Runs can be won or lost depending on the route you take.Īfter making your way through an environment, you'll pull up to an inn, where you can rest up, level up, and buff your characters for the road ahead. I'm a sucker for this style of map in roguelites, and it's implemented excellently here. You'll make decisions about which way to go at forks in the road, with a 'scouting' stat offering you a limited preview of what's to come on the Slay the Spire-style map. As they travel, your heroes may bicker, making the whole endeavor more unpleasant for everyone.

Do you offer aid to the hapless denizens beseeching your kindness, or do you simply take all their stuff? Your party members all have their own ideas, and going with one over another may cause intra-group strife. These stops include battles, of course, but also random encounters where you'll need to make decisions. Tap the W key to set your cart bumping down the road, and you'll automatically stop at points of interest along the way. AdvertisementĪnd buff up your characters and other stats. The corruption that plagued your estate in the first game has spread over the wider kingdom, and it's up to your team to bring the 'flame of hope' across several environments to reach 'the Mountain,' where they'll fight a boss and save the world. This time, instead of delving into the famously dark dungeons of the first game, your party of four adventurers drives a stagecoach through an apocalyptic landscape that is, to be fair, still quite dark. Wait, you said something about a stagecoach? Yep. Voice actor Wayne June's deep, mournful narration is back and excellent as ever. The 2D-illustrated characters of the original have been replaced with 3D models-an excellent upgrade-but the general tone of the game is the same, just with improved visuals across the board. The world of Darkest Dungeon 2 is grim and brutal, with pestilent Lovecraftian horrors teaming up with horrific beasts and crazed cultists to pummel you into submission. Returning is the excellent combat and unmatched gothic fantasy aesthetic from the first game.

Darkest dungeon ii review