Dark Souls 2: 10 Gaming Tropes You Quickly Need To Unlearn In Preparation

8. Just Spam X

Ah, button mashing, an esteemed past time of gaming, and one that has filled countless souls with manic joy. But of course there are many games which cannot condone such mindless strategy to be used in their combat, and Dark Souls is a prime example of such a game. Combat in Dark Souls requires strategy, timing and patience - and that really can't be expressed enough. Every single encounter is going to have weight behind it; you cannot thoughtlessly plough through a wave of enemies by spamming the attack button, even if you have killed them countless times before. You need to make split second decisions about when to block, dodge and attack, and any miscalculation can doom you in an instant. You'll often find yourself in a situation where you have only an ounce of health left, drained of healing items, and your enemy is only one or two hits away from falling. Your following moves will be crucial; it's thrilling. Also, expect every single weapon in Dark Souls II to have a unique move set. Understanding the swing animations of your currently equipped weapon will be paramount to your success in combat. If you wish to ignore this and take the button mash approach in Dark Souls II, you're gonna' have a bad time.