Darkest Dungeon II

Darkest Dungeon II showcases a more developed and mature developer. Red Hook Studios has expanded from five to twenty full-time developers, this would quadruplicate its developing power. For the upcoming title, we can see much of the traits that have conquered fans earlier in the series. Yet, little has been announced about this new title, leaving fans curious about what direction developers are taking the game.

The original game success was no surprise, as it introduced an exciting new look to RPG games. Six years after the first Darkest Dungeon game, in October of 2020 Red Hook Studios finally announced its sequel for release in 2021. While no official date has been announced, early access was confirmed for PC.

The Darkness Returns

Although the game has many mechanics that can be seen in other games of the same genre, Darkest Dungeons stands out with its unique art style, and by being heavily inspired by gothic architecture. All we know is that according to Red Hook Studios, this is a more ambitious project that will focus more on it's supernatural themes. It remains to be seen what concepts of the original title will carry over, and what new features will be added.

Being announced last year, there is still not a lot of information about the game. There was only an announcement trailer that showcased no gameplay, and also no release date. That does not mean we can’t speculate what the game will be like. The 2D style will for sure still be implemented, and a team will also need to be formed to explore the world. New characters and enemies are guaranteed to be added, also new items and loot.

Gameplay

We can expect that certain mechanics will carry over from its first title. One of the core concepts of the first game revolved around light, and it seems it will be back in the sequel. Torches might still be needed to light up the map as you explore, as lights fade, darkness takes over and enemies are buffed. Darkness also makes your characters weaker, so it is of extreme importance to always have torches in your inventory.

Another one of its unique traits is that as you explore dungeons characters would become insane by staying in the darkness for too long, or by certain enemies' attacks. That would make players lose control of the characters as they couldn’t act on their own, and wouldn't respond to your commands.

Darkest Dungeon is a turn-based RPG, so you can take your time to strategize during battles, and pick the best course of action to come out as the winner at the end. Players could take on different types of quests, they could either enter their team in the dungeon to clear it of all its enemies, or to explore every room in it.

Later on, a multiplayer function was released with a free DLC that introduced PVP mechanics. However, it wasn't well received by fans, so it mainly focused on the single player experience. So online can either be not added at all to the new game, or be set in a different way, maybe something co-op.

Summary

Overall, Darkest Dungeon is an amazing RPG, with an unique goth inspired look, and a dark environment that enriches the game atmosphere. It’s no surprise that a second game was announced, after the first game's success. To be released later this year, there is still no release date, so if you want to prepare for what's to come, you can play the first one.

Pros:

• Updated visuals
• New heroes and items
• Different dungeons

Cons:

• Possible repeated mechanics
• May not live up to its predecessor
• Only available on Steam so far