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

3. The Real Game Starts After Your First Completion

While it certainly wasn't the first game to do it, Dark Souls brought the idea of a meaningful New Game Plus mode to the mainstream; the idea that you start the game again with all of your gear and stats intact while the game gets harder and more punishing was a big draw, adding replayability to the game and encouraging multiple playthroughs with each of your characters. The way it worked was that at the first NG+ level, enemies would have a set percentage HP increase, damage increase and soul reward increase, therefore making the game more challenging. For Dark Souls 2, FromSoft decided to be a bit more devilish. Now when you transition to NG+ the standard enemies increase their HP and stats like they did in the first game, but their positions alter, with some areas getting even more standard enemies and some becoming littered with new black phantom creatures for you to kill. Then you have the bosses who are augmented with 'helper enemies' to make things especially difficult outside the initial encounter. Fast-moving instant death-bringer The Lost Sinner, for instance, gains a small accompaniment of magic-throwing pyromancers who spam you with fireballs while you try and take on the area boss, forcing you to refrain from keeping your distance and tackling him up close.