14 DAY TRIAL // 
The sequel to one of the best roguelite games of all time has finally made its debut after spending less than two years in early access. Darkest Dungeon II improves upon every aspect of the original to bring players even more pain and sorrow.
Don’t get too attached to your first heroes. The slightest mistake can lead to total annihilation even for the most powerful team, so a bunch of rookies won’t survive too long unless you’re very lucky. Just like in the first game, you’ll be leading a team of four heroes through multiple regions sprinkled with various encounters that can bring you either trinkets and baubles or serious misfortune.
The four different classes that are available for new players at the beginning of the game will be your first cannon fodder. They will help you get acquainted with the game’s mechanics and earn enough candles for some very important upgrades.
Make no mistake though, the four heroes you get at the beginning of the game are perfectly capable of overcoming most of the obstacles in the first region. Every new run drops you at the inn where you can purchase trinkets and combat items, as well as upgrade your skills if you have enough Mastery. The main goal is to reach the inn on the top of the map.
The road is already laid out before you and visible on the game’s map. You just have to choose which direction to take at the crossroads. Whether you want to take on a lair, which is the boss of the region, or you simply want to experience a piece of a hero’s story. These are perhaps among the most important encounters at the beginning of the game because successfully going through these hero stories will unlock new skills for them.
Each member of your party has a specific role, but it’s up to you to find the best synergies and compositions to overcome every challenge that game throws at you. In between having to heal your heroes’ health and keep their stress as low as possible, each fight feels like an exam in strategy and tactics.
Darkest Dungeon II isn’t as punishing as the original. No matter how quickly you die, be it 30 minutes or 2 hours, you will still be rewarded for what you accomplished. The most important currency in the game, candles, are awarded at the end of each expedition according to what your team of heroes has achieved.
The candles are used to unlock and upgrade your heroes, as well as other aspects that considerably make your life easier during an expedition. All heroes come with one positive and one negative quirk, but they will usually gain more depending on how you perform.
The relationship between heroes does matter in Darkest Dungeon II, so if two heroes start hating each other, they will gain stress if certain abilities are used. Similarly, heroes who respect each other will receive bonuses when they use specific attacks. Unlocking and upgrading your heroes’ skills is critical for the success of your party.
Remember when I said Darkest Dungeon II isn’t as punishing as the first game? First off, you can quit an expedition any time you’re at an inn. If you feel that your party isn’t ready to take on the challenges ahead, you can end the expedition and get rewarded in candles for what you achieved.
Darkest Dungeon II's expeditions can be as short as 30 minutes or as long as several hours. The is split into so-called Confessions, which must be tackled one after another until you reach the final boss. Each campaign has a boss at the end that you must kill to advance. If all your heroes die, you can start from the last Confession you didn’t complete or choose an earlier one if you want a fresh start.
All these mechanics might make Darkest Dungeon II seem complicated, but just like in every other roguelite, you’ll get the hang of it the more you play. There are a lot of other things that the game doesn’t explain, so it’s up to you to discover some of the hidden mechanics.
And for those who aren’t used to the brutality of the Darkest Dungeon series, Red Hood Studios introduced some sort of “easy mode” in the form of “the Radiant Flame.” Opposite to this, the Infernal Flame makes the game harder if you like the pain.
Unlike the original game where you could be stuck in a run for days, Darkest Dungeon II offers a less frustrating experience that lets you experiment a lot with different party compositions and skills. Not to mention that the sequel has a ton of meta-progression that significantly improves the gameplay experience.
All of this leads to a pretty addictive gameplay loop where you want to start another run to experiment with new heroes, skills and trinkets as soon as you finish an expedition. But the thing that makes Darkest Dungeon II so fun is its unpredictability. Even the most powerful parties can fall prey to weak enemies if you don’t get your strategy right. This isn’t a game where RNG plays an important role, so it’s all you.
The Good
- Solid combat system
- Well-thought meta-progression
- Exceptional visuals and animations
- Addictive gameplay loop
- Improves on every aspect of the original
The Bad
- Steep learning curve even with the extensive tutorial
Conclusion
The thing that didn’t change from the first game is the pain you feel when your most powerful hero fails a “death’s door” check because you thought it would survive one more hit. Darkest Dungeon II is a near-perfect roguelite that’s hard to surpass.
Review key was provided by the publisher.
