A Scholar and a Gentleman

ELDEN RING is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated titles of 2022 and after the stellar Network Test we were able to get our hands on, it’s no secret why. Combining the tough-as-nails yet rewarding gameplay from the Soulsborne series, it takes the tired open world approach and bursts it wide open with a fresh take and astounding freedom.

Either way, with Elden Ring a few months off, what’s a fan or curious newcomer supposed to do until then? May I suggest the oft-overlooked Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin. It’s available on almost every platform but for the most complete, graphical enhanced version, I prefer the PC version (with a controller of course). It’s up for the Winter Sale on Steam for only $19.99 and for potential hundreds of hours of gameplay, that is a steal.

Make no mistake, this is a tough game. In fact, I think the starting area is so obtuse and difficult, that turned a lot of people off, even fans of the series. I was one of them that never really gave it much thought after falling in love with Bloodborne and Dark Souls III but recently rediscovering the game and after a few hours of trials, the rewards are already huge in a massive, dark fantasy world that cannot be duplicated by anyone but FromSoftware.