9. Visuals
Of course, any number of interesting and exciting environments would be nothing without the visuals to back them up. Dark Souls was beautiful, which definitely helped my initiation into it's bleak reality. Even when I was backed into a corner by a giant blind dragon I had the time to admire its crystalline body before it killed me yet again. When the stakes were against your character, the slightest glimpse of the sun creeping over a mountain or ruinous town were enough to keep your hope alive. Dark Souls 2 looks set to improve on these visuals and more, with a very impressive trailer that was revealed recently at the VGA's and Edge Magazine already writing that it "looks effortlessly ready for the next generation of consoles". All evidence thus far points to one of the most visually impressive games on the market.
8. Hidetaka Miyazaki
A name that may either mean very little, or everything to you, depending on your prior knowledge of this series. Hidetaka Miyazaki is the creator and director of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls and the creative mind behind everything that makes the games what they are. Miyazaki is taking a back seat on Dark Souls 2 and has taken on an advisory role rather than that of the director, whilst he also works on another thus far unknown project. Some gamers have vented their frustration at this decision, claiming that the game will be entirely different if Miyazaki is not the director, but he still has his advisory role, which will still allow him to get his creative imagination across and I for one am certain he will not allow his vision to be tainted after the success of the previous titles.