[HTML1]

One of the golden rules of video game development is to not punish the player. In rare circumstances, that extra bit of challenge is part of the appeal and Dark Souls is one of those rare examples.

During a time when The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and The Witcher 2 fought for every fantasy RPG gamer's valuable time, Dark Souls stood out and offered something very unique. Dark Souls 2 (hopefully) plans to do the same.

Publisher Namco Bandai Games and developer From Software just made the surprise announcement during the VGAs with a beautiful and epic cinematic trailer, later announcing that the sequel will be coming to the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Built upon the foundation established by Souls series creator and Dark Souls II Supervisor, Hidetaka Miyazaki with development helmed by FromSoftware Director Tomohiro Shibuya, Dark Souls II will feature a new hero, a new storyline, and an unfamiliar world for players to survive in while delivering its signature brand of unrelenting punishment that players hunger for. Epic battles with gruesome enemies and blood-thirsty bosses await adventurers as they traverse through a devastated world filled with death and despair; only those who are strong willed or cunning can survive this journey to achieve great glory. Players seeking to share their experience will discover a revamped server-based multiplayer mode that will put a distinct Dark Souls II twist on the concept of playing with others.

We're happy to read that the success of Dark Souls doesn't seem to be forcing the sequel to 'mainstream' itself and lose some of the series' appeal, even if it was hard as *#&*. Carlson Choi, Vice President of Marketing for Namco Bandai:

"Dark Souls II retains the core essence of Dark Souls while evolving to present new twists and challenges that are sure to please longtime fans and attract new comers to the series. FromSoftware is going to take a very dark path with Dark Souls II; players will need to look deep within themselves to see if they have the intestinal fortitude to embark on this journey."

Dark Souls 2 Announcement Trailer

Tomohiro Shibuya, FromSoftware Director on Dark Souls II:

"This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series. The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey."

We'll have the trailer and some images shortly. The official site darksoulsii.com is live as well but nothing on it just yet out side of the above image.

Follow Game Rant on Twitter and watch all of the Spike Video Game Awards trailers and unveilings here.

Dark Souls II will release for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

-

Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes.

Source: Game Trailers