When comparing DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin vs Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition, the Slant community recommends Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition for most people. In the question“What are the best PC RPGs?” Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is ranked 14th while DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin is ranked 73rd. The most important reason people chose Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition is:
A mage a monk and a half orc are the three new playable characters in the game which also have expanded stories over the original characters.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Not an RPG
The entirety of the Dark Souls series are NOT RPGs!!! They are Action Arcade Shooters with swords...otherwise known as a Third-Person Shooter.
Pro New lighting system
Before the original Dark Souls II was released the developer had shown off a lighting system where areas were pitch black and a torch was necessary to see. This was eventually removed before the release. Now with the release of the DX11 version, DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin is able to actually have this lighting system working on par with what was shown of years ago pre-release.
Many areas will now be completely dark and in order to traverse them the player will need to use a torch to see and light static torches throughout the level to keep it lit. This will then allow the player to go through the level without the aid of the torch in order to battle all enemies that lay within. this overhauled lighting system creates a whole new play mechanic that will force players to tackle levels in a completely different manner than the original game.
Pro Slow and deliberate fighting with reward/risk mechanics
Each enemy encounter needs to be calculated and precisely timed, as any mistake will most likely mean death. An added level of complexity to this equation is enemies that can be ignored but will then gang up on the player once a boss is beaten. This creates a risk/reward scenario that the player needs to weigh with a lot of thought.
Pro Excellent boss battles
There are many iconic boss battles throughout the game that make for some of the most difficult moments to be played. But once finally defeating a boss the feeling of accomplishment is well worth it.
Pro Expansive fantasy settings
Dark Souls II offers a wide variety of locales to explore, all within a fantasy setting. The amount of differing locations does give a feeling of lack of cohesion though but does have the benefit of locations that are wildly different from each other, which can be refreshing at times.
Pro Branching gameplay with plenty of choices
The branching gameplay within Dark Souls II makes for not only a great way to tailor each adventure to each player keeping everyones experiences unique, but also a reprieve from many difficult points in the game. If one area has become to tough or something has the payer stuck from advancing further, an alternate path in the game can be taken to wholly different areas. This allows for a multitude of options on how to level up as well as well as many different options in finding and equipping that found gear.
Pro Three new playable characters
A mage a monk and a half orc are the three new playable characters in the game which also have expanded stories over the original characters.
Pro Enhanced resolution support with new zoom ability
The enhanced edition now supports any resolution one may have on their PC as well as has a new addition of being able to zoom in and out, making it much easier to see what is going on in the game.
Cons
Con Not and RPG
The entirety of the Dark Souls series are NOT RPGs!!! They are Action Arcade Shooters with swords...otherwise known as a Third-Person Shooter.
Con Difficulty that requires a lot of time and patience
To be honest, difficult is a nice way of putting it, this game can destroy ones will to live. It is not even worth counting how many times one dies, as it will be in the hundreds if not thousands. Only through patience and sure determination will many reach the ending of the game. So much time is needed in order to replay many areas and bosses over and over in order to learn the exact timing and what moves to use that not many people can spare it.
This is not a game for casual players, that is for sure.
Con Stuck with the Infinity Engine
Old system driving the combat is dated and obtuse.
Horrible pathfinding.
Con New missions are buggy
Bugs do appear in the new missions which can easily be solved by reloading the game, but still is quite an annoyance to do so.