14 DAY TRIAL // One of the selling points for the original Dark Souls was its uncompromising difficulty level, but one of the main developers working on the sequel says that it will try to complement it with accurate and complete information about the actual game mechanics.
Tomohiro Shibuya, the director working on Dark Souls 2, tells Edge that, “I personally feel that the covenant system was something that was difficult to fully absorb and experience in Dark Souls, and I intend to make it more accessible to players. And that’s not just with the covenant system, but with a lot of other aspects that I felt were difficult to fully adapt to.”
Shibuya wants to walk a fine line, pleasing both the hardcore fans that powered the initial success of the series and the newcomers, who might feel alienated without additional information about the game.
Clarity is the main aim for the development team.
The director adds, “A lot of elements were very subtle in Dark Souls, and that was something that was characteristic to Dark Souls. But I personally am the sort of person who likes to be more direct instead of subtle, so I think that part of me will a difference for players when they pick up Dark Souls II.”
One element of the game that will not be modified in any way is the control system, which is specifically designed to create a sense of awkwardness that meshes well with the game world that From Software is creating.
According to Shibuya, Dark Souls 2 is at the moment 25 percent complete and gamers will get to visit an entirely new area of the franchise’s universe, with time one of the core elements of the experience.
The game is designed to arrive in late 2013 or early next year on the PC, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.