Info about BLACK SOULS II:

Official game description:
Despair. Fear, Madness, once again.
An original work based on "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."
Dark Fairy Tale Fantasy x Psychological Horror RPG focusing on the themes of "Exploration of a Mad World" and "Life or Death Combat against Demonbeasts".
※Includes content from all 3 DLCs.
●Introduction
In this work, you'll meet 45 Heroines.
Almost all of them are the fun characters you may have met before in the famous tale "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland".
Though, now all of them are charming girls.
(However, the most important for you is Alice, of course, isn't that right?)
・The White Rabbit
・The Cheshire Cat
・The Hatter
・The March Hare
・The Dormouse
・The Duchess
・The Mock Turtle
・The Gryphon
・The Queen of Hearts
・The Red Queen
And many others...
●SEN System
All NPCs in this world can be killed. However, should you do so, your SEN would decrease. And as it gets too low:
・BGM will disappear.
・All the inhabitants will begin to talk in an incomprehensible language.
・Some things that should not be seen will become visible.
What a frightening ailment it is!
*   A vast, open world made of many different and charming maps.
*   Will you kill or will you be killed? Tactical and tense ATB combat.
*   Explore the Wonderland end to end, gathering souls and raising your level.
*   Death is not the end, merely a setback as you resume from the last bonfire.
*   Many different endings

Release date: Nov 28, 2025

Categories: Souls-like Combat, Turn-based Combat, Psychological Horror, Open-World Exploration, Multiple Endings, Narrative Adventure, Moral Decision-Making, Character Progression


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


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:
- Masterful, Profound RPG Experience (weight 1): Players overwhelmingly praise the game as a masterpiece, highlighting its exceptional storytelling, deep lore, and challenging gameplay. Many consider it one of the best RPGs ever, offering an unforgettable and emotionally impactful experience that resonates long after playing. The game is seen as a significant achievement, particularly for an RPGMaker title, often surpassing its predecessor.
- Strategic & Engaging Combat System (weight 0.6): The combat system is widely praised for its ingenuity, strategic depth, and significant improvements over the previous installment. It offers a challenging, turn-based experience with diverse tactical skills, status effects, and freedom in build customization, often described as Souls-like in its precision. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics, well-adapted boss fights, and how it encourages strategic progression over excessive stat-stacking.
- Deep, Dark & Philosophical Narrative (weight 0.5): The narrative is lauded for its intricate, multi-layered storytelling that explores profound philosophical themes like nihilism, existentialism, love, and despair. It skillfully weaves together twisted fairy tales (especially Alice in Wonderland), Cthulhu mythos, and Dark Souls-like allegories, creating a cruel yet beautiful world. This thematic depth, combined with strong character interactions and tragic elements, provides a deeply immersive and thought-provoking emotional journey for players.
- Abundant Content & High Replayability (weight 0.5): Players commend the game for its massive content volume, extensive branching plots, numerous side quests, and multiple endings, including secret routes. The 'New Game Plus' cycles are highly incentivized, offering different playthroughs to discover hidden truths and extend the experience. This extensive content contributes to high replay value and a lasting sense of discovery.
- Distinctive & Appealing Art Style (weight 0.44): The game's art style is consistently highlighted as unique, appealing, and greatly improved from the first game, with more detailed and polished characters and sprites. Its abstract and distinct aesthetic perfectly fits the dark fairy tale and horror themes, and the charming character designs, including the adult content, contribute significantly to the game's overall appeal and emotional impact.
- Innovative 'SEN' Sanity Mechanic (weight 0.07): The unique 'SEN' (sanity) mechanic is highly praised for tying directly into the game's narrative philosophy and significantly increasing content. As sanity diminishes, players unlock new monsters, dialogues, and hidden plotlines, effectively immersing them in the world's madness and revealing its 'true' face, drawing comparisons to and often surpassing 'insight' mechanics in other games.

Common complaints:
- Unplayable Without Patch/Censored (weight 0.23): The game is widely reported as unplayable, broken, or severely censored without an external patch, especially on its Steam release. This necessary patch often needs to be sourced unofficially, and without it, essential content, features, and even basic progression are missing or locked.
- Confusing & Disturbing Narrative (weight 0.21): The game's story is frequently described as fragmented, opaque, incomprehensible, and emotionally disturbing, leading to player confusion, lack of engagement, and strong rejection of its themes and endings. Some players perceive the messaging as shallow or overly dark without sufficient depth.
- High Difficulty & Poor Guidance (weight 0.2): Players consistently report extreme difficulty, confusing navigation, and a severe lack of in-game guidance, making progression tedious, frustrating, and often requiring external resources. The combat system is also perceived as significantly harder and unbalanced, contributing to a high probability of defeat.
- Broken Achievement System (weight 0.17): The achievement system is buggy and problematic, with issues such as achievements not unlocking correctly, only displaying after specific endings, or not being granted when importing old save files. Some players dislike mandatory losses for certain achievements.
- Inferior to Predecessor (weight 0.13): Many players feel this sequel falls short of the original game, citing a less engaging story, weaker individual character development, and a less effective covenant system. They also note missing content, fewer gameplay options, and a worse soundtrack compared to the first title.
- Overly Graphic & Disturbing Content (weight 0.08): Many players find the game's explicit, graphic, and morally uncomfortable content, particularly its H-scenes and dark themes, to be in poor taste or too extreme. This content is a significant barrier for some and can detract from the overall player experience, suggesting no redemption or love against human morality.
- Repetitive & Unfun Combat (weight 0.07): The combat system is generally criticized for being repetitive, boring, and not enjoyable for an RPG Maker game. Specific bosses, such as the Hell Prince, are highlighted for inflicting extremely high damage, contributing to overall difficulty and frustration during fights.
- Specific Character Story Frustrations (weight 0.04): Players expressed frustration with particular character storylines, such as the fate of Little Red Riding Hood, feeling it was unfair or that crucial steps were missed to achieve desired endings. There was also confusion and disappointment regarding the protagonist's pursuit of Alice.
- Low Resolution & Cropped CGs (weight 0.04): The game suffers from a low native resolution which cannot be easily modified and can sometimes cause nausea. Furthermore, after installing the necessary patch, some CGs (including H-scenes) appear cropped due to having a higher resolution than the game screen, impacting visual presentation.
- F12 Keybind Exits Game (weight 0.02): The F12 key, commonly used for screenshots on platforms like Steam, instantly exits the game instead. This leads to accidental loss of progress or missed content for players who press it instinctively.
- Divisive Character Art Style (weight 0.02): The game's character art style is described as unique or special, but it is not universally appealing. Some players find it off-putting or perceive it as not suitable for the explicit content it sometimes depicts, making it a matter of taste.

Gameplay feedback:
- Extensive Replayability & Endings (weight 0.25): The game is designed for extensive replayability, offering numerous endings, including 'H' and 'true' endings, that require specific actions and multiple playthroughs. New Game Plus cycles further enhance replay value with altered events, stronger enemies, and additional content.
- Souls-like RPG Mechanics (weight 0.18): The game is heavily influenced by Dark Souls, featuring classic RPG progression, exploration, and combat mechanics like weapon switching and enchantments. It introduces a 'break' system for combat, diverging from a mandatory dodge, and includes specific skills and item use.
- Fragmented Narrative & Alice Quest (weight 0.17): The game's narrative is fragmented and not explicitly handed to the player, requiring active exploration and deduction. Players control an amnesiac protagonist searching for an important figure named Alice, with the story continuing from the first game and often being convoluted.
- Dark & Transgressive Themes (weight 0.11): The game explores intense psychological, disturbing, and transgressive themes, reinterpreting classic fairy tales with mature content. It includes explicit elements, such as 'H endings' and Cthulhu-esque madness, creating a pervasive sense of perversion and delusion.
- Dynamic SEN (Sanity) System (weight 0.11): A unique SEN (Sanity) system tracks the protagonist's mental state, which erodes with violent acts or specific choices. Low SEN causes visual distortions, altered NPC dialogue, music changes, and can reveal hidden paths, profoundly impacting gameplay and story progression.
- Twisted Wonderland Setting (weight 0.08): The game is set in a distorted and despair-filled Wonderland, featuring corrupted versions of classic characters from Alice in Wonderland. Alice herself appears in multiple forms (daughter, sister, mother), influencing character interactions and narrative paths, with DLC needed to uncover her true nature.
- Varied Bosses & Enemies (weight 0.07): The game features a diverse cast of challenging bosses and enemies, including corrupted fairy tale figures and unique creatures like the Jabberwock and Hell Prince. These encounters often require varied tactical approaches to overcome.
- High Difficulty & Learning Curve (weight 0.06): Players describe the game as quite challenging, particularly in its sequel, with a significant learning curve. Later stages and bosses demand more tactical approaches, and grinding is often necessary to progress effectively.
- Beneficial Covenant System (weight 0.06): The game features a covenant system where players can form bonds with characters, providing various in-game benefits. These include attribute boosts, passive skills, increased soul acquisition, new trade options, and unlocking intimacy levels.
- DLC Expands Lore & Content (weight 0.05): Multiple DLCs expand the game's story, lore, and world, introducing new locations and characters. The final DLC is particularly crucial for uncovering the true ending and gaining a deeper understanding of the series' overarching narrative.
- Content Patch Required (weight 0.05): To access the game's full content, particularly explicit aspects, players must install a specific content patch, often with language prerequisites. The game does, however, offer an option to remove adult content for an all-ages experience.
- Consequential NPC Choices (weight 0.05): Player decisions, such as befriending, killing, or forming covenants with NPCs, have irreversible consequences that significantly branch the story and lead to different endings. The game provides strong player agency over character fates.
- Chaos Labyrinth for Farming (weight 0.04): The game includes a specific area known as the Chaos Labyrinth, a repeatable dungeon where players can increase 'tower depth' to acquire rarer and higher-quality items. This makes it a key location for farming and item collection.
- Diverse Explorable Locations (weight 0.04): Players can explore a wide range of unsettling and atmospheric locations, such as the Rabbit Hole, Royal City, Carroll River, Mental Hospital, and the Chaos Labyrinth, all contributing to the game's dark and distorted world.
- Unique Weapon Acquisition (weight 0.04): Players have opportunities to acquire powerful and unique weapons and items, such as the Great Builder's Anchor and Andorol's Sword. These specialized armaments can be found in specific locations or by defeating particular characters.

Performance notes:
- Multiple fullscreen solutions (weight 0.03): Players can use Alt+Enter or the F1 key after launching the game for basic fullscreen and key configuration. For more persistent issues, an external tool like 'mtool's scaling function is recommended to resolve fullscreen problems.
- DLC3 visuals improved (weight 0.01): A newer game patch specifically addresses and fixes issues with the CGs (Computer Graphics) present in DLC3. Players experiencing graphical anomalies in this DLC should ensure their game is updated.
- R-18 patch keeps achievements (weight 0.01): Players can apply the R-18 content patch without fear of losing achievement functionality. The game's achievement system remains active even with the adult content modification.
- Game runs smoothly (weight 0.01): Overall, the game appears to run smoothly for players, indicating good general performance and optimization. This positive feedback suggests a stable technical foundation for most users.
- Recommend BGM nostalgia patch (weight 0.01): A specific BGM (background music) patch is recommended by some players who prefer the old version's music, finding it more catchy and enjoyable than the updated soundtrack. This is an optional enhancement for player preference.
- Distinct Cheshire theme music (weight 0.01): Players have noted that the background music specifically for the Cheshire theme is distinct and different from other musical tracks found elsewhere in the game. This is an observation on the game's audio design.
- External settings tools exist (weight 0.01): There's an indication that external tools might be available for players looking to fine-tune game settings beyond what's offered internally. However, this feedback is vague regarding specific tools or their efficacy.
- Built with RPG Maker (weight 0.01): The game is developed using the RPG Maker engine. This is a technical detail about its creation, which might inform player expectations regarding visual style or potential engine-specific quirks.

Recommendations:
- Highly acclaimed, genre masterpiece. (weight 0.3): The game is widely regarded as a masterpiece, receiving exceptionally high ratings (e.g., 9/10, 10/10) and strong recommendations. Players praise its plot, gameplay, and unique art style, considering it a peak experience in the RPG Maker or Lovecraftian horror RPG genres, often calling it an unforgettable 'masterpiece'.
- Install essential content patch. (weight 0.23): Numerous players emphasize that the Steam version requires an unofficial patch, often from otaku-plan.com, to restore censored content and ensure proper game progression. This is crucial for a complete and enjoyable experience, with many citing it as a 'must' for all content.
- Purchase to support developer. (weight 0.22): A significant number of players express that they bought the game on Steam primarily to support the creator, 'Toro' or 'Sushi Yuusha Toro', often after having played it previously through other means. They encourage others to purchase the game to show appreciation and contribute to the developer's work.
- Play Black Souls 1 first. (weight 0.22): A strong consensus suggests playing Black Souls 1 before its sequel for a comprehensive understanding of the story, characters, and overall context. This significantly enhances the experience of Black Souls 2. Players also advise playing the first playthrough of BS2 blind, then using guides for subsequent runs or to avoid major pitfalls.
- Eagerly await next installments. (weight 0.12): There is considerable enthusiasm and explicit requests for future titles from the developer, particularly a third installment in the Black Souls series (referred to as BS3 or 'Crimson Death') or 'Dead Red Hood'. This indicates high satisfaction with current work and strong demand for more content.
- Contains mature, niche content. (weight 0.09): Many reviewers caution that the game features highly mature, transgressive, and potentially disturbing content, including H-scenes and taboo themes. It is explicitly stated not to be for everyone and requires players to accept its nature, understand its high entry barrier, and distinguish fiction from reality for their own sanity.
- Regional purchase recommendations. (weight 0.02): Specific advice is given regarding purchasing the game in certain regions, with some reviewers recommending buying in the Chinese region and advising against the Hong Kong region. This could be due to pricing, content, or availability differences.

Other player notes:
- Dedicated player base support (weight 0.19): Many players are veterans, having completed the game multiple times on previous platforms (e.g., DLsite or pirated versions), and purchased the Steam version specifically to support the developers. This indicates strong loyalty and appreciation for the game.
- Mandatory unofficial patch (weight 0.16): To experience the game's full R-18, uncensored content, players must download and install an external, often unofficial, patch. This process requires specific steps, such as running the game once before applying the patch, which can be inconvenient for new players.
- Profound, impactful story (weight 0.12): The game delivers a highly impactful and unforgettable narrative, exploring themes of irreversible choices, despair, loss of humanity, and tragic outcomes. Many players, even those initially drawn by erotic content, become deeply invested in the complex plot and characters, sometimes expressing intense emotional reactions.
- Dark Souls-inspired horror (weight 0.09): The game is frequently compared to the Dark Souls series due to its challenging difficulty, intricate map design, and dark, Lovecraftian horror atmosphere. It immerses players in a twisted fairy tale world with unsettling themes and immersive sound design.
- Significant playtime required (weight 0.04): Players can expect approximately 20-30 hours for the main story, with full completion potentially requiring over 60 hours. This suggests a substantial amount of content and replayability for dedicated players.
- Fair Steam pricing and DRM-free (weight 0.03): The Steam version is noted for its reasonable pricing, comparable to the first installment, and offers an English localization. It is also DRM-free, which is often appreciated by PC gamers.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.2): Players felt satisfaction from the game's high overall quality, including its rich story, unique art style, and challenging yet rewarding 'Souls-like' gameplay. This was further enhanced by extensive content, deep world-building, successful achievement completion, and noticeable improvements over its predecessor, offering a profound and engaging experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.12): Excitement stemmed from the game's exceptional quality, compelling narrative, and engaging combat, often being lauded as a 'masterpiece' or 'best of all time.' The Steam release, high replay value, and anticipation for future content and sequels (like BS3 or Red Death) also generated significant enthusiasm among players.
- Admiration (weight 0.1): Players expressed admiration for the game's exceptional quality, particularly its profound narrative, deep character development, and unique art style, which elevated it to a 'masterpiece' status. The innovative 'Sen value' system, thoughtful design, and philosophical themes contributed to a sense of awe for its ambitious scope and impact, especially considering it's an RPG Maker title.
- Frustration (weight 0.08): Frustration largely arose from significant technical issues such as a poor Steam port quality, low resolution, and the game being unplayable or broken without external patches, leading to progression-blocking bugs. Players also struggled with extremely high difficulty bosses, repetitive grinding, and a lack of clear in-game guidance, making progress challenging and often tedious.
- Disappointment (weight 0.05): Disappointment stemmed from various factors including perceived lower story quality compared to the first game, censorship, and missing essential content that required unofficial patches. Players also expressed dissatisfaction with unfulfilled genre expectations, boring combat, changes to the OST, and a perceived incompleteness or laziness in achievement design, along with tragic endings.
- Helpfulness (weight 0.04): Helpfulness was driven by players' desire to assist others by providing crucial technical advice, such as instructions for downloading and applying essential patches to resolve playability or content issues. They also shared specific gameplay tips, guidance for new players on progression and achievement hunting, and information about regional content and uncensored versions.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Anticipation was primarily generated by the prospect of future game releases and content, particularly sequels like 'BS3' and other titles such as 'Red Death' or 'Red Hood.' Players also expressed eagerness to complete the current game, replay it for missed content, or take on higher difficulty challenges, fueled by a desire for more of the compelling narrative and gameplay.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players showed appreciation for the game's profound depth, intricate storytelling, and unique art style, which went beyond simple H-content to deliver complex narratives and emotional impact. This appreciation extended to innovative mechanics like the 'Sen value' system, the developer's effort, and a desire to support the creator by purchasing the game.
- Joy (weight 0.02): Joy originated from the overall positive and fun gaming experience, often highlighted by the game's good plot, engaging music, and heartwarming story moments. The game's availability on Steam, the quick release of its sequel, and the pleasure of revisiting its unique world also contributed to players' happiness.
- Confusion (weight 0.02): Confusion arose from the game's lack of clear tutorials, ambiguous plot elements (especially regarding 'Alice' identities), and opaque game mechanics like covenants or door puzzles. Players also reported confusion due to unexpected achievement behaviors, missing game options, and uncertainty about technical issues or narrative outcomes.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): Sadness stemmed from the game's tragic endings and the unfortunate fates of beloved characters, such as Little Red Riding Hood or Alice, and those from the first game. The dark story themes of tragedy, loss, despair, and the emotional impact of complex, often doomed, character relationships deeply affected players.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe was inspired by the game's profound depth and complexity, particularly its masterclass storytelling, intricate themes, and philosophical undertones. Players were deeply impressed by its overall quality, evolution as an RPG, and cinematic presentation, which created a truly impactful and unforgettable experience.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement was sparked by humorous elements such as ironic descriptions of the game's dark themes as 'healing' or 'casual,' meme-like review formats, and comical comparisons to other games like Elden Ring. Players also found entertainment in character dynamics and crude humor within the game's content.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger was primarily triggered by feeling cheated due to the game being unplayable without external patches and perceived poor quality. Players also expressed frustration over unfair boss balancing, specific achievement design decisions, and certain plot developments or character actions, sometimes demanding compensation for negative experiences.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): Nostalgia was evoked by revisiting the game after several years, recalling past challenging experiences, and remembering beloved characters from the previous installment, such as Victoria. Design elements reminiscent of other 'Souls-like' games like Bloodborne also contributed to this feeling.
- Fascination (weight 0.01): Fascination was driven by the game's ambitious world-building, intricate lore, and unique blend of dark and psychological themes, particularly concerning identity and love within its despairing narrative. The profound and lasting impact of its story, especially the central theme of Alice, captivated players.
- Affection (weight 0.01): Affection was expressed through a strong liking for specific characters within the game, particularly beloved figures like Alice, Grimm-chan, and Layke, and their depicted relationships. This emotion also stemmed from players considering Black Souls 2 their favorite game, often preferring it over other 'Souls-like' titles.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion was achieved through the game's rich lore, compelling story, and detailed world-building, which deeply connected players to its setting and characters. The evocative nature of the world, combined with engaging combat mechanics and opportunities for role-playing, allowed reviewers to feel enveloped by the game's narrative.
- Support (weight 0.01): Support was demonstrated by players' strong desire to back the game's author and developer, often by purchasing legitimate copies, even after playing pirated versions or on multiple platforms. This act of purchase was a direct expression of appreciation for the game's quality and the creator's vision.
- Informative (weight 0.01): Reviewers were informative when they provided extensive details about the game, offered practical advice, and presented solutions for common technical issues like playability or BGM changes. They also shared critical tips for game installation and clarified specific aspects for other players.}