Given Dark Souls II dropped both the original's light/dark dichotomy and its interconnected world structure, it allowed itself to be far more varied in locations, and now ranges from Gothic castles sinking into the lava, to underground pirates' dens, to thick, overgrown forts.

It all started with Demon Souls, a formidable and unforgiving beast, on the Playstation 3. Unfortunately it was a game I had very little exposure too but generated a lot of interest around the hardcore gaming water cooler.

So, here we are, together again, to discuss Dark Souls II . Returning readers will remember that I've been something of a cheerleader (if a qualified one) for From Software as a development house and have spent far more time playing through their games than is entirely healthy.

Take a look at the live streams, Let's Plays, and other online phenomena still surrounding Dark Souls -- released two-and-a-half years ago -- and it's easy to see that, despite its length and nearly inestimable depth, From Software's Demon's Souls sequel left fans wanting more.

It took me a whole two and a half years to push myself beyond the deliberately unwelcoming first few levels of Dark Souls , and even now, after punching through the whole of it in a mere four days and developing a begrudging respect for the game, I'm not convinced that it's truly great.

Prepare To Die…Again and Again and Again.