Dark Souls II Beta Footage Leaked!

The sequel to Namco Bandai’s insanely frustrating game Dark Souls, Dark Souls II, is currently in beta. Footage has been leaked to YouTube from what appears to be a PS3 beta tester. 

So far the game looks strikingly similar to its predecessor in both style and gameplay.  

Some noticeable differences are the updated graphics and AI, which seems a whole lot more intelligent than the occasionally sloth-like AI found in the first game. 

The HUD has been streamlined and looks, for lack of a better term, cleaner.

The game’s creators have stated that there will be no direct connection between Dark Souls and Dark Souls II, even though it is a sequel.

Co-director Yui Tanimura has said,

“We do not plan on having an Easy Mode since we are creating this game with a thought that challenge and difficulty are core elements of the game.”

So love it or hate it, the legendary difficulty that made the first game so popular is back.

Some new gameplay features include being able to deflect weapons in mid-air and a game world that is roughly twice the size of the original’s. 

 Dark Souls II will be released March 2014.