Darkest Dungeon II is probably one of the best examples in a while of why it’s important for developers to stagger the introduction of new mechanics there’s simply no way new players are going to comprehend (let alone remember) upwards of 30 multi-paragraph tutorial messages within the first 10 minutes. That issue with the presentation extends to the explanation of the game’s mechanics as well. There are times when it appears to be a prequel to the original, other times when it seems to be an entirely original world, and still others when it seems like it’s going for the “it was all a dream” angle. Conversely, Darkest Dungeon II’s lore is much more convoluted but winds up largely being a confusing mess.

While the lore wasn't particularly complex, the way it set itself up as a mystery to be slowly peeled back rewarded exploration and encouraged players to stick through some of the more. The narrative setup of the original was perhaps one of its stronger points. This removes most of the unique soul of the original title, resulting in a game that winds up caught between worlds.ĭarkest Dungeon II stumbles right out of the gate with its presentation, especially when compared to its predecessor. While I can’t say that I loved every second of it (perhaps much in the same way one doesn’t love having their meticulously crafted sand castle repeatedly kicked down by a bully), it did at least stand out as a highly original and interesting spin on dungeon crawling RPGs.ĭarkest Dungeon II, conversely, feels like a response to some of those frustrations, with design choices that ultimately diminish the potential negative effects of RNG and make the repercussions of defeat far less devastating.

Very little in the gaming world is more crushing than watching a character you’ve sunk days into developing and upgrading die off in an unfortunate series of enemy crits, or a cascade of party members scaring themselves into cardiac arrest.

While that may not sound especially creative, what set Darkest Dungeon apart was the heavy emphasis on permanence and forcing the player to “roll with the punches.” The title screen featured a warning basically telling the player that bad luck would often hit them hard, and that it was their responsibility to make the best of a bad situation. By Paul Broussard, posted on 11 June 2023 / 2,003 ViewsĢ015’s Darkest Dungeon was one of the most unique titles of the previous decade, combining turn-based strategy gameplay with dungeon crawling, character building, and RPG mechanics.

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