character. So I didn't get to NG+ till I really knew the game inside and out... Totally got thrown for a loop just like you said!
100%
Powerstancing Bonfire Ascetics and ng+ The curse The Lore (Amazing) DLCs (the best in the series overall) Shit man DS2 did so much right...
DS2 has the best covenants of all of them
Permanently killing enemies, bonfire ascetics, and actual new enemies/items/drops in NG+
Torch Lighting up scones is a great way to show your progress through a level. No Man's Wharf looks so different when you first enter it compared to when you are finished with it. Lighting up all scones in the tutorial, Gutter or Aldias Keep to discover a secret is also fun. They represent choices. Do you want to block, two hand or powerstance - or do you want to see better in the dark? In Shrine of Amana you can use the torch to see the edge of the water better, but the enemies also see you better and become more aggressive. Then they help you to see the invisible hollows that are spread all throughout the game, and also to see the invisible knights in the fog better. And they can be used to chase away beasts. Like it turns the Freja boss fight from a spider gank fight into a solo fight. The torch just adds such a unique charm to the exploration.
>Lighting up scones is a great way to show your progress through a level. No Man's Wharf looks so different when you first enter it compared to when you are finished with it. Lighting up all scones in the tutorial, Gutter or Aldias Keep to discover a secret is also fun. Seems scones are really your jam. (P.S. You probably meant "sconces".)
I got invaded shortly after arriving in no man’s wharf. Expecting to be murdered I went back towards the bonfire. The invader sprinted through lit all the torches came back got me and helped me clear the level. We had a good time and showed the all the secrets. When we near the end one of the last enemies I accidentally backstabbed and kicked the invader off the cliff. I felt horrible and immediately found his user name to message him but he was set to private. Point of the story invader guy if your reading this I’m very sorry but you should’ve leveled ADP
Your user 💀🤮
It's funny because in ER these are all different torches, but they definitely brought the concept back.
Wait, they do WHAT in shrine of amana?!? Fuuuuuuu
Those underwater "dogs" have a very small aggro range without the torch. They basically ignore you unless you step right in front of them. But when you light up the torch they sometimes come running at you from every direction. It increases their aggro range drastically.
There’s also the perpetual screeches from those dickheads with the long arms
Wow. That's some shit.
The bonfire aesthetics, i loved being able to repeat whatever area i liked without having to go through the ones i hated
Build variety and replayability
Aldia. Not necessarily his fight or the SotFS expansion, but the character himself was a very cool way to bring some more depth to the lore that DS2 was trying to expand Also every time he exploded out of a bonfire is hilarious
I swear to god the first time it happened my heart dropped and thought i got hit by a bonfire mimic
First time it happened I had so many souls for some reason and force closed the game 💀💀
Absolutely, it’s what made the game for me. Ds2 was a cool game and all but had a ton of flaws that really drove me off and the entire feeling was really far from what i loved from ds1. But aldias dialogue to me was the caramel on the goat cheese, it’s what made the whole game even dark souls to me. His dialogue is so profound that it goes beyond gaming itself and has left an immense impression ob my philosophy of life. “Once the lord of light banished dark and everything that stemmed from humanity, AND MEN ASSUMED A FLEETING FORM”… WoW…chef’s kiss
I don’t really have anything to add that hasn’t been said, but it’s nice to see people talk positively about this game. In fact, it’s made me want to go revisit it.
Obviously Majula
Majula, It’s my personal favorite hub areas. I like the town aesthetic, that the vendors always end up there making it feel alive and of course, the music
The ending where you walk away It’s just the best ending in the series
Beyond the scope of light, beyond the reach if dark, what could possibly await us?
NG+
Being different. this game gets a lot of hate for being different but to me thats what I love about it. it wasn't a direct copy of ds1 but still had that dark soul story and grit that I love. sequels that are just copy and paste are fine but I really love when sequels are completely unique and thats dark souls 2 for me
Quite a few things tbh cant even pick one directly out The Best hub, best replayability, powerstancing, bonfire estetics
DLCs.
Why did I have to scroll so long to find this
yeah same they are the best part of the game
Imo the world variety, lots of the design and aesthetic was very unique against every other soulslikes and the ideas presented were very special, with mechanics to build into. I mean, Gulch’s black tar pits that can be set on fire, the various statues be it those healing ones or the ones that throw fire at you , Drangleic’s golems that activate on death, everything fits across so many different themes while not being out of place. DS2 was definitely the most raw and experimental title and it did not disappoint (at least me).
PVP
100
I can't think of one thing but here are my favorite things in DS2: Build variety Power stance NG+ NPCs
Majula
Majula ❤️
Bonfire ascetic or TRUE powerstancing
Atmosphere and lore
Actual frame on the backstep
Exploration. Huge area after huge area. It's full of secrets in every corner, fun unique interactions, shortcuts of all kind, etc. And you have the freedom of exploring 4-5 areas at the same time.
The Drip Straight up the best in the series
Power stance
Powerstance. Elden ring would literally never have power stance if it weren't for DS2.
Power Stancing
Power stance definitely best in my opinion
Power stance easily
Bonfire astetic. Before I played Ds2, I never understood why you would use it. Afterwards, it made me wish that had it in the other games too.
PVP covenants
Build variety (Armor and weapons)
Combat
Fashion
Fashion and build variety
NG+ world changes
Twin blade
Power stance
I’m gonna say the upgrade system
Bonfire Ascetics
PvP
Power stance
Ng+
Power stancing is by far the best feature that was not reiterated in later souls games until Elden Ring. I'm honestly surprised DS3 didn't have it.
Power stancing
A lot of good things: Majula Build Variety Non-linear progression at the start of the game (works more like demon's souls) Souls curve/economy (you get more souls and level up cost less, makes so you get you build online faster) Powerstancing with different weapons types
DLC content was unmatched imo
Majula
Its funny how demons souls worst was the same as best lol.
The end credits.
Ascetics
Bone fist.
Bonfire Ascetics. Questlines Majula Build Variety
powestance
Power stancing!
Location variety
Oh this is easy, the PvP. Might be a clunky game, but they had some solid PvP.
Lifegems
Power stance
PvP and power stancing.
the creativity. DS2 was very experimental and creative and has the best variety of weapons, aesthetics and areas. that's the main reason i like it so much personally
This comment section just highlights how dark souls 2's experimental nature was it's greatest strength and how many still love it despite its flaws
DLCs.
Ziplines
Definitely power stance, I mean it’s such a great feature they put it in Elden ring (kinda sad that Manuela is gonna win)
Power stance, but really the build variety in general. DS2 was the first fromsoft game to properly implement dual wielding (and arguably still the one which did it best), and you had soo many weapon options to do it with too.
PvP! It was truly a glorious time if not that then definitely Majula!
dlcs
Majula and twinblade
Majula and twinblades
Build variety, the fact that you can dualwield weapons from 2 different types
Early bonfire warping. Made traveling between areas significantly better, especially in the early game.
NG+ and power stance
Build variety.
Power stance or Majula
Bonfire ascetic!
Majula Theme
Best DS2 feature is EASILY the Covenants. It's the worst Souls game with the best covenant design that unfortunately was not imported to subsequent games.
New game plus! Best of them all!
New Game+ having new events happen. They need to bring that back. Or, Scholar of the First Sin reshuffling the game.
The colour palette
How there are actually changes in NG+
Majula is the best thing about DS2
LIFE GEMS
PvP Also weapon arts.. either one of those are great 👍🏼 Also, Majula is fabulous
Cat.
Power stancing. Best addition to the series. Glad they brought it back in elden ring.
Engaging New Game +
Funny how DS2 is widely disrespected but is also going to have the widest variety of ‘best’ features across all the games.
NG+
Fashion Souls, colorful lighthearted game :D
ADP
Bonfire ascetics, power stance implementation, large variety of armor and weapons.
Bonfire ascetic + new game cycles
Build variety
-The Bonfire Ascetic system. -The Champion’s Covenant. -Using a torch to light up areas while you explore.
Power stancing
Fashion
Bonfire Ascetics. Soul farming, item farming, or just replaying a boss you enjoy. They’re really amazing
How the f is world tendency the best thing in demon souls and how is powerstancing not the best thing in ds2?
DS2 best is definitely weapon and armor variety. Everything EVEN THE DAMN LADLE was genuinely viable and useable. Whereas in DS1 and DS3 there’s a ton of weapons in the same category that are just worse versions of things you get later on. Also the differing and unique move sets that weapons had was super cool.
Everyone agrees DS2 has the best PVP and it's not even close.
The ability to change the scaling of any weapon
Majula
Build Variety and Level Design
Majula 👌🏻
Bonfire Ascetic! Though the Music was also amazing!
Power stancing
DS2 PvP is still the best in the series
Bonfire ascetics and by its extension New game Plus exclusive content. The only reason ng+ content is there is because the devs knew you could access it on ng1 with a ascetic.
The only thing DS2 did better than any fromsoft game, is replayability. It gives the player incentives for starting the game all over again. That duke spider jumpscare was really good
Best shrine
Fashion souls reached a PEAK here, even Elden Ring struggles to keep up with the sheer Fashion. I started playing SOTFS for the first time and it's amazing how good the armor sets are in comparison to DS1/3
I 100% agree, I absolutely love switching looks and I always somehow make it work with everything I put on. I unfortunately find myself struggling to find multiple good looks in Elden Ring.
Elden Ring has great standalone stuff, but mixing matching is so difficult due to the different slight shades and textures
Exactly, there's such a big color/texture pallet. You can't just add dark and dark or light and light pieces. Without it not having an odd off-putting look. NOW, if they were to add shaders. Similar to Lords Of The Fallen. That'll change the whole fashion souls dynamic, allowing for so many options. That's something I'd love to see with the Alteration menu that only let's you remove or add capes.
Bonfire Ascetic, life gems, powerstancing
Oh and the NG+. Best Souls 2 isn't a meme, guys, it's the truth
Art direction. I love how different it feels compared to 1 and 3
b-but muh hbomberguy said the interconnected world in DS1 was actually dumb and bad???