Like the first game, Darkest Dungeon 2 has you journeying through Lovecraftian dungeons, tackling tough turn-based combat, and managing an increasingly fragile group of heroes. But, this time you’re on the road. The game has recieved a ton of updates during early access including new characters and an overhauled progression system. The Affinity System is another interesting, new feature that affects the interpersonal connections between your party. A hero’s emotional state can influence their relationship with others in the party, creating useful buffs or hindering debuffs. So, make sure you have someone with taste on the stagecoach’s AUX cord. I’ve had the first Darkest Dungeon installed for years, but have been waiting to be in ‘the right mood’ to experience its relentless cycle of stress, spooks, and death. Perhaps I’ll wait for the sequel since I do love roadtrips with a gang travelling cross-country. Although, I have an inkling the stagecoach won’t make this any more jolly. In his early access review, Brendan Caldwell thought the game was as punishing and interesting as ever, despite some bumps in the road. “This is a faithfully despondent, sometimes frustrating journey of attrition, decay and distrust,” he said. “A journey you should maybe put off until the wobblesome wagon has all its wheels tightened.” Darkest Dungeon 2 will launch on PC via Steam and The Epic Games Store on May 8th, and a demo is available on both storefronts now. The RPG’s early access version is exclusively available on the Epic Games Store for £24/$26/€27.
