Dark Souls 2: 10 Lessons All Games Must Learn From It

3. Give Us A Reason To Play Through The Game Again

Nearly every game nowadays features a New Game + mode but how often do we actually feel compelled to run through a game again? You might need a second playthrough to collect everything (if you're that way inclined) but it's rare that a game will make your New Game + run a better challenge. Dark Souls 2, of course, amps up the difficulty when you choose to start a second playthrough with your character, even though you carry your equipment and soul level through with you. That's right, it can actually get harder. There are benefits to playing through a second time though, especially if you want to get your hands on everything in the game. Certain bosses drop boss souls which can then be traded for weaponry based off of that boss; in order to collect all of these weapons, you need to defeat a couple of bosses twice. Obviously bosses don't respawn (thankfully) so going through a second playthrough is the only way to get all of these weapons. Some bosses also drop new souls in New Game + so it's extra worthwhile. You'll also have the added benefit of actually knowing where you're going this time around. Invaluable. By the time you finish Dark Souls 2, you'll finally feel like you're mastering the game and you'll want more. Thankfully, the game gives you a reason to complete it again and more games need to do this.