Dark Souls 2: 8 Things That Ruin The Game

8. Maximum Health Reduction Every Time You Die

Many previous players will remember the godawful Basilisks that inhabited the underground section of the first game, not only for their truly hideous art-design, but for their penchant for laying a curse on you that would half your health until you could seek out a certain character or curing item. In Dark Souls 2 if you happen to die when in the weakened 'Hollow' state (something you will be in an awful lot), you'll take a permanent hit to your life bar. The way around this is to snack on a Human Effigy (a consumable that reverts you back to your human state and replenishes your lost segments). Now this does tie into a bigger problem addressed in two point's time, but as another new feature limits the amount of souls/currency you can mine from defeated foes, there is every chance you'll end up at a bonfire just before a very hard boss, all out of Effigies with no way to buy any more, stuck at 50% health (they decided the maximum amount of your bar you can lose is half). Yes, this adds to just how hard the game is, and many more sado-masochistically-minded players are going to relish in how much this feeds into the bragging rights of "Well I beat Boss X on half-health!" but is it fair, really? Should you really be punished for getting to grips with the game by way of trial-and-error? There's a well-documented notion amongst the 'Souls community about being greedy with your attacks, and it does pay you to explore every area with a raised shield or a finger poised on the parry button, yet for anyone new to the series this will only turn them away - although that could entirely be the point.
Gaming Editor
Gaming Editor

WhatCulture's Head of Gaming.