Introduction

                    Indisputable Fact: Emerald Herald is the best Firekeeper. The Dark Souls series has attracted fans for, including Demon’s Souls, more than 10 years. Unlike other game series, the titles grant as much freedom to the players as possible. Little is explained in a straightforward manner, such as the story, the combat, and how to traverse the unfriendly worlds presented. In doing so, the players are made responsible or at least feel responsible for all that occurs during their playthroughs. And so, all victories and failures feel more pronounced. But these feelings are tied to a very specific design and the expectations have been made loftier as the series has continued just to ensure that those feelings are still had. The series has a black sheep which has been disavowed by the community for not holding to the true Dark Souls experience. Judging by the online presence, the percentage of the community who actually dislike the game cannot be more than half, but it stands in a veritably different place of understanding than Dark Souls I, which receives nothing but praise. Here I will be conducting an argument against the members of the community who find that Dark Souls II does not heed the Dark Souls themes. I will be attempting to see how much of this disparity of praise between Dark Souls I and II comes down to nostalgia and how warranted the judgements made upon Dark Souls II thematically are. I will not be arguing for or against Dark Souls II’s more undeniable issues such as glitches and other bad examples of game design due to the game’s shortened production period. In concluding here, this is all done because I believe Dark Souls II, the incessantly bludgeoned outcast of the series, has been sorely overlooked for its adherence to the themes that make Dark Souls games unique and loved.