Info about DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin:

Official game description:
Gamers are in for a big surprise in DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin. An unforgettable journey awaits you in a breathtaking world where each dark corner and unexpected encounter will test your resolve. Go beyond what you thought was possible and discover incredible challenge and intense emotional reward. Whether you’ve previously played DARK SOULS™ II, or are new to the award-winning franchise, you are in for an entirely different experience with this exclusive, “Director’s Cut” version of the game.  
\- The definitive edition of DARK SOULS™ II. DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin includes all the DARK SOULS™ II content released to-date in one package and much more!  
\- A brand new experience and challenge. Enemy placement has been overhauled, resulting in a completely different play dynamic than experienced before. The safe zones that some players remembered are no longer safe! A new NPC invader called Forlorn will also play a key role in changing the gameplay experience. Hardened players will have to forget everything they thought they knew about DARK SOULS™ II.  
\- Online play has been enhanced with the addition of a special item to regulate souls acquired in battle - it’s now possible to match up more consistently online. The number of players who can participate in an online session has also been increased, from 4 to 6 people, completely changing the online play dynamic.  
DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin brings the franchise’s renowned obscurity & gripping gameplay to a new level. Join the dark journey and experience overwhelming enemy encounters, diabolical hazards, and unrelenting challenge.

Release date: Apr 1, 2015

Categories: Soulslike Combat, Action RPG, Exploration, Character Progression, PvP, Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Customization, Build Crafting

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The user reviews focus on the challenging level design, DLC content, and base-game pricing of Dark Souls II. All mentions of cost refer to the one-time purchase price of the game or its expansion DLCs. There is no evidence of any in-game microtransactions, pay-to-win, loot boxes, or real-money shops. The game is a traditional single-player purchase with paid expansions, which falls under the 'Fair' category per the scoring criteria.
- Mods: score 40; verdict: Buggy but Playable; summary: The game has notable input and control bugs (double-click, deadzone) that require community mods to fix, but no reports of crashes on startup. Most mods are for visual or gameplay preference, not mandatory. Mod reliance is moderate but not critical.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Student; summary: The overwhelming majority of user complaints revolve around the game's poor in-game explanation of mechanics, lack of quest progression guidance, and extensive hidden content that is nearly impossible to discover without consulting external guides or wikis. This forces players to adopt a 'student' mentality, constantly looking up information to understand how to play.
- Proton/Linux: score 15; verdict: Works Well (Minor Tweaks); summary: The majority of feedback indicates that Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin runs reliably on Linux via Proton, with stable performance and full achievements. A minority report minor controller recognition issues and missing cloud saves, but these do not prevent gameplay. The game is playable out of the box with default Proton settings.
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin on Steam Deck suffers from missing cloud saves, poor keyboard/mouse controls, forced online connectivity, and occasional crashes. While the game is playable with a controller and works on Linux via default Proton, these issues require tinkering and reduce the out-of-box experience, making it not as seamless as the Steam Deck verification suggests.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Performance varies across hardware cohorts, with positive reports for low and high VRAM configurations, but mixed results for mid-range VRAM groups.
  - Sample size: 473 (3% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (positive, 128 reports): Most users report the game runs well, though there are isolated complaints about input lag and a 60 FPS lock.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (mixed, 103 reports): Performance is inconsistent: some users report occasional flashing and black screens, while others experience severe driver issues and crashes.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 89 reports): All users report smooth performance, with some noting enhanced visuals through mods.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (mixed, 84 reports): Reports are split: one user describes smooth performance, while another experiences periodic micro-stutters.
  - Windows 16GB+ VRAM (positive, 33 reports): The single user reports no performance issues.
  - Linux / Proton 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 6 reports): The user reports mostly smooth 60 FPS performance on Linux near water.
  - Caveats: 473 of 14016 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews indicate that the original price of $40 is considered too high, with community members recommending purchase only when on sale. Specific sale price ranges mentioned are $9.99-$19.99, and a historical low of $10 is noted. The general sentiment suggests a fair base-game price between $10 and $20, as higher prices are deemed not worth it.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 57.0h
  - Story completion: 20.0h
  - Session length: 9.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The review stating '57 hours' is a clear total playtime for the game, likely including DLC. The '130 hours' review indicates a near-complete first playthrough, suggesting typical completion time for a thorough run. The '20 hours' review directly states time to finish the main story/campaign, implying a faster pace without exploring every side content. The '9 hours in one sitting' shows an extreme but possible single-session length, though typical sessions are likely shorter. Endgame time is not explicitly stated in the filtered reviews; multiple accounts mention 'DLC' and 'NG+' adding many hours, but no single number is quoted for post-story only. Thus, endgame is omitted.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin presents a notoriously punishing early game that tests new players with limited resources and unfamiliar mechanics, but after surviving the first few hours and the initial bosses, the game opens up into a deeply rewarding and addictive experience that justifies the struggle.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: After clearing the first couple of bosses and adapting to the game’s core systems
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: low Adaptability (ADP) stat reducing invincibility frames and healing speed; maximum health loss on each death without Human Effigies; confusing progression paths and lack of guidance; overwhelming enemy ganks and ambush placement; slow and clunky early-game movement and combat; punishing soul memory system limiting co-op and matchmaking
  - Unlock drivers: leveling Adaptability and gaining agility; acquiring Human Effigies and understanding their use; learning enemy patterns and proper positioning; finding better equipment and upgrading weapons; getting past the first few areas and bosses; adjusting to the game’s slower, more methodical pacing
  - Conditions: solo play with high patience and willingness to die repeatedly; co-op play with friends to mitigate difficulty and share discovery; using guides or walkthroughs for progression and stat advice; playing with a controller to avoid keyboard input delays; engaging with the game’s deep build variety after early game
- Player Archetypes:
  - PvP Duelist (buy)
    - Motivation: Engage in competitive, fair PvP with deep build variety and active online community.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on duels at iconic locations like Iron Keep Bridge, invades or co-ops, experiments with PvP-oriented builds, and values lag-free matchmaking.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: PvP enthusiast; duelist; competitive player
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Dark Souls III; Elden Ring
  - Build Theorist (sale)
    - Motivation: Explore and optimize diverse character builds and weapon combinations.
    - Playstyle: Tries different weapon types, infusions, magic, and powerstancing; studies stat interactions; may use mods to enhance variety.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: build crafter; theorycrafter; experimenter
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Dark Souls III; Elden Ring
  - Atmospheric Wanderer (sale)
    - Motivation: Immerse in the melancholic world, explore hidden secrets, and soak in the atmosphere.
    - Playstyle: Cautious, thorough exploration; uses environmental cues; often reads messages; enjoys NPC quests and hidden walls.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: explorer; atmosphere lover; lore seeker
    - Reference games: Dark Souls; Dark Souls III


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Great atmosphere and visuals (weight 0.24): Multiple players praise the attractive atmosphere, visuals, and art design of Dark Souls 2, including the unique fantasy vibe and the stunning areas enhanced by the lighting engine.
- Interesting dual-wield system (weight 0.12): The dual-wielding system, especially power stancing, is highlighted as an interesting mechanic that expands playstyles and build potential, allowing varied movesets.
- Large content volume (weight 0.1): The game has a lot of content, being the longest base game with complete DLCs, offering high replayability despite potential grinding.
- Majula is beautiful hub (weight 0.1): Majula is repeatedly praised as the most beautiful hub in the Souls series, with a strong atmosphere and clear artistic vision, comparable or better than Firelink Shrine.
- Convenient bonfire travel (weight 0.1): The ability to warp to any bonfire from the start is a convenient feature, along with bonfire ascetics that allow converting areas to NG+ and refighting bosses.
- Good build variety (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the build variety and freedom for interesting builds, with power-stancing and dual wielding providing viable options.
- High quality cinematics and story (weight 0.1): Cinematics are high level and the story has an epic feel with connections to Dark Souls 1, though it is a good story for a Souls game.
- Excellent weapons and armor (weight 0.08): The variety and quality of weapons and armor are praised, including wonderful designs, effective damage types, and unique weapon types like twinblades.
- Interesting unique mechanics (weight 0.08): Unique mechanics like hexes, incense system, stone dudes, and charcoal of enmity are appreciated and noted as missing in later entries, adding depth to the game.
- Fun miscellaneous features (weight 0.07): Small enjoyable features include quick ladder climbing, satisfying lock-on, and amusing character creation (like Ryan Gosling), adding to the fun.
- Convenient respec feature (weight 0.05): The ability to re-spec character stats is a welcome addition for build experimentation, paired with bonfire warping for convenience.
- Increased Pursuer encounters (weight 0.03): The increased number of Pursuer encounters is seen as a silver lining, adding more challenge and variety to the game.

Common complaints:
- Enemy placement is poorly designed (weight 0.38): Enemies are frequently placed in frustrating ways, such as stacking them in narrow spaces, off-camera ambushes, or in overly dense groups. This makes combat feel unfair and time-consuming, particularly in areas like Iron Keep.
- Controls are imprecise and janky (weight 0.37): Multiple clusters highlight that the controls feel unresponsive, clunky, and poorly designed, especially on keyboard and mouse. The game suffers from imprecise movement, hit recognition, and key binding issues.
- Bosses are too easy and forgettable (weight 0.27): Most bosses are not challenging and have only 2-4 basic attacks, making them boring and unmemorable. The exception is a few difficult bosses, but the overall boss roster is disappointing.
- Level design is poor and illogical (weight 0.21): The level design is described as disjointed, unintuitive, and lacking the interconnectedness seen in previous games. Many areas feel awkward to navigate, with hidden doors and illogical layouts.
- Mouse and keyboard support is broken (weight 0.19): The game is unplayable with mouse and keyboard due to poor key binding, lack of proper UI, and Xbox controller prompts. This is a critical oversight for a PC release.
- Combat feels clunky and sluggish (weight 0.17): The combat system is described as janky, with slow character response and a feeling of slugishness compared to other Dark Souls games. This makes the game less engaging.
- Hollowing mechanic punishes death harshly (weight 0.16): The hollowing system reduces max health on death, discouraging experimentation and making progression tedious. Players can start at half health, which feels like an anti-comeback mechanic.
- Hitboxes are inconsistent and unfair (weight 0.16): The hitbox system is widely criticized for being broken, with attacks registering without visible contact and dodges failing to avoid hits. This leads to a frustrating and unreliable combat experience.
- Adaptability stat is a flawed mechanic (weight 0.14): The Adaptability stat is criticized for locking roll invincibility frames and item speed behind leveling, which is poorly explained and feels unnecessary. It undermines core combat mechanics.
- Graphics and engine feel outdated (weight 0.12): The graphics and engine are considered worse than earlier FromSoftware games, with poor visual quality and a dated feel that disappoints players expecting modern standards.
- Too many gank squad encounters (weight 0.05): The game features excessive gank fights, where the player is swarmed by multiple enemies at once. This is criticized for being unfair and annoying.
- Boss runbacks are frustrating (weight 0.05): Many bosses have long and tedious runbacks, which adds unnecessary frustration to attempts and makes the game feel more punishing.
- Enemies do not stagger properly (weight 0.05): Enemies often fail to stagger, leading to stun-locking and unfair situations. This makes combat feel unbalanced and frustrating.
- Invincibility frames removed at fog gates (weight 0.05): The removal of invincibility when entering fog gates causes players to take damage during transitions, which is seen as a poor design choice.
- Too many NPC invaders (weight 0.05): There are an excessive number of NPC invaders that lack lore relevance, making them feel like filler rather than meaningful encounters.
- Game is disappointing compared to others (weight 0.05): The game is widely seen as a disappointment compared to other FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls 1, 3, and Elden Ring, due to its various flaws.
- Fullscreen mode has stability issues (weight 0.05): Fullscreen mode suffers from bugs or instability, which affects the game experience and is considered a technical oversight.
- Limited Estus flasks at start (weight 0.05): Players start with very few Estus flasks, which makes early game combat especially difficult and restrictive.
- Chinese localization is missing (weight 0.04): The lack of Simplified Chinese localization is noted as a sign of neglecting the Chinese market, which is a significant oversight.

Gameplay feedback:
- Linear level design criticized (weight 0.08): Level design is more linear than Dark Souls 1, with dead ends and less interconnection, making the world feel less cohesive.
- Base game boss difficulty (weight 0.08): Bosses in the base game are considered easy, with limited movesets and not challenging enough for experienced players.
- Backtracking required (weight 0.07): Significant backtracking is needed to progress, as the world is not fully interconnected like other Souls games.
- Boss runs as main challenge (weight 0.05): The primary challenge comes from long boss runs rather than the bosses themselves, due to enemy placement and artificial difficulty.
- Adaptability stat important (weight 0.05): The Adaptability stat governs roll i-frames and item use speed, making it crucial for combat effectiveness and requiring leveling.
- No invincibility frames during actions (weight 0.05): Actions like using levers, doors, and fog gates lack invincibility frames, making them unsafe and requiring timing.
- Summons and invasions available (weight 0.05): NPC summons and player invasions are present, including while hollow, adding multiplayer elements to the single-player focus.
- Lifegems as healing items (weight 0.03): Healing stones (lifegems) are consumable items that provide gradual healing, differing from estus flasks.

Performance notes:
- Awful mouse and keyboard support (weight 0.04): One player reported awful mouse and keyboard support for a PC port, indicating poor input mapping or responsiveness.
- Save files lost after reinstall (weight 0.04): One player reported that the game lacks a cloud save function, leading to save file loss after reinstalling the system, which is a significant oversight for PC releases.
- Crashes require unplugging (weight 0.04): One player reported severe crashes that require unplugging the computer to restart, indicating a critical system-level failure.
- Crashes on startup (weight 0.04): One player reported the game does not open or crashes on startup, suggesting a launching or compatibility issue.
- Poor PC performance (weight 0.04): One player reported poor overall PC performance, indicating suboptimal frame rates or responsiveness.
- Locked FPS (weight 0.04): One player reported that the FPS is locked, preventing higher frame rates and limiting performance on capable hardware.
- Graphics card not set correctly (weight 0.03): One player reported that the game does not correctly set the graphics card by default, requiring outside tweaking, which is a common but frustrating configuration problem.
- No FOV slider (weight 0.03): One player reported the lack of an FOV slider, which is a requested feature for many PC games.
- Full screen not working (weight 0.03): One player reported that full screen mode is not working, indicating a display or rendering issue.
- Controller issues (weight 0.03): One player reported that controllers stop working while playing, suggesting a specific hardware compatibility problem.
- Fullscreen stability issues (weight 0.03): One player reported fullscreen mode stability issues, suggesting display or rendering problems.
- Keybinding problems (weight 0.03): One player reported keybinding problems, indicating the controls cannot be remapped properly or are unresponsive.
- Performance is smooth (weight 0.03): One player reported that the game runs smoothly at 60 FPS without interruptions, indicating a positive experience for some users.

Recommendations:
- Not recommended; avoid wasting time (weight 0.3): Multiple clusters strongly advise against playing the game, citing it as a waste of time and money. Players are urged to pursue other activities or games instead.
- Preferred alternatives to play instead (weight 0.23): Reviewers consistently recommend playing other FromSoftware games like Dark Souls 1, 3, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, or high-quality indie soulslikes, over the current title.
- Not recommended for newcomers to Souls series (weight 0.16): The game is deemed too punishing for first-time players of the Souls series, with a steep learning curve and unforgiving mechanics. It is best avoided as an entry point.
- Refund or avoid purchasing entirely (weight 0.11): Several clusters indicate that players should not buy the game, with some explicitly requesting refunds or suggesting legally questionable means to obtain it. The purchase is considered unwise.
- Original version preferred over Scholar of the First Sin (weight 0.1): Multiple reviews advise playing the original version of Dark Souls 2 rather than the Scholar of the First Sin edition, citing it as a better experience overall.
- Not recommended for mouse and keyboard users (weight 0.1): The game has poor technical support for mouse and keyboard controls, making it unsuitable for players who prefer that setup. A standard controller is recommended.
- Only for masochistic or hardcore players (weight 0.1): The game is only recommended for players who enjoy suffering, questionable design, or have a lot of time to grind. It is not suitable for casual or general audiences.
- Not recommended for players expecting specific quality (weight 0.08): The game fails to meet expectations for fans of Dark Souls 1's exploration or Dark Souls 3's boss design, and is not recommended for those seeking comparable quality to those titles.
- Terrible technical state and port issues (weight 0.08): The game suffers from significant technical problems, including a poor port that is considered a joke. This makes it not recommended unless heavily modded.
- Only recommended for PvP or completionist players (weight 0.05): A few reviews suggest the game is acceptable for PvP players or those with completionist tendencies, but it is generally not recommended for most other playstyles.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.95): Players are frustrated by severe technical issues such as controllers not working, computer crashes, lost save data, and poor keyboard/mouse support. Gameplay is plagued by broken mechanics like parry input delay, unresponsive backstabs, and the adaptability stat forcing rolls without i-frames. Level design is criticized for excessive enemy spam, gank fights, confusing navigation, and long boss runbacks, leading to an unfair and punishing experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.49): Players feel disappointed because the game fails to meet the standards set by other Souls titles, with lazy boss designs, poor level design lacking interconnectedness, and uninteresting story and characters. The overall experience feels like a downgrade, with clunky combat, forgettable bosses, and technical issues like poor graphics and sound. Despite some good aspects like art design, the game is not fun and feels like a waste of time compared to Dark Souls 1, 3, and Elden Ring.
- Anger (weight 0.34): Players are angry about unfair mechanics such as the hollowing system reducing max health, excessive enemy density, and unresponsive controls. The poor PC port lacks proper keyboard and mouse support, has fullscreen bugs, and includes double-click input lag. Level design is criticized for constant ambushes and unfair traps, while cheaters and game-breaking bugs (like crashing saves) further fuel frustration.
- Annoyance (weight 0.05): Players are annoyed by enemy spam, hidden bonfires, and invasions that force repeated runs after losing progress. The PC version lacks proper keyboard and mouse support, with restricted key bindings and no widescreen support, forcing windowed mode. Annoying mechanics include stun-lock from enemy groups, losing max health, and durability degradation, making exploration and combat tedious.
- Contempt (weight 0.03): Players express contempt toward the game's encounter design, which relies heavily on traps, off-screen enemies, and ganks, making it a laughingstock. Some direct insults towards other players and accusations of developer disregard for PC gamers reflect deep disdain.
- Hate (weight 0.03): Players hate the poorly made game due to janky movement, bad hitboxes, and frustrating enemy placement. The gameplay, long runbacks, forgettable bosses, and excessive collectibles contribute to a negative experience.
- Respect (weight 0.03): Despite overall negativity, some players respect those who enjoy the game and acknowledge its positive aspects, such as the atmosphere or certain design elements.
- Disgust (weight 0.03): Players feel disgusted by the overall poor quality of the game, including its design and dodge mechanics. The fact that it is not supervised by Miyazaki and feels outdated and inferior to newer titles adds to the negative sentiment.
- Regret (weight 0.03): Players regret purchasing the game, often refunding after the first area or feeling they wasted time on a poorly put-together experience. Some spent many hours but still regret every second.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Despite its flaws, some players appreciate the fantasy vibe, the gorgeous Lighting Engine art design, and the atmospheric Majula hub which provide enjoyable moments.
- Resentment (weight 0.01): Players resent the poor PC controls and the missing features that were present in previous games, feeling that the port was neglected.
- Amazement (weight 0.01): Players are amazed that this game is a mainline title given its low quality and numerous issues, questioning how it passed quality standards.
- Bafflement (weight 0.01): Players are baffled that the game achieved a Metacritic score over 90 despite being considered a massive downgrade from other titles in the series.
- Pleased (weight 0.01): Some players are pleased with the old-style boss design that features simple visual effects, reminiscent of earlier games.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Players who prefer the vanilla version feel nostalgia for the original experience after spending hundreds of hours, despite acknowledging the remaster's issues.
- Discomfort (weight 0.01): Players feel discomfort due to outdated graphics and feel, combined with enemy spam and cheap traps that make the game feel clunky and unfair.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.01): Players are dissatisfied with the compromised gameplay and level design, which fail to deliver a cohesive and enjoyable experience.
- Dislike (weight 0.01): Players strongly dislike the adaptability stat, which makes dodging unreliable, as well as the overall level design that feels hostile and unfun.
- Betrayal (weight 0.01): Players feel betrayed because the game lacks the qualities of Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Sekiro, offering a inferior experience that does not live up to FromSoftware's reputation.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Some players admire the DLC areas, which are considered well-thought-out and challenging in a fair way, providing a positive contrast to the base game.}