Dark Souls II Preview

RPGamer has published a new preview for From Software’s action-RPG sequel (though, we could arguably even call it a threequel), based on the network test beta of the title. Here’s a snip:

A Beta test allowed a select few participants to garner some early impressions on the game, and the overall feel is stated to be a touch slower than Dark Souls, going hand-in-hand with alterations to the parrying system. Attack animations for both players and enemies appear to take longer, giving players further considerations in their parry timing, which was already a difficult task. This may mean that feedback during combat isn’t as immediate as before, but perhaps more importantly, this should also filter through for a considerably fairer online experience, relying more on player’s abilities and timing than straight-out reaction speed and reducing the odds of any latency-caused grief. The camera lock also appears to have been toned down, no longer automatically turning players to face their foe and requiring players use a bit more skill in their positioning to keep them from coming to serious harm.

Life gems are a new addition, offering a second method of healing to the Estus flask. Random drops from enemies, these gems regenerate some of the player’s health, letting players save a bit more of their limited Estus Flask contents. There may be some worried about these apparent concessions diluting the trademark difficulty, but experienced players shouldn’t have much cause to worry as the new things aren’t all beneficial for players. For exmaple, now when players are resurrected at the previous bonfire (with all enemies respawned), the ‘hallowing’ status also includes a drop in maximum health that lasts until players can make use of a Human Effigy.