Darkest Dungeon 2 (Top 5 Changes)

You either prefer Coke or Pepsi but there isn’t a definitive right answer. Same goes for Darkest Dungeon and the sequel, Darkest Dungeon 2. There are a lot of similarities, but a lot of differences as well. Red Hook Studios could have played it safe and just introduced some new characters and a new town, but instead they introduced plenty of new features and mechanics. Here are the Top 5 changes in Darkest Dungeon 2:

Taking the Rogue less traveled

The biggest and most controversial change from the original is embracing the rogue-lite nature with runs that feel like a much darker, perhaps darkest version of The Oregon Trail. The only thing missing is dysentary. With Darkest Dungeon, you grew old with players that ventured out and when they survived, you felt a connection and they became anchors for many of your future expeditions and when they died, you were gutted.

Darkest Dungeon 2 eschews that by leaning into runs that fit the more traditional rogue-lite mold. Venture out on your stagecoach for anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours as you try to defeat evil. When you die, you will take your lessons learned, take what resources you have earned and spend them on upgrades that will help future runs including anything from stronger characters to pets. The game is still unforgiving and tough as nails but when you lose, you don’t feel like quitting, you feel like doing it just one more time.

BFF’s

Considering how much time the members of your party spend together and the horrors they will witness as one, it seems only fitting that Red Hook introduced an affinity system. This system basically determines if the members of your team are friends or enemies. This can be altered a number of ways by how you stand beside one another in battle by following up a friendly attack or seeking revenge immediately after one of your members have been harmed, to things like playing cards back at the inn.

Having a meltdown as you would imagine drastically affects the affinity system. If members have tight bonds then they will aid each other in battle and produce positive effects on each other. Sadly, this system also works in the opposite way and if the synergy isn’t there, your top move could negatively affect another member of your team.

Origin Stories

In Darkest Dungeon, you created your own characters history by the journeys that they went on and survived. In my opinion, the best addition to Darkest Dungeon 2 is the introduction of Origin Stories for each of the characters. On your journey there will be hero shrines that give you one of the five chapters of each hero's story. Sometimes they are just narrated and sometimes you have to take part in some type of battle like helping the highwayman escape from prison or helping the grave robber poison her abusive husband.

These stories made me care much more about the characters than I ever did about any of the characters from the original, no matter how many dungeons they survived with me. These chapters also feel rare because there are only four spots in the stagecoach and only certain stops on your journey with a hero’s shrine. On top of this they also unlock different paths and skills for that class.

Improved Visuals

The most immediately noticeable change for anyone that played Darkest Dungeon is the visual overhaul. You could simply just say that Red Hook moved from 2D to 3D but that would be doing it a disservice. The 3D visuals not only bring your journey to life on the stagecoach, but also make each character animation have a more realistic feel.

On top of the 3D visuals, Red Hook clearly made it a focus to add a more cinematic flare to the game with things like title cards and cinematography. When you venture out from the inn, there is behind the back shot of your party at the edge of the inn. This shot alone gives the journey a ominous feeling. When you arrive at an inn, the camera pans up towards the mountain. When you head out into a new environment, the letterboxes pull in. These are just a few of the visuals changes that add up to a much more immersive and cinematic experience.

Improved Audio

Narration from Wayne June returns, but more than that the new score from Stuart Chatwood truly creates a sense on tension and unease. As the camera pans up towards the mountains, where evil resides, there is an an orchestral melody that is reminiscent of Inception, but with a tinge of horror. When you combine the score, the narration and the meaty audio effects during battle, what remains is a experince that is much more atmospheric than the first entry.

Road Less Traveled

No one likes change, but I applaud Red Hook for taking chances on a beloved series. Just like the heroes of your journey, they choose the road less traveled and came out the other side with an amazing product and have likely pushed themselves outside of their comfort zone, which will lead to even better things down the road.