For all you masochists out there, the video below demos four playable classes in Dark Souls 2 available on the E3 show floor.
The Warrior/Knight provides your traditional sword and shield combat found in most similarly themed RPGs. Block and parry your enemy attacks as you look for an opportunity to strike with heavier, slower swords or lighter, quicker swords.
The Sorcerer depends on his magic to defeat enemies as well as a one handed weapon. In the video, the player switched between a sword and staff in different situations.
The Temple Knight ditches the use of a sword in favour of a two handed weapon for additional power. You can still block incoming attacks but don't expect to save as much health as you would when blocking with a shield.
The final class also ditches a shield in favour of speed and damaging dealing. The Dual Wielding class will put a sword in each hand for increased attacking speed and manoeuvrability.
On the Xbox One stage, Microsoft showed a Dark Souls 2 trailer demoing a first look at the gameplay. While Dark Souls 2 won't launch as an exclusive, the trailer definitely excited every fan watching.
Dark Souls 2 will launch in March of 2014.