10 Acclaimed Video Games Everybody Turned Against

Although Demon's Souls is regarded as Hidetaka Miyazaki's first true Souls game, it was Dark Souls that solidified FromSoftware's reputation. With its lore-rich worldbuilding, atmospheric world design, and brutal but fair difficulty, Dark Souls didn't just create a franchise but an entire genre.

That's why it's ironic how the divisive sequel was originally believed to be, not just a worthy successor but superior to its predecessor, due to its expansive customisation, smoother mechanics, and clearer zone branching. Based on Metacritic, no version of Dark Souls cracked 90% while the lowest port of Dark Souls II received 91%.

But Dark Souls II has found itself being heavily scrutinised in recent years. DS2 made controversial changes to the original formula, tweaking how healing worked, the amount of enemies players were asked to go up against, and the variety of the boss encounters. Miyazaki's absence on the project was noticeable since the level design and storytelling lacked cohesion.

However, the simplest reason why Dark Souls II's reputation has dwindled is because almost every FromSoftware title since is noticeably better. Though the sequel had mild improvements, it didn't push the envelope like future Soulsbornes.

And when Miyazaki's Bloodborne redefined the genre the following year, it was painfully obvious Dark Souls II could've been more ambitious.