Since its release in 2011, Dark Souls has gathered a cult following for its tight gameplay, high difficulty curve, and obscure lore. Its release on PC last summer only increased the game’s popularity.
So, when Dark Souls II was announced last December, fans of the series were both excited and worried. Questions about the game’s difficulty and accessibility have been met with mixed commentary from the game’s developer, From Software. It was only at E3 this month that the Dark Souls community’s fears were assuaged and fans settled in for the long wait until the game’s March 2014 release date.
Today, Japanese game publication Famitsu has released uncut gameplay videos of Dark Souls II seen at E3. Each video shows a different play style – warrior, sorcerer, temple knight, and dual-weilding. Though the videos might seem like simple fighting to other gamers, to Dark Souls fans these glimpses at combat might showcase more about the game than all previous trailers combined (particularly the duel-wielding showcase). Also, the videos might contain small enemy and location spoilers, but no bosses or story points are seen: