10 Video Games You Constantly Have To Defend Loving
4. Dark Souls II
Though Dark Souls II received rave reviews from most critics, fans were decidedly more divided, many feeling that the departure of prior series director Hidetaka Miyazaki, combined with a strained development amid a tight production schedule, caused the game to be compromised in many areas.
If it absolutely lacks the refinement of its direct predecessor, Dark Souls II is still a damn great piece of work by any conventional metric, packed with some of FromSoftware's most fiendishly difficult boss fights to date.
There's also the agreeable inclusion of a robust fast travel system, which compensates somewhat for the game's messier overall design.
Sure, it was developed by FromSoft's "B-team" - as the "A-team" were making Bloodborne at the same time - but any other franchise would be thrilled to have a game this good among its ranks.
Sometimes it's important to remind FromSoft fans that their expectations for the studio's games are sky-high, and the "awful" Dark Souls II is actually still great, believe it or not.