Dark Souls 2 producer explains accessibility, says combat feels more intuitive

To call Dark Souls hard is to sort of miss the point.

To call Dark Souls hard is to sort of miss the point. It was a challenge, to be sure, but mainly because its story and systems were obtuse and coy enigmas hidden throughout the game. Dark Souls 2's co-director Yui Tanimura has never shied awayfrom using the word "accessibility", causing some to worry that the game's obscurities would be more clearly signposted for the sequel.

In an interview with OXM, Namco Bandai producer Takeshi Miyazoe has explained how the team have translated their philosophy of accessibility into a game that doesn't ruin the game's mystery or challenge.

"It's a lot of things that happen behind the scenes, like the motion capture," Miyazoe said. "In the previous game, the player motions were hand-animated, whereas this time they're motion-captured by stunt artists." Supposedly, this makes the combat feel more intuitive, making it easier and more natural to read the intricacies of an enemy's attack moves.

As for the story, Dark Souls 2 will remain just as obscure. "The 'true story' isn't as important to us as the story each player creates based on his or her own roleplay," Miyazoe said. "We want you to explore or get items and read the descriptions to find out more, so that you are able to fill in the gaps as you explore."

Despite this, the game will be more upfront with certain systems. "In terms of tutorials it will be a little more than in Dark Souls I, but we're not going to explain all the tools you'll have," said Miyazoe. "We want players to be creative."

You can see the full interview at OXM, and, for more on Dark Souls 2, read our interview with co-director Yui Tanimura.