The Dark Souls Games are known for their challenge, but they are also popular for the quality of their difficulty. They are some of the longest FromSoftware games with tightly designed mechanics and features that many appreciate, which makes other similarly well-designed titles like Elden Ring or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice be developed. While there is no telling what the next Soulslike will look like, some can speculate what it can take from its predecessors and refine to take the genre to new levels. If FromSoftware decides to develop a new Souls game or something similar, the developer should consider reusing a mechanic that Dark Souls 2 unique among its competitors.

To the entries in the Dark Souls Trilogy, the second installment was famous and infamous for limiting the number of times enemies could respawn. After they are killed a certain number of times, they are removed from the game, making it more difficult for players looking to gain experience or items that make them stronger. While certain conditions can be met to make them respawn, it makes the game even more difficult. While some may loathe the mechanic, it was at least unique and taught players in some ways that grinding isn’t always the answer. If refined properly, it has the potential to provide the next FromSoftware game with gameplay experiences that could redefine the Soulslike subgenre.

Related

Why Demon’s Souls 2 may have better legs than Dark Souls 4

FromSoftware fans may be waiting for the next Dark Souls after the Elden Ring content ends, but the Origin of Souls games may have more potential.

Why the next FromSoftware game should consider a limited number of respawns like in Dark Souls 2

While many consider the limitation of enemy respawns far from some of the best things about any of FromSoftware’s Souls Games, one can argue about how it Dark Souls 2The gameplay is more interesting. The mechanics allowed the second game in the trilogy to have an identity among its brothers, whether good or bad is up to the players. Although there will be people who are not fans of the game’s return, there are a few reasons why it should be included in FromSoftware’s next Soulslike game:

• It can help improve players’ combat skills rather than relying on gaining levels and improving their stats to reduce the difficulty
• By limiting respawns, it is harder for players to decide whether certain enemies are worth taking out or ignoring, as they may run into an obstacle if they do not take advantage of the benefits of fighting them.
• The way the gameplay changes allows for different strategies for the game and helps make each playthrough a unique experience.

While Dark Souls 2 is still considered a black sheep of FromSoftware today, but this mechanic allowed it to stand out, and for good reason. It gave the game a particular style of challenge that other Soulslike games have yet to replicate, and makes it something that should be implemented in the developer’s next title.

How Permanently Preventing Enemies from Respawning Could Benefit FromSoftware’s Next Game

Although enemies eventually stop respawning in Dark Souls 2players are at least given the necessary methods to get them back, with the caveat that they will be much more difficult. While some see this as the reason why Dark Souls 2 is one of the best Souls In games, leaving the decision up to players can actually hurt the experience. Some might unknowingly increase the difficulty to the point where they can’t complete the game, and may even give up altogether. If the next FromSoftware game decides to limit enemy respawns, it should consider not giving players any ways to bring them back. Permanently removing them can help prevent any form of accidental difficulty spikes, and allow for better decisions about how to approach the challenges.

FromSoftware’s future looks bright after Elden Ringwhich means that every title the developer creates has a chance of success if it uses what made its predecessors successful. Although loathed by some, the mechanic of limiting the respawns of enemies in Dark Souls 2 enabled gameplay experiences that made it unique and memorable. It has a lot of potential to make the next Soulsborne game a fantastic entry if reused, as long as it is modified and implemented properly.

Dark Souls 2

Dark Souls 2, released in 2014, is the second title in From Software’s legendary Dark Souls series. Players create their own character, an “undead” who will one day become a zombie-like Hollow if players fail to break the curse by defeating a powerful enemy.

Released

11 March 2014

Multiplayer

Online multiplayer

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood and brutality, mild language, partial nudity, violence

franchise

dark souls

Motor

Havok

Expand