Dark Souls II - What Happened?

[@Apocalyptico100]

Everytime I hear "create new engine from scratch" I know shit is going to happen.

[@fregatopolitis]

Like Breath of the wild?

[@Apocalyptico100]

@@fregatopolitis When devs have enough time to develop the engine and the game, it's wonderful.

[@baitposter]

@@fregatopolitis Every game engine was once new There are manyfold inadequate ones that don't see success

[@Narokkurai]

"New engine from scratch" plus "highly anticipated sequel" is the real deathblow. The dual constraints of financial demands and player expectations will always cause headaches. Engine development needs to be something you take your time on and get right before anything else can begin.

[@dark_side_cookies]

“Make this 3rd person RPG with Frostbite” is equally pain inducing. Frostbite, an engine designed for FPSs... with no built in item management...

[@morgen3369]

"Yo let's create a hard game, with good game design... AND open world, and photorealstic and let's scratch that old engine, make a new one" Yeah it's a top tier red flag right here.

[@dudere]

To be fair, the old engine was crap too. Mods came out to fix the game almost immediately. Mods that I think still work better than the DS teams fixes.

[@dudere]

@@8Kazuja8 Yea, its the kind of drug you pass out to investors to loosen their grip on their wallets. The problem is when the directors decide they can handle a few puffs.

[@morgen3369]

@@dudere Oh yeah, I had someone who worked on DS3 came at my school and he talked about how the engine was atrocious to work on. (and yes I do mean DS3 so I can only imagine the 1 if that's not the same engine). Making a new engine when your actual one sucks is not a bad idea. But then you have to be very careful about the scale of your project if you do so. And here clearly they went bonkers from the beginning. All that aside, I think DS2 is a great game, besides the many problems (especially the art direction that makes no sense from the map spliced together, hello elevator that goes up to a castle sinking into lava) . So I consider it a happy ending for the game itself. It's a unique entry that many people have on their favorites thanks to those circumstances.

[@toledochristianmatthew9919]

@Code Turtle yeah even lore wise scholar of the first sin fixes a lot of issues the original version had. It gave more context to what was happening and gave an optional ending that was both vague and very satisfying. It also answered a lot of questions the original version left unanswered. Without the dlc s and fixes to the game. This would have been a 6/10 for me but ended up being 8/10 because of sots edition.

[@joshuakim5240]

Basically what happened was: Shibuya: "Let's make a game that is literally impossible to make on available hardware!" Literally Everyone Else: "Isn't that a stupid idea because it's impossible?"

[@Odinsday]

Looking at some of the cut content of the game, you realize that what they had in mind was far more ambitious and unique compared to what they did in the final game. A good example of this would be the Gutter which instead of being just skyscraper Blighttown, would have been a city of repeatedly stacked on houses with Gyrm roaming the streets and getting drunk. There was even a bar you could go to through a brewery. It sucks to see all this potential get thrown to the wayside due to time constraints and hardware limitations.

[@Warcrafter4]

Also don't forget the cut spell caster counterpart boss fight to ornstein and smough that was down there too. As the recovered boss cut scene put them "The Lich" and "The Wraith" with them adsorbing the soul of the other one when one of the two is defeated in their mid battle cut scenes.

[@mohandasjung]

THIS sounds great.

[@joshuakim5240]

Honestly, Dark Souls 2's original build was too ambitious for its time. It was by all means a next-next gen project that, logically, had no way whatsoever to be fully realized in the hardware back then. Scale and ambition are great, but if it can't fit into the available hardware then it all unfortunately goes to waste.

[@rodan8436]

@@Warcrafter4 Forgive me but could you point out where I can look that up? I'd like to learn more but searching Dark Souls 2 The Lich + The Wraith gives me no results.

[@Reshapable]

It's less potential thrown to the wayside and more naive aspirations trying to pull one over on reality. Anyone can dream big. It's why absolutely no company needs an idea guy. The greatest products ever achieved did so through clever manipulation of what was available, not demanding more until satisfaction was achieved.

[@pingpong5877]

The Dark Souls of game development hell.

[@Mcaark]

Vaati saying “Ah. Eldenring.” Is something I felt on an emotional level.

[@y0ax]

i was half expecting for it to play the trailer music then lol

[@Jammerdude07]

Elden ring is amazing, I guess we won’t be seeing it here

[@iBenjamin1000]

elden ring!

[@RamadaArtist]

Why hasn't he been hired by the company as a voice actor? He's basically the official lore narrator of all of their games now, they may as well actually put him in them.

[@Narokkurai]

Funnily enough, Elden Ring sounds like it's going to be the kind of game DS2 wanted to be. More open world, open-ended action than the labyrinthine design of the Souls series. Presumably, the long and quiet development is part of their commitment to build a suitable engine for the game as well.

[@mohandasjung]

The difference is that now they have team A working on it.

[@lordquaz7154]

Let's just hope it doesn't turn out like Cyberpunk 2077, last year's open world, ambitious project helmed by talented people.

[@charlieterry8506]

@@12ealDealOfficial why does the involvement of George R.R. Martin have you worried?

[@full-timepog6844]

@@charlieterry8506 it could distract them from building an actually good game

[@willvermillion1025]

@@12ealDealOfficial true call me a weeb but in terms of modern tv anime is far better written these days than 90% of the shit the west puts out in terms of television

[@GenerationWest]

Dark Souls II, the one everyone dunks on, now I know why. Though It's seen as the least liked, it's still in favorable range as a game, which is still a accomplishment.

[@AleK0451]

it's still not that good even removed from its betters

[@AlexRN]

Truckloads of franchises would kill for their best game in the series be Dark Soul 2’s quality.

[@lixthewitch6718]

@@AleK0451 Dark Souls 2 is fine. The Blacksheep of the three, but despite it having the worst combat, it had better story telling for sure.

[@LilacMonarch]

I feel a similar way about DS2 as about SSB Brawl. Both definitely had their issues and weren't seen as favorably as the others but it's still good imo Subspace is the best part of Brawl for me. DS2 I would say...dual-wielding? As jank as the combat is that was neat

[@gwynlee6192]

the biggest pain in the ass about that game hit me as thus: it seemed like the developer said, "Dark Souls is all about being hard yeah? Throw hoards of enemies at the player all at once."

[@roxis_wunder]

Gotta say, digging Matt's avatar being very animated in this episode.

[@EpicHysteria]

Oohhhhhhhhhh Elden Ring

[@thrillhouse_vanhouten]

5:41 God bless the editor jerry-rigging a new, distinct pose by using the same hand drawing for both arms. Boldness must be rewarded

[@level3xfactor]

Same

[@BicuinhaSama]

Yeah, and in 5:40 he had 2 left hands...

[@maxjonson]

Right? Super nice to see more animation

[@AnthrKira]

There is a channel called "Illusory wall" that has showed a little of how many of the areas were going to be and existing maps were before, giving more explanation of why the maps look inconsistent.

[@420HBKHHHDX8]

Every Souls fan needs to follow illusory wall ♥

[@lezionscorner4376]

I've seen some vids, the Gutter is a particularly fascinating example

[@ravenousbasilisk5120]

@@lezionscorner4376 yeah, real shame it got .. gutted

[@MachineStalkerWolfie]

@@ravenousbasilisk5120 ! SOUL AT RISK !

[@MadSnake123]

So ... All things considered, it's a miracle that Dark Souls 2 is actually a decent game. I mean yes, it's the black sheep of the series but the work they did with the remaining time was pretty impressive.

[@raneunhae-idc.]

YES

[@soilthestillborn4949]

A Majora's mask sorta story

[@raltor20]

soil the stillborn Not really as Majora’s Mask is incredible all round and typically considered one of the best Zeldas.

[@soilthestillborn4949]

@@raltor20 I didn't mean that in the terms of hate towards it, I meant it as the time limit, rushed game and all that stuff, fanbase considers it one of the best, the mind behind it considers it his biggest failure because the vision never came to fruition due to it being rushed

[@connormccarthy2745]

It's a super different game, but I like other games too, it has a lot of charm

[@jmjedi923]

I like dark souls 2, but i know it went through hell

[@KaiserMazoku]

Out of all the souls games, 2 is the one I go back to replay the most.

[@Sensko]

Same. Easily the weakest in technical terms, but I find the focus on humans and the effect of the Curse on them infinitely more intriguing than the gods, serpents or dragons.

[@TheRatedOniChannel]

@@Sensko I think the story about how the curse affects different kingdoms and that the calamity repeats itself over and over was more entertaining; the two give vague intros with the, go to the castle for answers, but what you find in each kingdom is extremely fun once you realize you are not just visiting different areas, but are being transported into vastly different kingdoms.

[@vaan1570]

personally i think the pvp peaked in ds2, as well as weapon designs/weapon variety.

[@ashikjaman1940]

@@vaan1570 I'll always love the Ivory King's lightsabers

[@461Dragonman]

"That is the last one, right?" "Until Elden Ring, maybe..." So that's the last one then?

[@waifutrap6236]

I think Matt forgot about Bloodborne as well and tell us maybe why or when there might be a sequel 😁

[@helloill672]

Well. . .

[@461Dragonman]

@@helloill672 Aw yeah, [Crazy Talk] worked!

[@ReyCardo]

About that….

[@charcoal4742]

This aged like milk

[@thebestcentaur]

“Prepare To Die Edition” Absolutely awash with subtlety, innit?

[@FlameHidden]

In this comment thread: people who never played these games and never got to know the community, but formed an opinion based on what Twitter and kotaku told them how to feel like. The soulsborne community is supportive as fuck

[@ambskater97]

@@FlameHidden you ain't gon get no bitches for this bro

[@jeffreyziniti6087]

@@FlameHidden Even the subreddits for these games are overall very supportive (especially Bloodborne)

[@psycomutt]

@@FlameHidden Exactly. The subreddit and wikis for these games are awesome. People always willing to help.

[@ashikjaman1940]

@@psycomutt Eh, the wikis are pretty shit. Not cause it's toxic but it's just so inaccurate

[@mfchimichanga]

*The Comment Section Has Been Invaded By Dark Spirit Forlorn*

[@burn1none]

"well, what is it"

[@DutchCoasterLover]

Jesus, why did you have to remind me to the part I'm stuck at, ughh.

[@leftovernoise]

AGAIIIIN?

[@forlorn9134]

Got a problem?

[@leftovernoise]

@@forlorn9134 dear lords nooooo not now man, not now

[@TrainedOldSkool]

I remember playing this game when it came out and thinking something felt off and the world didn't seem as organically connected as the first game. I had no idea it had such a difficult development.

[@supershade2009]

When I was on my second playthrough to get the achievements, I remember thinking that the something wasn’t adding up with the world design. I couldn’t remember how to get to certain areas because the logic wasn’t making sense as to why they should be there.

[@TheSilliestWilly]

Okay no lie... Vaati really should go into voiceover or recording audio books because that man’s voice is like velvet butter

[@chubbysolaireeaterofpussy3192]

what is velvet butter Edit: nvm I figuired it

[@m.m.5448]

@@OroborOSX11 wild guess, his name might be Matt

[@lokiofdohmend996]

Ah, Dark Souls 2. The least liked in the franchise, but still beloved in general.

[@bophadesknutz7798]

Least liked by the casual fan base for sure, most liked by everyone else

[@angelito2336]

@@bophadesknutz7798 "Liked by everyone else" good one, mate. You gave me a good laugh.

[@ZeeboonInc]

Eh, the hate bandwagon for DS2 is still going unfortunately. But it's slowed down a bit after DS3 came out and people saw it wasn't perfect either.

[@ianmoffat4459]

It's my fav souls game... For a lot of reasons. They are all Masterpieces all in their own ways though of course. And Souls 1 is a very close 2nd for me

[@alpharedhed4446]

@@bophadesknutz7798 I love ds2, I put the most time into it out of the souls games but seriously don't say shit like that, people are free to not like the game same way people are free to like it you sound just like the ds1 neckbeards that say stupid shit like that

[@TaimatCR]

7:40 ah yes armored core, that's a name that from software seems to have forgotten. Please do a what happen or a retrospective on it some time

[@darkjackl999]

;-;

[@SpecShadow]

also King's Field series and Shadow Tower. Wish that FROM will be back with first person RPGs some day...

[@kyuketsukirook]

Apparently they are working on another Armored Core, but there hasn't been much news about it.

[@aeden8008]

Absolutely. I wanna know what happened between AC: For Answer and ACV/Verdict Day. Such a huge change.

[@prideofjustice994]

@@aeden8008 I would a video on that as well. As going from Armored Core 4/ for answer & Armored Core 5 feels very akin to Dark souls & Dark souls 2 where everything felt much slowed down.

[@ElectricLedRevolver]

Free Radical's Star Wars Battlefront 3 would make for a great What Happened episode. There is still a question surrounding it regarding whether Lucas Arts or Free Radical was to blame for the game never coming out. I've heard many people say that they believe that if it came out, it would have been a huge watershed moment in the gaming industry.

[@XradicalD]

This is the Dark Souls of the "What Happened?" episodes.

[@_1oofi]

Badum Tsh

[@faketoddhoward7280]

I've been looking forward for this

[@faketoddhoward7280]

@Black Coffee shut up and go buy skyrim again

[@faketoddhoward7280]

Good

[@corporatecommander4066]

@@faketoddhoward7280 if skyrim sells 5 million copies this year, can u fight the real todd howard for control of bethesda?

[@jpebrz]

My powers have doubled since the last time we met todd

[@MisterGunpowder257]

You know what I'd like to see? A video on Evergrace, a forgotten FromSoftware title that was a launch title for the PS2. It was one of those games that was designed for the PS1 but was moved to the PS2 late in development. I'm not sure how much is there, but it seems like there's a big story behind its development.

[@mr.bryteseid3189]

I still have my copy that came with my ps2, never did manage to beat it 🙃

[@SuperSSSSooonniicccc]

@@12ealDealOfficial Weirder than Drakengard/Drag-on-dragoon 1? Hmm, I think Drakengard has that title for its unnerving classical mixures of songs.

[@gebs123]

@@SuperSSSSooonniicccc I will let you be the judge. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5itk4OPebuara8

[@yehuda8589]

Yeah, I've been meaning to play Evergrace now that I figured out how to use PCSX2, it looks really cool... and the OST opened my third eye.

[@MisterGunpowder257]

@@yehuda8589 The soundtrack truly is one of the greatest parts of it, though do be forewarned that Evergrace is pretty rough around the edges with game play, and I'm 90-95% sure that the English translation was botched.

[@Hozay1234]

DS2 was my introduction to the series. Still enjoy playing through it every now and again. definitely has flaw's, also sparkles in ways too.

[@jerodwolf5582]

It's crazy how people go into game development - it sounds like a very painful process. Having so many ways for things to go wrong, years of progress that can be lost, and by the end of all the hard work fans are unhappy with the release. This channel makes me appreciate the crafting of games, no matter if the result is good or bad

[@Mannnnnnnn]

Would you like to upgrade your estus flask? YES NO ⬆️ You have no estus flask shards.

[@ExtremeMan10]

Same thing is in DS3 dude

[@smearierbrutebr]

@@iceberger4600 what a difference eh

[@moz6388]

@@smearierbrutebr it doesn't say Yes or No to throw you off at least.

[@gabe_ed]

@@moz6388 yeah, it doesn't look like an important thing but little things like that get really annoying

[@Bruh-je7fb]

ice hotel nice profile picture

[@maxwellschott6660]

Anyone else remember how drunk Jessica Alba seemed when she introduced the announcement trailer at the Spike Video Game Awards?

[@Chillpanes]

No one’s gonna talk about how good Matt’s Skeleton Character rig is animated with the Puppet Rig? No...no one....alright. I like it a lot, especially with the design he has.

[@KingTrygon]

Matt is now a vtuber. Can't wait for the first Hololive collab.

[@IamSupreme333]

I can proudly say that Elden Ring will not be needing a Wha Happun episode

[@faraam7111]

It needs

[@jakestocker4854]

You can see all the influences carried over from DS2 as well

[@IamSupreme333]

@@jakestocker4854 I’ve only played Dark Souls once when it was free on Xbox Gold back in like 2014? I was terrible at it and stopped playing after a day. I tried Sekiro and played for about 2 weeks but I sucked and ended up quitting that one as well. Elden Ring is the first FromSoft game i’ve actually enjoyed. It’s absolutely hard but i’ve learned to either keep trying or come back later with a different weapon or spell and I eventually get passed the plateau. 300 hours into the game and i am still finding more areas to explore and i love every second of it

[@jakestocker4854]

@@IamSupreme333 yeah Elden Ring definitely does a much better job of not having a wall that people quit at. The whole first 2/3rds of the game being so open allows you to just go level up and explore and get as powerful as you want to to either make bosses a breeze or just less of a challenge. I'd definitely recommend revisiting some of the other games in the series. Bloodborne for example is absolutely worth giving a try. It's got a much fast pace of combat compared to the Souls games but isn't Sekiro fast. Hell, you may even be shock yourself and find that you're much better at the Souls games from your experience in Elden Ring.

[@edohanma]

The game is shit, it's unfinished

[@DDRaHolic]

All the guys on the stairs up to the dragon... ugh... I get chills thinking about it.

[@GFCat]

I'm a huge fan of SotFS but I know that there had to have been one hell of a development cycle for a game as wild and outlandish as that

[@WastedScoundrel]

The funniest part of Dark Souls II's development process is the fact that Lucatiel was supposed to be called Don Quixote . Yes, from the novel. Lucatiel was literally gonna be fighting windmills (okay, maybe not windmills, but you get the point). The Bellkeepers? That was originally her companion. God, I love Dark Souls II.

[@Kinoksis]

DS2 walked so that Elden Ring could run. Despite this game's flaws it still holds a special place in my heart.

[@irvancrocs1753]

I think the reason why it gets so much hate because people can't stop compare it to DS1 and DS3, despite DS2 is actually still a great game compared to many western-style rpg games out there.. The thing i like about Souls series is each of their game actually pretty distinctive each other, which is why starting the new game meaning it will be a completely new experience..

[@ashrunzeda4099]

I think a comparison is warranted. Especially if it was a sequel to DS1. As we all know, sequels, even if the game doesn't actually share that much of a continuous story, or no matter how distinctive they are from one another. Customers and critics will always have expectations that it will surpass the previous iteration. Sadly, DS2 did not accomplish that, and unfortunately for DS2, it set the bar low on the expectations surrounding DS3 so much that when DS3 came out and fulfilled expectations, it worsened DS2's reputation further as DS3 did what DS2 did not: Being a good sequel. In addition, if we go by chronological order of souls-like games released by Fromsoft. Bloodborne, a game that came after DS2, is undoubtedly better in anyway shape or form, which just puts the nail in DS2's coffin. While DS3 eventually became the hammer that shut it down, being a great sequel to the DS franchise, AND successfully getting the torch from Bloodborne as the then latest Souls-like game during 2016. DS2 honestly is a great game compared to other western rpgs, however, since it has the FROMSOFT logo and SOULS brand attached to it. It's gonna be cursed to eternally be analyzed, ranked and compared with other Fromsoft souls-like game, and unfortunately due to the circumstances that happened to it, as well being overshadowed by its predecessor and successor, and chronological successor. It's gonna always end up near the bottom of the list.

[@untitled458]

Me too

[@ImUrZaddy]

Despite me talking trash about DS2 all the time, I just finished 2 playthroughs back to back, and can definitely see myself doing it again in the very near future, there’s just something about this game man

[@dragon___]

the fact that the B-team still cared to finish an "unfixable" game and still come out on way way on top of all the souls clones is one of the greatest, most respectable moves in teamwork history

[@hatefulgaming1800]

Nioh isn’t that bad

[@opgroundzero2.0]

DS2 is definitely not as good as Nioh lmao

[@jackhoward8]

@@opgroundzero2.0 true, saying ds2 is "way way on top of all the souls clones" is really an overstatement

[@irvancrocs1753]

I know people in replies seem disagree with you, but i've played games like The Surge and Nioh and tbh i still think DS2 is the most enjoyable between them all so i kinda agree with your statement, for the starter DS2 implements NG+ better even compared to the other souls series..

[@NisseDood]

@@irvancrocs1753 Nioh 1 is just ok but nioh 2 did so many improvements that it became one of the best souls likes out there.

[@tbone6704]

Tanimura-san did nothing wrong .

[@Anticitizen2501]

I love Dark Souls 2 imperfect though it may be.

[@C3lticlord]

Same

[@FatMouseGaming]

@@MinutzAkira I would disagree, I think it's PVP is better of the trilogy

[@Anticitizen2501]

@@FatMouseGaming Yeah, the build variety was amazing too.

[@LordDeBahs]

@@12ealDealOfficial r1 ,roll and arts spam ? dude dark souls 2 is completly oposite .spam is punished .sloppy playstyle also . that why scrubs hate ds 2 cuz they suck

[@datsnaik6886]

@@LordDeBahs not sure what you're talking about. All the ds games punish roll spam, ds3 is no exception. Whole trilogy is as simple as wait for attack, roll, r1. Ds3 made an effort to make it atleast difficult to cheese bosses/enemies by spinning around them compared to 1 and 2. Don't try to make ds2 sound like it does a job better than the other 2. It is not a perfect game but neither are the others..... Except for BB heueheuehu

[@DoctorTillinghast]

This was very enlightening! The fact that they still made a decent game despite those obstacles is really inspiring.

[@BonesNeverLie]

Maybe I’m weird but I loved Dark Souls 2. It’s probably my least favorite out of the 3 but I love these games so much that’s still amazing. It’s still a great game

[@angeltzepesh1]

That shows how bad games really are these days, i would play DS2 over any souls clone.

[@irvancrocs1753]

Not weird at all, despite some people saying a lot fans hate DS2, the reviews from critics and players said otherwise since they stand comfortably in positive note all the time.. And in fact it's still a damn good game, if only people can stop compare it every second to other souls game..

[@Spectrik]

Being the "worst" dark souls trilogy game is still a higher honor that other games could never hope to achieve

[@eliarevalo]

There are a lot of people who hate it but haven't even played the game. It's like half the comments, staggering amounts of " I don't like the Demon's Souls remake because my favourite streamer said so and I can't think for myself ". Dark souls 2 is good. It has its issues but it's far from a failure.

[@shortbreadhead]

@@eliarevalo yup, people have so much fun on the bandwagon, it's a bigger party than being original and I dunno... forming your own opinion? I mean fuck me though, right? That's just insane, who would do that when it's so easy to just parrot the popular perspective than ponder that which perplexes the panderers? Am I pright?

[@crossbones116]

I still have fond memories of 2. But Bloodborne is my true love.

[@Re_Souls]

Same

[@oaktownklaygrounds5514]

Bloodborne is my favorite soulsborne game, and dark souls 2 is my favorite souls game ;)

[@Otakumanu]

The original Demon's Souls is still the best for me honestly. DS2 was fun, but DS1 and DS3 were still better. Don't care for BB though.

[@mightyarbokking7197]

I'm the same with you bro

[@ascended313]

Your true mentor?

[@ryanhaught4223]

This is insane looking at this retrospectively. I’m currently on my first play through in 2022 and it maybe my fav Souls game so far

[@RedHoodRubyRose]

Dark Souls 2 brought us Desert Sorceresses, so worth my 60$

[@TheOriginalMerr]

timed perfectly with the current Return to Drangleic event

[@JacobWHill]

Yui Tanimura is a freaking legend for making this game have any redeemable qualities

[@tychoazrephet3794]

I never played the launch version of DS2, but SotFS is what got me back into Souls after I bounced off of DS1, and the franchise has since become one of my all time favorites. The game isn’t perfect, but none of Fromsoft’s work is, every game has its own foibles that just come with their style and approach to game development. If anything it speaks to the enduring quality of the studios work that even the black sheep of their flagship IP is still a great game in its own right.

[@WAR3600]

Everything has flaws, but don't try to put the other games flaws at the same level of DS2 flaws, because it's definitely not a good comparison

[@shawnmarcum8078]

It is a good comparison because it's a part of the same series.

[@zatoka08]

​@@WAR3600 You forget how unfinished the second half of Dark Souls 1 is

[@WAR3600]

@@zatoka08 and yet is better than DS2 in every regard. For example, at the start of Izalith there is a bunch of Taurus Demons in one place and Capra Demon in other place, clearly not the best enemy placement of the game. However the game give us options, we can fight then head on, we can attract one by one or we can simply ignore them, the Taurus Demons is in a corner of the area easily ignored, and we can jump down to the bonfire ignoring all the Capra Demons. If this was DS2 all the enemies would be aggro as soon you put your foot in the area

[@zatoka08]

@@WAR3600 cope

[@TheRealityBin]

Dude went from directing full games to directing the lighting. Is this a form of hell

[@BATTIS94]

It's actually impressive that they managed to make a competent game given the circumstances. It goes to show (again) how important the director is. It's a shame that Yui Tanamura didn't get to direct the game from the start, I would've loved to see that. Kudos to the rest of the team too, I'm sure the developing process was hell on earth.

[@heathenly_aesthetic7233]

Right on, a feature with Vaati 🤘🏻🔥 I'm so glad this is being covered. This game definitely drove the struggle bus, but I don't think it was so terrible, on its own.

[@ArakDBlade]

It was quite good really. Not in the same artistic way as its family but a very enjoyable title

[@fbmb1337]

Tbh is always nice seeing a What Happened on games that despite having a messy development cycle still end up decent (though still divisive or flawed) and *not* financially ruining the devs in the end.

[@ashikjaman1940]

DS2 is my personal favorite of the souls and I'm not sure why. Maybe I just like Aldia a lot idk

[@DomOfSin666]

@@ashikjaman1940 I love scholar the most because there are tons of options right at the start of the game, and it feels like there's more build potential than in the other games. Some of the reasons I like it are reasons others dislike it. I like the combat, the varied bosses, the traps, all the different enviroments, the fashion, ect. DS2 gives me this certain adventurous and mysterious vibe that no other game can give me, and I love it for that. A good chunk of the bosses suck, it can get ganky, and the level design and item placement can be questionable to say the least, but all it's flaws add on to that mysterious adventure vibe for me

[@SamitadeMilanesa]

Having Vaati as a guest on DS videos has to be in the rules of youtube or something... I'm the opposite of complaining!

[@amharbinger]

So Dark Souls 2 development was set on Dark Souls level.

[@sp051]

I appreciate that even after all the fixes of the bits and bobs, they still kept the floating lava fortress in the sky instead of just.. having the elevator go down instead.

[@alanguillermo3145]

Great video. Matt, let me just say that I fucking love this series. I know you put a lot of hard work into it and I appreciate that. It shows in the finished product every time it pops up in my subscriptions. Keep it up, my dude!

[@mannofsociety31]

Hey Matt, when are you ever going to do a What Happun? episode on NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams?

[@fysl305]

That would be amazing but i imagine its hard to dig deep into gaming development history pre-2003 Matt did make an episode on that sega saturn game, saga pr whatever

[@bobafett4265]

@@fysl305 same here if possible.

[@bobafett4265]

@@slashingkatie7872 the only difference between Sonic 06 and Sonic Boom Rise of Lyric was that Boom was in development hell and the team behind it started around 2007/2008 and began pitching a bunch of stuff till the only company that actually cared about them at all was SEGA and demanded a new and different Sonic the Hedgehog to try and get more Sonic fans that wouldn't normally be into the Blue Blur but attracted to this new version, except SEGA never communicated well enough and kept making pointless changes left and right to forcefully make Sonic Boom into another Mediocre Sonic game and having that deadline and forcing it on the Wii U which the team dropped at that point in development and was focusing heavily on PlayStation and Xbox consoles at the time when SEGA ripped the floor from underneath them. So yeah it's not entirely the Sonic Boom team's fault but rather a mixture of SEGA and Sonic Team consistently sabotaging the project either intended or not...

[@AoVis]

Loved this game. Have aldia's theme in my music collection to this day

[@Sekainoowaride]

And then Berserk ost for the Ending, Nice.

[@thehonestcompany867]

I was actually wondering what the song was. Do you know the name of it?

[@Sekainoowaride]

@@thehonestcompany867 I think it's "Aria" but don't quote me on that lol

[@thehonestcompany867]

@@Sekainoowaride I think it might actually be 'Forces'. I went looking and Forces sounds like the outro. Thanks for the tip tho!

[@Hololoverxdxdxd]

I’m a week late but it’s actually “Sign”

[@mangotango1984]

NOICE!! Very nice! Susumu Hirasawa at the credits. As a naturalized Quebecer, it's good to see you doing your thing. Long time fan of your work and taste! Cheers mate!

[@papalovex4415]

No matter what it’s my first Souls game so I’ll forever have a place for it in my heart

[@kamatariedgar3603]

Same

[@zaytwal2mermagkx644]

What!!!! Same here

[@super8mmo]

I like Dark Souls.

[@D4C_]

This is the Dark Souls of opinions

[@CornBreadtm1]

I like trains.

[@TheKaienshibasnejiba]

"I like Santa" -kid from A Christmas Story "I like turtles" -I-Like-Turtles-Kid "I like money" -Eugene Krabs "I like Dark Souls" -supper8mmo

[@drakebloodknight7981]

A gentleman of quality

[@melonboi927]

same

[@MADKapo]

The moving avatar really caught me off guard at first...

[@wellybelle]

elden ring basically turned out as the good timeline version of Souls 2, it got all of DS2's clever ideas and innovations in its DNA without suffering from its limitations

[@anthonyperez8143]

That explains why the elevator magically takes you to a fireworld above the poison windmill

[@cloakers]

the most beautiful souls game. it’s melancholic aura makes you feel, alone.

[@No-sr5fb]

And arguably has one one of the most optimistic potential endings if you collect the crowns and potentially learn to break the cycle. Love that ending

[@glassesguy5170]

I would say DS1 was the best at making the player feel alone

[@Spookiec]

DS1 has WAY more of an isolation feel not to mention its dark gloomy atmosphere and sorrow, DS2 literally has 10 people in majula including the 4 npc's you'll find playing the game, DS1 npc's are unique and actually feel apart and progress the world/story

[@deatharcana7998]

DS1 forces you to feel alone, DS2 makes you feel alone, loniness is not something binded to not being around people, is having people by your side and yet not being able to connect to them, DS1 is gloomy and sorrot but you're the "CHOOSEN UNDEAD" even tho u are alone u feel important, in DS2 no one have faith in you, neither hope for a better future, thats makes you feel melancholic, because in end there is no path, like the schoolar says

[@deatharcana7998]

@@chrismanuel9768 Thats fair, is hard too the true beauty of DS2 when u are biased towards DS1

[@SpectreAdept]

Lot of people love dunking on Dark Souls 2 and peg it as a “disappointing” game but even a disappointing Dark Souls game is still better and more rewarding than the average “disappointing” AAA game.

[@Pan_Z]

I don't know why "disappointing" is in quotes. DS2 is indeed disappointing when compared to the previous 2 games. It might've been able to match or exceed the previous two games had its development not been so problematic. That doesn't make it a bad game, but comparisons to previous games are inevitable and unfavourable.

[@SpoonyBard88]

This

[@drakebloodknight7981]

Dam right

[@blacklung7474]

Still bad though. I played dark souls 1 and 3(playing sekiro right now), but after 28 in ds2 i gave up. Assasin's creed odyssey was my all time disappointment, but i would play It 3 times over If that meant not playing 30 minutes of ds2.

[@corwin32]

I really like DS2. Never have been in the hate bandwagon for this game.

[@RileyDia]

It was my first and still my favorite of the Series. Majula is the best.

[@Draven0seven]

It has some good highs, but it all comes down to your tolerance for the general bullcrap it has. It's true for all souls games, but DS2 definitly has more unexplainable and tedious areas

[@TheReclaimer1321]

It’s not really a “hate bandwagon”. That implies people just hate it to hate it, which some might, but you can’t say one way or the other. It is objectively a decent game, but it is also objectively a different experience compared to the first, and in many ways by fan and design measure, a lesser one. Nothing wrong or hateful with pointing out the many flaws it has.

[@DarksteelHeart]

It's definitely not bad enough to hate. My favorite is still Dark Souls though.

[@torstenw5723]

Ds2 was my first of the series and got me through a terrible time in my life so I hold it close to my heart

[@bloodypsycho6025]

Funny how Ds2 is considered the black sheep but is still a better game then 90% of Rpgs that come put today

[@minerman60101]

14:12 Sekiro has phenomenal lighting though, gotta give him that. As a standout example, just look at the Owl cutscene

[@mexicocitytexas409]

I remember getting this Day 1, the black armor edition. 1,200 hours of my life gone. May be the worst game in the series but i have the fondest memories.

[@irvancrocs1753]

Yeah arguably the worst game in the series but maybe it's still one of the best rpg games out there, telling you how great souls games scope are..

[@ericmandia3835]

I loved the Vattividya opening. So much emotion expressed with just one eye.

[@Stonk5331]

Man Dark souls 2 is acutally my favorite title of the triology. Guitly pleasure

[@GFCat]

I think history is looking back at the game very favorably

[@darkoale3299]

@@GFCat Nope.

[@cesarrivera286]

Looks like Elden Ring won't be showing up on this channel. Friggin amazing.

[@lonesquiff6551]

Hearing the dilemma about the game completely changing mid development reminded me of Borderlands. The initial trailer for that was nothing at all like what shipped lol.

[@skullbro5967]

Before watching I wanna say. Man ds2 wen it first came out was a bad surprise. The downgrade messed up the expectations. Felt like a disappointment. But as I played it ran so smooth on my pc compared to ds1 that I was surprised. But still I didn't really likeit at that time because it was so different But over the years ds2 really grown me. It just feels so unique and different. It just has its own style thats hard to pin down. World map may not be interconnected like the previous title but the diversity of the areas are really cool. There are any bosses, challenging mobs,and variety of builds and playstyle with unique armours and weapon. They spiced up the moveset in this game. It's really expanded on previous title Give its own unique flavour. I'm still enjoying this game to this day. New souls players and from fans should give this game a chance it's really amazing.

[@Franku_4]

I played it without guides after ds1 and i loved it too. Also Majula is soo comfy

[@TheOdinsLance]

oof. watching you trying to get the dual greatswords to work... I remember that pain.

[@k2yip]

Dark Souls 2 may have been the weakest in the series, but it brought us Happy Souls.... so it’s still my favourite

[@KlaireMurre]

This is good enough reasoning. That was my fault please leave a bad player review under my name so I may learn from my mistakes

[@qumxlinger1081]

Might not have been dark souls 1 quality but it could’ve been worse. It could be dark souls 3

[@TheLionkevinson]

@@qumxlinger1081 disagree but that’s your opinion

[@salsaucy2547]

@@qumxlinger1081 dark souls 3 is fantastic :(

[@itIsSpite]

@@qumxlinger1081 Nah ill take dark souls 3

[@juliocacko]

14:43 Berserk Song made my day

[@Nickles4]

My favorite wtf moment in the level design is taking the elevator from earthen peak UP to a castle submerged in lava.

[@toethumbghost]

i love ds2, it’s always been a different beast from the others and i’m happy to know about all the struggle and toil the team went into making a great game, if a weird dark souls game lol

[@paradoxington]

Dark Souls II was actually may favorite in the Souls series

[@mightyarbokking7197]

Mine too, like 2 may have a lot of issues and we know now why, but 2 just has a certain whimsical feel to it that you don't quite get out of 1 or 3

[@crumpetface]

Fuck yeah!

[@mightyarbokking7197]

@@crumpetface Glad we both agree!

[@crumpetface]

@@mightyarbokking7197 👍👍👍👍 I had ds1 got mega frustrated with it so quit and never played it again. But the feeling of being 'defeated' by a game was infuriating so i jumped back in at ds2 and absolutely loved it.

[@mightyarbokking7197]

@@crumpetface Awesome!

[@oops6876]

I’d love to sit down with Vaati and have a long discussion with him on his thoughts about DS2. Ive never heard him speak openly about it.

[@matthiasthemagician6803]

Imagine a world where Dark souls 2 just used an updated version of Dark souls one's engine, so they could focus on developing the actual game.

[@incandescentdream]

My friend and I talk about Dark Souls 2 a lot. We've both played the entire series, and agree that although it's not a great "Dark Souls" game, it's still generally a good game and implemented some new ideas we really liked.

[@EpsilonThirteen]

Bingo. There's alot to be enjoyed through this game, it's a great product that has hours if not days of enjoyment to get out of it. Sure, it's flawed, but DS2 is still a fantastic game.

[@captncuddlybear9404]

So... they tried to make Elden Ring before they had the technology to make Elden Ring.

[@psycomutt]

Honestly, this was my favorite after Demon souls.

[@DexterManning]

Ive only played the remaster version of Dark Souls II but I'm not gonna lie I prefer it way more to the first one...

[@MrAIDS-wx2he]

What’s up dude, I was a big fan of wolfs retarded mission back in the day, thanks for the laughs

[@torstenw5723]

Forbidden sun was a dope spell tho

[@tyronebiggums4798]

Flame swathe too. Cornering noobs in pvp with it was amazing

[@Surprised_Synth]

Became vestige which everyone kept on using. Still salty about them not adding Dance of flame

[@XredactedX]

This is the best of the souls series...in new ideas and armor sets being..meaningful. Actual duel weilding almost every weapon and being able to mix and match

[@XredactedX]

Also Elden Ring is the real ds2....

[@XredactedX]

I love DS2

[@loowlsshadow8536]

That berk ost really surprised me Was vibing with it for a second

[@ThunterFP]

now that Elden RIng is out i kinda wonder how much that origina Dark souls 2 DNA is in it

[@dhoffnun]

Loremaster Vaati is like a real life Deckard Cain at this point. I know I'd stay a while and listen.

[@SxfetyPin]

Despite the downfalls of DSII, it's still my favorite Souls game. Bloodborne is my favorite Souls-like though. If I was rich beyond my mind, I would fight so hard for Bandai to allow DSII's original team to take as much time as they need to create the game they originally were making. Like a DSII: Reimagined kind of thing. Looking at DSII and what once was is enough to crush my Soul. Pun intended.

[@matthewgillis2617]

I'm shocked you got the Prepare to Cry guy on this video! I loved his videos on The Sisters of Chaos Remastered and Pinwheel XD

[@strangebiz]

just yesterday finished the main story for the first time after years of being underwhelmed by the game. something sparked in this new playthrough, though, and i kinda love dark souls 2 now. extra fun that this video's come out today. going through the DLCs now and it's definitely a different experience from the main game.

[@Radamenthe]

It's still my favorite souls game to do coop with friends, so many hours of content

[@trashlevania]

Ah, my favorite bastard child game.

[@Flymehomegiantswan]

The bonefist easily makes this the best game in the series

[@brenosilvamorais2510]

@@silverreaps6803 but it doesn't have bonefist, think about it

[@KakashiHatake-sv1vb]

It's a fucking *CRIME* that they haven't reintroduced it. *The* coolest weapon in souls.

[@MrNazuko]

God. I remember getting the game ages ago, even got the CE since I and all my friends loved the previous title. Still have the statue, because Farrom Knight is the best looking set in the game.

[@SegaCDUniverse]

That Majula area was great, the music is so nice and calming lol. I loved that sewer are as well, in the well.

[@ThatDjinn]

That explains the roughness of DS2. Still, to me it's the best DS game for replay value with the amazing amount of content and PvE build variety compared to other games. The fact that they achieved this despite development troubles is admirable.

[@jrockoclock7088]

I just want a single other game to have the option to run a mundane build like ds2 had, it's an inspired idea. (I only assume they scrapped it going forward because it seems like the biggest pain in the ass to balance around). Also the spice system was incredibly cool and I wish other games would incorporate something along those lines.

[@dannypistilli4864]

Im playing DS2 currently and can say that its not a bad game at all. Its actually very good

[@thiefofhyrule8000]

One of my all time favorite games. The devs were lost without a leader and you can see it in this game. The themes of emptiness, loneliness, and hopelessness are so well crafted here. A dead world where you came to die. The ending is so chef's kiss too. Futility. Cheers.

[@BigFry9591]

What?

[@ReadyAimFire_]

DS2 is still my fav game in Dark series.

[@boredpyromancer]

Dark Souls 2 was my introduction to the series. It will always be my favorite souls game to date.