Dark Souls 2 possesses little of what makes DS1 or DS3 special, causing it to be a forgettable experience. It sits in an unfortunate mediocrity, with bad design decisions weighing it down heavily. It does some things right, namely Bonfire Ascetics and Majula, however, there are some major missteps. The commonly maligned Agility stat is a burden on new players early-game, Estus and Life Gem healing are so slow that it’s painful, and the meticulous interconnectedness of DS1’s map is completely gone in favor of choosing a direction from Majula and holding forward. Overall, this game is forgettable and feels more like a Dark Souls knock-off than a main series entry.