Darkest Dungeon II Reviews

The Darkest Dungeon II Kingdoms mode shakes up the series’ core gameplay in such an interesting and intense way without sacrificing anything that makes the series great.

Darkest Dungeon II is a roguelike RPG not for the faint of heart. Traverse a dark but beautiful world as you carry humanities last hope. What can be an overwhelming experience is also a rewarding one. The difficulty will turn away some people but those that persist will find minutes turn to hours. Be ready for anything as the world is constantly changing, no two playthroughs will be the same. Get your party ready, get in the stagecoach, and try to save the world.

Battered and broken, here lies the tear stained review for Darkest Dungeon II. Noted for its difficulty, is there enough balance and change to create a fresh take to the indie gem that came before it. Read on to find out.

Darkest Dungeon II had some pretty big shoes to fill, considering all the love the original entry managed to get through the years. And while this sequel made same odd choices that fans of the original may not be all too comfortable with, if given a chance, it has tremendous promise, and the soul of the original game remains intact.

So if you don’t mind the fact that it’s not Darkest Dungeon But More and it’s Darkest Dungeon But Different…it’s worth caveating that the first 10 hours are so are basically just punching you in the face over and over again and normally I don’t put up with that at all before going “okay yeah but then it gets good” but I am an unemployed goth degenerate, so what else am I gonna do?

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a monster-slaying good time, as illustrated in our video review. After several years in production, the long development cycle proved to really benefit the final product. Specifically, the game’s combat and gameplay loop kept us coming back for more. We also admired Darkest Dungeon 2’s art style and diverse environments.

Darkest Dungeon 2 had me feeling mixed at first. Ultimately, this sequel feels more fleshed out, and I grew to appreciate the direction it took, giving our heroes more life by giving them backstories and how they interacted with each other in the world.

Darkest Dungeon 2 is a fantastic roguelike that excels in a multitude of ways, but has some issues on the Steam Deck. I would hold off for a little, but if you can't wait, this is still playable with compromises!

arkest Dungeon II is not just a game, it’s a masterpiece. It has such a rich environment to see and explore, and a massive multitude of enemies to slay.

Despite all the things I don’t like about it, Darkest Dungeon II isn’t a terrible roguelike. It’s just fairly middle of the road, with plenty of replay value, but gameplay that fails to distinguish itself from the crowd or live up to its predecessor. If you like your roguelikes hard, you might enjoy this one, but it wasn’t to my taste at all.

Darkest Dungeon 2 doubles down on what made the original so special, presenting a roguelike adventure where swings in mood carry just as much weight as swings of the sword.

Ride into the heart of hell in this road trip reimagining of Darkest Dungeon.

I might sound negative in this critique, but that is only because I enjoy so much what the game was trying to do. In fact, I’ve really had a great time with Darkest Dungeon 2 so far, and will likely forge on to the end of the game. However, I do worry that once I have sunk to the depths of The Mountain for the last time, I won’t come back to it, or think about it as much as I did its predecessor. Darkest Dungeon 2 does not lack content or challenge though, so I guess I should keep my thoughts on the road, and the near-insurmountable tasks along it.

Darkest Dungeon II brings fresh ideas to an already stellar series. Red Hook Studio should be praised for continuing to strive for better mechanics and overall gameplay experience. Fresh UIs and the pairing down of excessive elements makes this installment a prettier version alongside gorgeous, macabre visuals. City management as we knew it has been streamlined and contained into one hub, which makes for an easier management of upgrades and unlocks. You still get the experience of "dungeon" crawling by stagecoach as you navigate through procedurally-generated maps. With various shrines and combat engagements along the way, just making it to the end of the expedition is its own reward. With newly-added affinity systems and revamped combat combos, heroes feel unique and more robust. The upgraded synergy of party members is a double-edged blade, though. It's difficult to tell what helps or hinders party relations and players just need to deal with it until the next area -- after resting at an Inn and hoping better relationships form. You're able to influence heroes' affinity for each other on the road as well, but it seems impossible to reverse bad-blood once its there. The affinity system feels imbalanced because basic skills can be the cause of stress -- and stress (or lack thereof) is an important factor to success. This becomes difficult when hero skills are needed for combos, or are needed for support, and now you must try to avoid any meltdowns in the party. It's possible for one party member to spiral so badly that they take everyone else down with them. Darkest Dungeon II builds upon great features seen in the series, while also providing new opportunities for growth. Combat can be rewarding when you make the most of a bad situation, and failure doesn't feel like the end. Instead of having to manage an estate that can takes hundreds of days, you now have a small expedition to manage that only takes a few days. The turnover rate may be high, but it feels easy to jump back into a run after failure. Experimenting with party loadouts and hero specializations provides robust gameplay and is just as addicting as its predecessor. While Darkest Dungeon II has some balance issues, it's a title that takes risks. And as we all know: taking risks is the only way to dive into the abyss of the Darkest Dungeon.

Darkest Dungeon II isn't an easy experience to dive into, but it is a worthwhile one. Those willing to muscle through its punishing design and RNG elements will find one of the best roguelike titles around, and can expect to be drawn back into its world for months or years to come.

Darkest Dungeon II is a roguelike road trip of the damned. Form a party, equip your stagecoach, and set off across the decaying landscape on a last gasp quest to avert the apocalypse. The greatest dangers you face, however, may come from within...

Darkest Dungeon II continues the legacy of the original game as a brutally dark and difficult roguelite turn-based RPG. Much like the characters in the game, riding out in a hopeless effort to stave off the apocalypse, the player will find themself pushing forward despite certain defeat, with only a weak promise that next time it will be a little easier. It’s impressive that such a relentlessly challenging game can still have the player coming back for more.

The world has plunged into darkness and hope is in short supply. You must fight to save the world, though success doesn’t come immediately. Failure is a mandatory experience as challenges crush you even when success is within reach. But struggling is part of the roguelite genre and Darkest Dungeon II brings a new set of mechanics to test your determination.