YouTube user VaatiVidya has posted a Dark Souls 2 gameplay analysis video which "put to rest" gamer fears over the hotly anticipated sequel being developed by Korean studio FromSoftware and published by Namco Bandai.
Vidya begins by noting the main character and what he calls "the fairly standard Dark Souls UI." He adds that the graphics and animations have been "dramatically improved" which is evident as the main character starts walking, displaying enhanced movements of his cloak and swaying grass.
One of the enhancements made to the UI is that weapon slots fade away when not in use given gamers a clearer view of the screen and a "cinematic feel."
Vidya notes that one of the most impresive aspects of Dark Souls 2's trailer is the lighting, particularly when igniting the bonfire.
He goes on to add that targeting in combat is the same but says that there has been an overhaul to attack moves stating that by simply pressing the R1 button there seems to be three different moves compared to two previously. This is especially evident when dual wielding.
The early part of the game will focus on fewer enemy encounters, each of which will be significant while the latter stages are more invested with opponents and heavily action orientated. As with past Souls' games there is an emphasis on advancing with your shield raised.
As the trailer progresses Vidya notes that there appears to be more of a Demon Souls touch to this game than Dark Souls 1 as a result of the darker environments. If you light a torch you'll block 100% damage which Vidya assumes will be changed as the UI indicates incorrectly that you have a shield equipped.
There also appears to have been changes made to rolling with the character rolling perpendicularly rather than around enemies as was the case previously. Vidya notes that From Software have said enemy actions will be heavily context sensitive, showing the main character standing behind an enemy which reacts accordingly.
He expects enemies will have vastly improved AI in order to encourage strategic gameplay.
Vidya notes that the UI lists a spell as L2: 10 which he suggests likely means the spell is level two with ten charges, although he admits it could also simply be a feature of the debug mode. Under each weapon are small red bars, presumably a means of checking your durability.
Vidya then highlights the fact that the main character draws a sword and uses it to swipe aside a thrown axe, a new feature which will likely add new depth to encounters while the player sorts through three weapons slots rather than two.
It seems that if or when you encounter a boss character in a level may change and the difficulty of those fights might also change based on what part of the level you engage at. Movement and stamina meanwhile also appear to have been overhauled while engaged in ranged combat with the bow becoming a much more feasible method of taking on enemies.
It's also noted that the amount of damage you take may be dependant upon where you're hit.
You can watch the full gameplay analysis below.
