7. Time Mechanics
It has been widely reported across the Internet since Edge Magazine tested an exclusive demo with the From Software team that the passage of time will be key to Dark Souls 2. From Software haven't divulged what this actually means in terms of the gameplay of the game's plot, but it could mean many things. 1. Will the game involve time travel or various time zones? This might not be such a leap as some speculation after viewing the trailer revolves around whether Dark Souls 2 will actually be a prequel to Dark Souls rather than a sequel. Whilst I remain sceptical, the idea of time being central to the plot could allow for the game to be both a prequel and a sequel to some extent, with parts of the same set both before and after Dark Souls takes place. It could also mean that actions you take in the past will effect the world around you in the future, which also ties in with the reported morality system that will be included within the game, presumably similar to the rather complicated system that was incorporated in Demon's Souls. 2. Will there be a time limit on your quest? It is also possible that Dark Souls 2 will have a time limit and the ability to effectively start over with this time limit, similar to the mechanic used in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, or that the game ends once your time limit is up, as is the case with the upcoming Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. This would be an interesting departure from the sense of freedom that was key to Dark Souls and I find it less likely that this is how the passage of time will relate to gameplay, but it is most definitely a possibility.
6. Development Team
From Software claim that the development team in charge of Dark Souls 2 is twice the size of the team that worked on Dark Souls. Whilst there is the always the chance that too many cooks can spoil the broth, the fact that there are a lot more talented people putting hard work into completing a game of this standing can only be a good thing. The game itself has been in development since September 2011 and has a game world roughly the same size as that of Dark Souls, which is reportedly 25% complete, so it is clear that a lot of care is going into assuring that the end result is perfect. When I hear that the world itself is the same size as its predecessor, but there are twice as many people working on completing it, it makes me believe the world itself will be a lot more complex or, of course, just more polished than the original Dark Souls. Either way, it's an exciting prospect to keep us happy right up until the only negative I can so far think of regarding Dark Souls 2, it is unlikely to be released until 2014. But in a way, even this is a positive. I would rather know that I am in for a long wait whilst they make the game perfect than continuously get my hopes up only for its release date to be constantly pushed back. I'm looking at you Bioshock Infinite.