Dark Souls 2 has been announced at SpikeTV’s Video Game Awards 2012.
Developer From Software’s Twitter account has confirmed that Dark Souls 2 will be playable on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.
Watch the Dark Souls 2 teaser video at 2:30 minutes to skip the awkward Jessica Alba intro:
Official announcement info added:
Namco Bandai Games America has announced that the Dark Souls saga marches forward with Dark Souls II, currently in development at From Software in Tokyo, Japan. Dark Souls II will continue a legacy of goading its passionate fan base with unrelenting challenge and suffering that are considered a hallmark of the series; while presenting new devilishly devised obstacles for players to overcome. Dark Souls II will be available for the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360, and PCs.
Built upon the foundation established by Souls series creator and Dark Souls II Supervisor, Hidetaka Miyazaki with development helmed by FromSoftware Director Tomohiro Shibuya, Dark Souls II will feature a new hero, a new storyline, and an unfamiliar world for players to survive in while delivering its signature brand of unrelenting punishment that players hunger for. Epic battles with gruesome enemies and blood-thirsty bosses await adventurers as they traverse through a devastated world filled with death and despair; only those who are strong willed or cunning can survive this journey to achieve great glory. Players seeking to share their experience will discover a revamped server-based multiplayer mode that will put a distinct Dark Souls II twist on the concept of playing with others.
“Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series,” says Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey.”
“This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series,” says Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II. “The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey.”
Edge Magazine has a feature about Dark Souls 2 in issue #249. To quote the preview:
“[Dark Souls II] will be more straightforward and more understandable.” -Dark Souls 2 Director Tomohiro Shibuya
“Game directors new to the Souls series, Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura, who have taken the reins from Hidetaka Miyazaki. Their descriptions of how they intend to mould Dark Souls II into a more approachable form seem reasonable. But Shibuya admits that their approach will be influenced by their individual characters. “I personally am the sort of person who likes to be more direct than subtle,” he tells us. “[Dark Souls II] will be more straightforward and more understandable.” We sympathise if that sort of statement concerns you, but at the same time, we can surely agree that we would all like to see Dark Souls attain as great a presence as The Elder Scrolls. How it gets there is a worthy matter for debate, but it’s certainly a noble task.”
I’m not sure if this is very simply them adding an easy difficulty mode option to the game for novice players, or if they intend to change the gameplay to be more casual to attract more gamers? I’m sure the new directors are smart enough to realize that the hard-as-nails difficulty of the entire game series IS what attracted the 1.2 million fans of the original Dark Souls.
Are you excited to die repeatedly in Dark Souls 2?
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