Most ofBrandon Sanderson’s favorite games are every bit as acclaimed as you’d expect, but one RPG that he loves can actually be quite divisive. As an iconic fantasy author, it’s no surprise that a lot of his gaming picks have fantastical elements, and games likeThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildandFinal Fantasy 10get some of his highest praise.His appreciation forDark Souls 2, on the other hand, is a more surprising shout-out.
As part of FromSoftware’s belovedDark Soulsseries,Dark Souls 2certainly isn’t a widely panned game, but it does have a lot more detractors than the first or third entry. With a different director at the helm,Dark Souls 2delivered a very different feel from its predecessor, and potentially frustrating mechanics and design choices turned off some fans. Over a decade later, the game still has plenty of critics, but Sanderson isn’t among them.
Brandon Sanderson Thinks Dark Souls 2 Is Great
FromSoft’s Most Divisive Souls Game Has A Major Fan
Sanderson bringsDark Souls 2up in aYouTubevideo covering his favorite games of all time, although it doesn’t actually make it onto the list. Instead, he mentions it as an aside when talking about hislove forBloodborne, noting thathe could have easily put any of the Soulsborne games on the list.
I went with Bloodborne, even though it could have been any of them, even Dark Souls 2, which I really like, despite its reputation in the fandom. — Brandon Sanderson
Sanderson’s mention ofDark Souls 2’s reputation shows that he’s very aware of its divisive status, buthe’s far from alone in singing its praises. The sequel swung a 91 onMetacritic, edging out the scores of both the first and third games. It’s also a score that sits far above the slew of soulslikes from other studios, and even popular games likeLies of Ptend to average closer to an 80.
It’s Fine For A Dark Souls Game To Be Different
Sanderson isn’t a casual FromSoft fan, explaining thathe’s followed the studio’s games “since the King’s Field” days.Bloodborneultimately takes the top spot due to its mix of cosmic and gothic horror. He clearly holds them all in comparable levels of esteem, though, soDark Souls 2defenders have a strong ally here.
Dark Souls 2doesn’t hold quite as much appeal for me as my FromSoft favorites, but I’m always glad to see people click with any of the games. The studio’s willingness to experiment with the formula has helped it set a consistently high standard, and if every game afterDemon’s Soulsstuck to an identical template, I’d never have beenable to playSekiro.Brandon Sanderson’s love for the game is a little surprising, but even if a substantial portion of fans disagree with him, plenty would easily rally to his cause.
