I have an obsession with this game.
Dark Souls 2 doesn't so much as continue the story of the first, as much as it is another "turn of the wheel" so to speak. Much like Elric of Melnibone or any of the Eternal Champions, you are there when the pendulum of the ages swings - from order to chaos, or vice versa. Though I suppose as champion, you would always see yourself as the agent of light ...
It is an interesting thought one should always consider, hero and villain are defined by your notions of their motivations. A necromancer is perceived as "morally wrong", so it would be okay for the brutish warrior to kick down his doors and steal his treasure or worse. You'd be obligated if you were a necromancer (merely trying to unlock the secrets of the universe) to invest time in protecting your lair with an undead army from all these foolhardy home-invaders! "The greatest evils are often perpetrated in the name of good."
Anyways, the ending of the first game had the player choosing whether to embrace the fire, essentially burning your soul as fuel to keep things how they are, with mankind in power - or reject it, ushering in an age of darkness as the new Dark Lord. The ending for Dark Souls 2 was far less epic, I felt like I discovered a series of bosses, which led to the end boss - who I challenged to sit on the throne. The story is once again told through slow dialog acted as if people were completely bored and depressed, which I guess fits the environment. I didn't follow anyone's story in particular, I'll have to read a fanboi summation soon.
That said, the journey there was fraught with some of the most heart yammering, hand sweaty game play. Boss fights with amazing creatures, learning to deal with impossible situations - it was crazy fun. A few things were changed to make it more accessible in the long run - brilliant choices in fact. There is a limit to the number of times a creature will spawn after you kill it - so if you struggle in an area, you can work at it like a pick axe, as you learn the fights and get better - fewer of the initial creatures spawn so you are better equipped to learn and deal with the later fights in an area.
Also, you're not restricted to restoring your humanity (becoming human again so you can summon assistance) at a bonfire, which would in turn respawn all the enemies. So now you can fight your way to a boss area and then restore your humanity to summon multiplayer or NPC help. Alternatively you can volunteer to help others with a boss - victory of which might give rewards of potential humanity, restoring your Estus Flask charges, or bonus supplies depending on other game factors.
I played through "almost" blind, allowing myself usually 20+ attempts at a boss before investigating anything. This usually afforded me the ability to finish it by learning myself and helping others. I am also guilty of looking up the location of a few bonfires that I was sure had to be nearer a boss than I had come from, I wonder if they were aware of the cruelty they were doing to people who didn't play online and get orange hints... so many bonfires were hidden by odd paths or behind illusory walls.
I will play again when it releases on PC, and I have some time on the 360 to try and not be so terrible at PVP ... but this time I'll be shining a flashlight in every corner and probably following a guide to make sure I've collected it all. I'll also probably target a lower end level completion ...
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