Fans eager for Dark Souls 2 might have to wait as long as 2014 before they see the sequel to the unforgiving action-adventure game. According to the latest issue of Edge Magazine, Dark Souls 2 is only 25% complete and may not be out before the end of 2013.
Dark Souls 2 is currently in developed at From Software, the developers of the original. It has two new directors, Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura, with the Souls series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki moving into more of a supervisory role.
Despite being in development since September 2011, it seems From Software still has plenty of work to do. The development team was described as "substantially bigger" with "nearly double the internal team focused on world creation alone." According to the report, Dark Souls 2 will be "roughly the same size as its predecessor", but "denser" at the same time.
Other tidbits from the feature include hints as to the concept of the game. Shibuya teased that it will once again focus on a cursed character searching for a cure for his affliction. He described "the concept of time and the existence of time" as key to the game. He didn't reveal the location of the game, which will be "key to the story, but it won't be set in Lordran. It will be revealed eventually, the magazine says.
Most would agree, in terms of gameplay, the original Dark Souls was one of the most challenging experiences ever. Dark Souls 2 will offer a similar experience and challenge, but Shibuya said one of the goals with the sequel is to make the game more accessible and easier to understand.
Shibuya mentioned "limiting players options for the early portion of the game, making it simpler to understand new concepts. Then, after a certain amount of time has elapsed, they will suddenly experience the true Dark Souls experience". In other words, the death and frustration will come, just not as quickly.
"I personally feel the covenant system was something that was difficult to fully absorb and experience [in] Dark Souls," he added. "I intend to make it more accessible to players. And that's not just with the covenant system, but with a lot of other aspects that I felt were difficult to adapt to."
In the same feature, it was said that Dark Souls 2 looks "effortlessly ready for the next generation of consoles" and was compared graphically to games like Watch Dogs and Star Wars 1313. The full article can be found online in issue 249.
