Critically Analyzing Dark Souls II, 9 Years Later...

For those who are here early, the video is taking a while to process in HD as it is so long - but it will be in HD soon!

Ah yes, another Analysis of Dark Souls 2 with a 3+ hour duration. What a time to be alive. What a time to have our SoulReborn (see what I did there?) Starting now at 00:26 AM. lesgoooooooo

For the executioners chariot boss run: you absolutely DO NOT have to fight the four warden/torturer enemies at once. When you step into their valley area, you can see each one standing atop a pillar. They all have their own aggro range, but due to them being close together and taking a bit to jump down, if you don't look up and then retreat as soon as one is aggro'd, you will think they aggro together.

In case you weren't aware, Pate is voiced by Peter Serafinowicz who's probably the biggest Souls fan in all of entertainment industry, and probably the biggest name to voice a character in the entire series (Elden Ring got two GoT actresses as well). He loved the game so much that he reached out to From Soft and wanted to be part of the franchise, hence we have mild mannered Pate.

I believe it's called the Forest of Fallen Giants because a lot of giants died there and the giants are like trees.

You made a big deal out of the firekeeper dialogue at the beginning, but on my first playthrough the line that really stuck with me was the emerald herald's first question. "Are you the next monarch?" It's striking. By this point its clear that you don't know where, or even really who you are. But she does. And she thinks you have a purpose. The firekeepers are jaded. They've watched hundreds of hollows walk through those doors only to die, fail, and give up. Probably all of the hollows in the things betwixt once walked through those doors the same as you, only to fail and go mad before even reaching Majula. The firekeepers don't believe that anything will get better. But this game isn't about the fire or the firekeepers. It's about the throne. It's about the emerald herald. And to me, her advice represents the core philosophy of the game much more so than the firekeepers'. "Seek larger souls, seek the King. It is the only way, lest this land swallow you whole." And when you finally find the King he repeats this advice. "Seek adversity." IMO, that's what the game is about. Seeking adversity. Doing the hard thing because its hard. Because if you don't, you'll fade away. I don't think the developers are as antagonistic as you say. Yes, there are some areas where they take it a bit too far (the iron passage comes to mind), but fundamentally it's still a game about overcoming adversity, and even more so seeking out adversity to overcome. The developers want you to succeed. The emerald herald tells you this from the beginning. "I will be at your side until hope has fully withered."

Bearer seek seek lest

Ahh yes, my favorite kind of video: ✅ In depth analysis/critique/essay ✅ 3+ hours long ✅ Underrated game ✅ Chill voiceover ✅ Editing that doesn't give me a migraine Time to settle in and watch this for the next 3 hours 😌

I did this game as a Hexer and the sound of Black orbs cast is drilled into my brain because of it.

I played dark souls 2 in its original release in 2014 on PS3, the covenants of rats and bells were very active and I have fond memories of PVP moments and other interactions. I particularly used the ring that turns you into a white ghost to interact and troll people in the rat areas, very fun times.

I actually really disagree with Dark Souls 2 being more "bullshit and unfair" than 1. I think a lot of fans feel like they "got gud" at DS1 and learned all the places inside out, all the cheeses, tactics, etc., and they feel like they deserve to feel like a demigod in DS2 as well. DS1 had the Anor Londo archers, the first encounter with whom takes place not in a safe zone where you can learn what they do and then they place them in a dangerous place. No, you first meet them at a place where two of them shoot at you from different direction and can instantly knock you down, and you have to beat one of them at a narrow edge while the other one also shoots from behind. This is the definition of unfair and bullshit, but people forget it. The Bed of Chaos is also absolute unfair bullshit, I don't think I even need to elaborate. The Tomb of Giants is a major pain in the ass with a boss that itself a pain in the ass, you have to take fall damage at the start and before you can even see what's going on, Nito sometimes starts the fight with the spike attack from the ground. Not my idea of fair. I'm not gonna defend DS2's worst moments like the Frigid Outskirts DLC, but I just don't think it's that different from DS1.

2:37:00 one of the best examples of Scholar of the First Sin being well -- Scholar is that they removed the skeleton dragon coming to life and chasing at the player when they enter Aldia's keep and for some completely unknown and asinine reason made the skeleton only come to life when you... light all of the sconces...? Something that most players won't even do.

You fight the Pursuer in the Smelter Demon room in the Iron Keep. You don't burn fabric, you burn the entire windmill and it stops moving. That stops the cogs inside Earthern Peak from turning and the poison stops flowing.

I'm gonna make an argument that reusing bosses in games as regular enemies is actually a fine and good thing. Some bosses are really cool and I think, under some circumstances, it is a waste to only get one curated encounter with them. It's a cool design to reintroduce those bosses in other environments, with different enemies and traps to change up the way you approach the fights. I don't think re-using bosses like the flexile sentry cheapens them at all.

I would just like to say, the Pursuer does show up after the lost bastille. I can remember for sure that he shows up in the Smelter Demon's arena after reloading the area after you beat smelter demon in the iron keep.

Fun fact: DS2 was my first introduction to the souls series. That being said I vividly remember playing for 6 hours straight to beat King Vendrick. Ill never forget how excited I was to finally beat him its what really established the souls series for me. As for why it took me 6 hours, I never once leveled up Adaptability (ADP) thinking it was a useless stat 😅 Edit: 2:46:30 I also had no Idea about the giant souls reducing his HP until NOW 😂😂☠️ Im actually proud it only took me 6 hours looking back at i

When I'm thinking about starting a new soulsborne game I always think about starting a new Ds2 run. There is something spacial about this one.

36:00 In the original version of DS2, there were no Heide knights in Heide's Tower of Flame, they were instead littered out in the world extremely similar to the Black Knights of DS1. I too wonder why they removed it in The Scholar Of The First Sin edition as it makes the area pointlessly difficult.

59:38 actually, there are a few other Pursuer encounters. You find one in the Smelter Demon's boss arena in Iron Keep and there's another behind the petrified statue in the tutorial area after you kill the two ogres in front of the trans coffin. You also find him FOUR separate times in the Lost Bastille. Lastly, there's a double Pursuer fight in the Drangleic Castle throne room. I think he's in the game a sufficient amount and then they stop using him because players should honestly have his moveset pretty much down pat after the 3rd or 4th one.

I'm one of those rare people who finished ds2 as my first dark souls game. Your right, you don't see the flaws in the controls much if its your first. I did hate the poise break animation though. But i know there was a difference because it actually took me awhile to get used to ds1.