Games

[Texas]

http://www.siliconera.com/2014/02/28/da ... -april-25/

Bandai Namco Games will release Dark Souls II for PC on April 25, about a month after the dark fantasy game is released for consoles.

Dark Souls IIfor PC will have four times higher graphic resolution and will run at 60 frames per second, says Bandai Namco. From Software has been working on adapting the controls for mouse and keyboard players.

Dark Souls II will be available on Steam. Bandai Namco also plans to release a collector’s edition which includes the Black Armor Weapon DLC set, a Dark Souls II t-shirt, art book, and a cloth map.

[Texas]

http://www.vg247.com/2014/03/07/dark-so ... announced/

System Requirements:

Minimum

• OS: Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8
  
• Processor: AMD Phenom II X2 555 3.2Ghz or Intel Pentium Core 2 Duo E8500 3.17Ghz
  
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT, ATI RadeonHD 5870
  
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
  
• Sound Card: Compatible with DirectX 9.0c or higher
  
• Network: Internet connection required for online play and product activation

Recommended

• OS: Windows 7 SP1
  
• Processor: Intel CoreTM i3 2100 3.10GHz or AMD A8 3870K 3.0GHz
  
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
  
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465 or higher, ATI Radeon HD 6870 or higher
  
• Hard Drive: 8 GB available space
  
• Sound Card: Compatible with DirectX 9.0c or higher
  
• Network: Internet connection required for online play and product Activation

[El Chaos]

Console version comparison: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... 2-face-off

On the one hand, if you can't bear the thought of playing through a Dark Souls game with heavy tearing, the PS3 version is the only way to go for now. Performance is largely a sub-30fps affair for Sony's console, but thanks to an engine revamp with more aggressive LOD scaling, we have yet to experience sustained drops as egregious as the original Dark Souls at its worst. For the smoothest performance though, the 360's ability to push 30-40fps at most points is worth considering among those tolerant of tearing artefacts.

It's not a clear-cut answer then, and to top it off, there are some other minor considerations. Both games run at the same resolution with identical assets, though superior alpha effects on the 360 counts as a positive for that console. The better texture filtering on PS3 is a curious plus for Sony's platform also, and its free online service may be enough to curry favour among regular PvP players. Either way, throughout the rebuilding of its engine, this looks, plays and feels like a Dark Souls game, and fans will be well served by the core experience on either platform.

For those stubbornly waiting on PS4 or Xbox One versions, From Software is staying strictly mum on any next-gen details - besides acknowledging that this technology will form the bedrock of future efforts. The upcoming PC release will at least demonstrate the improvements planned for the game's textures and frame-rate - and whether that could extend elsewhere. As a cheeky aside for PS3 owners, the PS4 controller works impeccably with Dark Souls 2 with a wired connection. For now, that's about as close to a next-gen version as we're going to get.

[El Chaos]

Face-Off: Dark Souls 2 PC, has From Software learned its lesson?
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... c-face-off

From Software is no longer dipping its toe in the PC pool as it was with the original Dark Souls port - it's swimming with confident strokes. The visual distinction from 360 and PS3 isn't always massive in terms of core asset-work, and sadly the aesthetic is still no closer to the alpha footage seen at last year's E3. But that's fine. What we do have is a bevy of graphics settings, opening the gates to smoother shadows, slightly higher-res textures, as well as overhauled normal maps not seen on the console versions - plus a reduction in LOD pop-in. On top of that, unleashing the game at 1080p or more lets many of these visual augments stand out as they should.

Such refinements help position the PC version as the definitive release, but none are more crucial than its ability to hit a stable 60fps. Coming from the sub-30fps playback on console, the PC release is a breath of fresh air when played on anything from a lower-end AMD HD 7790 to the high-flying Nvidia GTX 770. Optimisation across a range of GPUs is much more on-point this time, and the accuracy of controls when parrying, or cuing a timely defensive roll, makes the game much more satisfying in action.

However, certain technical hiccups do overshadow this port job. While no stability issues affect our play-through, lock-ups are reportedly a widespread frustration for those booting the game while outputting through HDMI or using control inputs besides an Xbox 360 pad. Glitches such as these urgently need addressing, though fortunately Namco Bandai confirms that each case is being investigated. It's a tedious hurdle before an otherwise-appealing PC port then, but if you can work around it until a patch arrives, Dark Souls 2 has never looked or played better.

[icycalm]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=815035

Dark Souls 2 shipped 1.2m in US/Europe

http://www.bandainamco.co.jp/files/E8A3 ... EFBC89.pdf

not including PC, by the end of March

Flood of samey action dungeon crawlers confirmed to continue.

[dinopoke]

http://www.allgamesbeta.com/2014/06/dar ... w-dlc.html

http://store.steampowered.com/app/284450/

Crown of The Sunken King Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcjmioTofm8

[ksevcov]

Scathing Accuracy Shepton's review: http://scathingaccuracy.com/reviews/349-dark-souls-2

Scathing Accuracy Renegade's review: http://scathingaccuracy.com/reviews/350-darky2

[ChevRage]

‘Crown of the Ivory King’ DLC Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on7JFjX6Cus

[ksevcov]

http://gematsu.com/2014/11/dark-souls-i ... -one-april

Bandai Namco has announced Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Dubbed the “complete Dark Souls II experience,” the package will include Dark Souls II, all three downloadable add-ons (‘Crown of the Sunken King,’ ‘Crown of the Old Iron King,’ and ‘Crown of the Ivory King’), new NPCs and enemies, an expanded lore and new in-game events, re-balanced gameplay, online matchmaking, and more. The current-gen and PC versions will offer updated visuals and a higher maximum number of players for online play. And the PC version supports both DirectX 9 and DirectX 11.

Users who already own Dark Souls II will receive the improved balancing and online matchmaking functionality, as well as expanded story content, free of charge via an large-scale update.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin will be available on April 7, 2015 in North America and sometime during April in Europe.

Announcement Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0GxBZcVmHc