Dark Souls 2: 10 Reasons It's Your Ultimate Test As A Gamer

10. The World Is Vicious

Drangleic is a dangerous place, far more dangerous than Lordran ever could be. FromSoft have taken it upon themselves to create a world with more traps, more pitfalls and more environmental issues to overcome than ever before. But that's not all, to top it off some enemies revel in their environments and are more dangerous to you as a result. As you work your way slowly through each area you're constant lookout for traps, hidden floor switches, pools of poison as well as enemies with a desire for your head on a spike, all in search of the elusive Bonfires; the few safe havens in the Dark Souls universe. Each bonfire gives you a brief moment of safety, a place where your healing items and spells are recharged, but at the cost of respawning all of the enemies you have just cut your way through. Almost every area has some way of punishing those with a short attention span. Iron Keep has lava and fire flowing throughout, The Gutter and Harvest Valley are almost guaranteed to poison you by just looking at them and the Shaded Woods are so misty, they hide some very deadly enemies from sight. The worst however are enemies that are HEALED by their environment: Medusa-style boss Mytha is a frustrating encounter for that very reason, being you'll face her inside a pool of poisoned water which if you walk into you'll build up continuous damage, but if does the same it's a nice health boost instead, prolonging the fight considerably.