dark souls ii is an incredibly mixed game - but i think it ultimately ends up with more positives than negatives.

there are a lot more flaws than the first game, and the highs don't really reach the highs of the first either. the difficulty is very unbalanced, when it's hard it ranges from genius type 2 fun to bullshit wastes of time.

i think being able to warp anywhere from the start is a good change, especially with the world design of this game being a bit more linear. the enemy placement is pretty contentious here but i think it's MOSTLY good, forcing you to play more methodically, taking out enemies 1 by 1.

what i DON'T like is when standard enemies interrupt boss fights. it's not like it's in every fight, but there's way more of that than in ds1 which is really annoying and distracting.

despite its glaring flaws, ds2 is a very good game. it has an interesting story and lore, with a lot to sink into for people that love uncovering secrets. the good bosses here are very good, rivaling the peaks of ds1. it's still worth playing despite its somewhat controversial reception.