A kinetic and aggressive soulsborne that has a combat system far exceeding its peers. With phenomenally designed opponents (for the most part) and a straightforward but dynamic move set, mastering your abilities in incredibly difficult encounters is rather satisfying. Almost all of the enemies are quite hard but very fair, meaning that learning them and yourself has marked progression to reward you. Although the story progression is a bit janky and a couple bosses are annoying and boring to fight, the overall package and the specific highlights are potentially the best ever devised.

A monumental, open-world adventure that builds on the strengths of the first game by fleshing out and deepening the dynamics between all of the characters, both "good" and "bad". The emotional punches and compelling portrayals of beautiful masculinity make the substance of the journey even more engaging than its predecessor, offering themes that are universally applicable to our lives as the audience. While the combat and other technical gameplay elements feel pretty similar to the first, the new story and dressing make the long runtime worth your while. Such a banger!