Darkest Dungeon II Preview

Darkest Dungeon II entered early access last month, which naturally resulted in some quick previews. But now we can also check out this Eurogamer preview with a big focus on the game’s new mechanics and how they alter the Darkest Dungeon formula. Here’s a quick excerpt to get you started:

I like the carriage now. I didn’t when I began. I thought it drew the action out and made the game experience longer than it needed to be. I also thought it was a pig to control, which I still think – steering it is like playing a sluggish OutRun – but I’ve gotten used to it, and I’ve changed my mind about the carriage slowing the game down. I actually now think the opposite. I think it breathes a sense of energy into the game. It creates this feeling that things are always moving, always going forwards. In Darkest Dungeon you walked, and the difference in pace is really noticeable.

Moreover, the carriage as a mechanic declutters the game and speeds the experience of playing up, even if it does take a while to rumble along the roads. All the busywork in-between has gone. Whereas before you would spend a lot of time roster-managing and carefully considering who to take on a mission – based on who was well enough, whether they were high level enough, and then working out if you had enough money for torches and food – now, you just go.