10 Divisive Video Game Sequels That Deserve A Second Chance

1. Dark Souls II

It's not a hot take to say that Dark Souls II is viewed as the blight on the entire Soulsborne franchise. Not directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the sequel made some rather contentious changes to the original's systems, from how hollowing and bonfires worked to a new focus on groups of enemies and a world which wasn't intricately connected in the same way as the areas surrounding Firelink Shrine.

To its biggest detractors, there are even claims that it shouldn't be viewed as a "proper" Souls game at all, which is total hogwash. While, yes, not everything DS II tries sticks, it's also not the half-baked, broken cash grab it often gets pitted as.

For every "criticism", there's always a flip side. Sure, the world geometry doesn't make total sense, but the maps themselves are beautiful and surreal; yeah, the lock on kind of screws you when fighting a bunch of enemies, but not relying on it awards you with a sense of freedom in combat you might not have been inclined to experiment with otherwise.

It probably won't be anybody's favourite in the series, but it more than deserves a spot alongside its brothers and sisters - especially with its stellar DLC in mind.