[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_JFDPCtXFY’%5D

The first taste of Dark Souls II gameplay is here! IGN got together with the Dark Souls II director Yui Tanimura and Global Producer Tak Myazoe and they walked IGN through some new things that they have to offer in the upcoming game. You can check out the video and all of the Dark Souls madness it brings at the end of the article.

After watching the demo, I can say that this sequel looks very similar to how the original Dark Souls plays. You have expansive environments, dark corridors and huge enemies waiting to kill you instantly at every turn. It appears that the game will be very similar, combat-wise, as the layout has carried over identically. This is all to be expected, as they are going with a direct sequel this time, rather than changing the name completely like they did when releasing Dark Souls after Demon’s Souls.

However, where I think this game is going to differ the most is in the amount of detail that each battle, environment and interaction will bring to the table. From the demo, it seemed like most of the areas had a lot more personality compared to the often stark and abandoned areas players have come to expect form the series. One area has a hallway that was embellished with huge paintings and furniture, while an area shown at the end of the demo had a huge castle that almost seems suspended in midair while dozens of dragons fly around its perimeter (pictured above). It’s these kinds of details that I think will make Dark Souls II an even more epic experience.

A few new things were mentioned about the combat, as well. It sounds like the enemies are going to be even more viscous than they ever have been before. One of the best assurances you had in Dark Souls was the fact that if you snuck up behind an enemy, you would be able to surprise them with a back-stab that would score you big damage on them. From the demo, it looks like those back-stabs are no longer a safe bet, as new types of enemies can now fall backwards on you and crush you. To make matters even worse, the bad guys can now crash through walls in their pursuit of you, making the escape of a battle even more difficult. The demo showed a giant beast behind a cell that was just standing there, but when the player shot an arrow through the bars the beast became enraged and smashed through the wall for payback. Gulp!

It seems that there is still a lot more to be shown from this game, and the biggest thing that still remains hidden is the story. From the first official trailer of the game, it appeared that the story would be more in-depth and focused than in previous games. The director of Dark Souls II even brought up the fact that this game would be a more emotional and interactive experience than previous games were, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a meatier story is on the horizon. I don’t think it’s a big deal since the gameplay is so incredibly fun, but I think it would offer a nice change of pace.

So there you have it! We have gotten our first taste of gameplay for the sequel to the fantastic Dark Souls. I can’t freakin’ wait to get this game and then die in 4 seconds, only to try again and die in 2 seconds! Never has a game been so addictive and aggravating at the same time, and from what I’ve seen so far Dark Souls II will be bringing a whole lot more of that madness. The game does not have a release date, at the moment, though we know that it isn’t coming to next-gen consoles. That would make me think that a late 2013 to early 2014 at the latest release date could be expected.

You can check out the 12-minute IGN demo at the top of this post and the official trailer for Dark Souls II below!

PREPARE TO DIE! AGAIN!!!

Trailer