Comparing the first Darkest Dungeon to Darkest Dungeon 2 is rough. It was clear from the Early Access period that the game was going to be different. The art and style were the same and there were systems such as stress management that made a return.
But the developers weren't simply looking to give players more of the same in Darkest Dungeon 2. Some players will understandably like the first game better and may even see some "improvements" as downgrades. But it must be recognized what went right for this sequel so that the team at Red Hook gets an idea of what players want in a possible trilogy.
10 Incredible Symbolism
The core idea of getting through dungeons and journeys in Darkest Dungeon remains the same. But the Confessions themselves are beautifully allegorical in the second game. Each hero exists to try and free an entity from sin. The narrator marvelously speaks about how these come to pass.
Take the first boss in the Denial Confession. It looks and feels like fighting a brain but, in reality, players are fighting against the locks on the brain to free it. This is exactly what denial feels like, wrestling to free the knowledge that has been repressed from one's own mind. As the squad progresses and enemy Ordainment gets stronger, the other bosses have a similar theme.
9 Quicker Pace
Some players loved the Hamlet and spending up to half an hour getting everything ready for a run was a source of great delight. That's a completely fair thing to love and miss. Yet many gamers find the second game more approachable because it's easy to pick up, select a few heroes, unlock and choose a hero path, pick some skills, and go.
Being able to jump right in fits some players' schedules better. Gamers that had time to fiddle with everything in the first game might find that the ease on time restrictions fits their schedules better as they've taken on new responsibilities.
8 More Replayability
Before, players would unlock power. Finding specific trinkets and upgrades was a definitive thing. Now, instead of making a plan and destination to unlock power, gamers unlock possibilities. Getting Candles of Hope to spend at the Altar of Hope often doesn't guarantee strength, it merely permits finding more strength.
Like it or not, this means that the second game is more replayable. After getting to the top power levels in the first game, there is no more challenge. In the second game, players will always need to roll with the changes, even if they've unlocked everything, including the best items at the Inn.
7 Multiple Successful Strategies
The tactics in the first game became almost cookie-cutter in their repetitiveness. Sure, it was possible to drag some heroes along to victory, but there was a clear power hierarchy. Ultimately, winning was flat-out easier with some setups than others.
What some veterans are loving about the second game is how any group can win so long as it is played with a high degree of intelligence. Making the right moves and taking the right gambles is satisfying.
6 Bigger Decisions
The time of letting the stagecoach go wherever and hoping for the best is done. Even a fully upgraded stagecoach can have its wheels knocked off, lose armor plating, or run into one too many Loathing stacks. Even a perfectly planned run will mean the stagecoach is barely holding on.
Giving away light or taking on one too many fights can be doom for the team. Left, right, or straight are no longer simple choices players can recover from with superior expertise.
5 Varied Gameplay
At some point in Darkest Dungeon, players get the knowledge and security that means nothing will threaten them. Opponents can be deduced and compensated for before the run begins. Victory is assured before an expert leaves the Hamlet.
With so many random obstacles on the course and various potential buffs and debuffs, no run feels the same even when it's the same Confession with the same team. Every run feels more intense and every victory feels earned on a razor's edge. Choosing which skills to upgrade changes based on the situation.
4 More Impactful Combat
Making a bad move in the first Darkest Dungeon can easily be compensated for with enough investment at the Hamlet. Make a bad move in Darkest Dungeon 2 and it could spell the end of a run. Enemies hit harder, stack more stress, and have more abilities to wipe out the party.
It's not all against the player, though. Conversely, curing wounds, landing combos, and positional superiority can make the player's characters hit harder as well. Every move must be carefully considered as the downside is worse and the upside is better in the sequel. Building good relationships can carry a team while ignoring the Affinity system will destroy a squad.
3 Better Balance
The balance in Darkest Dungeon 2 is superb. Nobody is going to argue that the Plague Doctor in the first game was terrible; she's one of the best characters out there regardless of the circumstance. But the Plague Doctor in Darkest Dungeon 2 can be the worst or the best on the team depending on the surrounding cast.
There are heroes with better success rates than others but even the "worst" can be the star of a team that builds around them. This kind of balance has led to fewer heroes in the second game but the heroes that are present each have a balanced role to play.
2 No Farming
There is only one item to "farm" in Darkest Dungeon 2, the Candles of Hope, but getting them happens naturally. The grind of seeking out specific items and paths is gone. Simply putting together a good team and getting as far as possible is all that "farming" now entails.
Granted, many gamers may like setting their sights on specific tasks with specific rewards. Continually playing the same thing until all loot has been received has its own sense of reward. But the freedom to play however and be rewarded for it is something other kinds of gamers will prefer.
1 More Roguelike
True roguelike games sometimes offer more possibilities but do not have anything that specifically makes the starting point better. Neither Darkest Dungeon game is a true roguelike for this reason; some upgrades make the heroes directly better.
Still, the second game is much closer to this. Trinkets aren't guaranteed (especially the rare Stained items) and combat items must be randomly found after being unlocked. For those who wanted a heavier dash of roguelike in the experience, Darkest Dungeon 2 provides.
Darkest Dungeon 2 is available now for PC.