The first game rose to fame after several years and big patches, so Red Hook Studios might be able to repeat the same success even after the divisive first impressions. Instead of handling a village full of the occult and evil, in Darkest Dungeon II the player is now pushed on the road in a more traditional roguelite spirit, where each playthrough is different, and full of random events and happenings. The game is no longer about managing a group of "gladiators", but rather choosing a team of four for each run. Most of the characters from the first game are still here, with some having their skills greatly adjusted to the new gameplay formula. They also come with their own backstories now, explaining their origins and gaining new skills as you delve deeper into them bit by bit. But it's all a rather slow burn, as unlocking new item types, characters and abilities takes a long time to become impactful. And the road to victory will be a rocky one, as the unforgiving difficulty level and sheer amount of bad luck can end even the most promising of runs in an instant. For example, the game no longer wants you to slow play an encounter and heal up (a common tactic in the first Darkest Dungeon), as potent healing abilities have long cooldowns, minimum health requirements or both. It's commendable that Red Hook Studios has dared to tear down and rebuild such massive parts of the original game. Unfortunately, some of these efforts are either misguided or still a work in progress in terms of creating meaningful gameplay. While all - even failed - attempts produce candles of Hope (the currency for all new unlocks), the progression doesn't feel as meaty as building up your sinister town in the first Darkest Dungeon. Individual runs are much more prone to luck, and it often goes against the player.
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