Just when you thought it was safe to go back into Drangleic, Bandai Namco has announced plans to bring its unforgiving RPG Dark Souls II to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next year replete with new features.
Billed as the definitive edition of sorts, the re-release will also bundle together the sequel’s three-part DLC storyline. Come April 7, 2015, it will be released as Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Here’s a list of those aforementioned new additions that will weave their way into the new version of the game.
- Additional NPCs added for an enhanced story experience.
- Parameter adjustments for improved game balance.
- Augmented item descriptions.
- Improved online matchmaking functionality.
- Xbox One, PS4, and DirectX 11 versions of the game will include the following features (in addition to those listed above):
- Additional upgrades to graphics, sound, performance.
- Increase in maximum online players in single session (6 total)
Thankfully, the publisher has confirmed that these features will be available to existing players through the release of a patch, but it’s unclear at this stage whether budding adventurers will be able to transfer their progress from one generation to the next in the vein of Grand Theft Auto Online. Besides, the thought of creeping through the dark and dank environments of Drangelic on current-gen consoles is almost too good to pass up.
And while it’s easy to criticize Bandai Namco for repackaging Dark Souls II for new consoles so soon after release — the sequel is only eight months old, after all —Â Â Scholar of the First Sin is undoubtedly an enticing compilation for what is one of the best RPGs of the year.
Bandai Namco’s revered sequel will hit Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC on April 7, 2015.
