Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
Metacritic
OpenCritic
Mighty
IGDB
Players
OpenCritic Score
Score Distribution
"Players who have played Dark Souls II for an extended period, as well as all of the DLC may find that the rearranged enemy and item placement enough to get them fighting for their soul once again, but only if they are die-hard fans. If you haven't played the original or you were stopped a bit short the first time around, Scholar of the First Sin is the perfect excuse to come back and try your hand at the experience again. The new additions and visual upgrades make this the best version to play the game on. "
Finding live streams...
About Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
FromSoftware dropped this enhanced edition of their third major game in April 2015. It arrived on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC under the publisher Bandai Namco. You play as an undead soul wandering Drangleic, a kingdom choking on decay. This version bundles all three DLC campaigns into one package while fixing the original's performance issues. The graphics got a solid bump up too. It remains a brutal action RPG where you explore interconnected zones, fight massive bosses, and die repeatedly. No hand-holding exists here. You learn by failing until you finally succeed or give up entirely.
Gameplay
You move your character through dark corridors and open fields using standard controller inputs. Combat relies on stamina management rather than a simple button mash. Every swing, roll, or parry costs energy. If you run out, you are defenseless against the AI. Enemy placements shift in this version compared to the original release. You will encounter new NPCs who offer quests or items before they vanish forever. Multiplayer lets you summon other players for co-op or invade their worlds as a hostile phantom. Sessions last anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours depending on boss difficulty. You spend most of your time grinding souls to upgrade stats or buy better gear. Death resets your location but keeps your currency until you retrieve it.
What Players Think
Critics loved this package with an 87 on OpenCritic and 88.64% recommending it. Digital Spy and Daily Mirror both gave perfect scores calling it a nightmare worth having. PlayPile data shows the community rates the experience highly too. Average playtime sits around 45 hours for completionists. Only 35.4% of users unlocked achievements on average, which shows how stubborn players get. The rarest feat is The Dark Soul at just 5.90%. Community tags label it strategic and story-driven despite having only a few votes. Most people agree the difficulty spike is real but fair if you learn the patterns.
PlayPile's Take
This version runs better than the launch title and includes all paid content upfront. You should buy it now since prices have dipped to 19.95 dollars historically. It suits players who enjoy methodical combat and deep lore over fast action. Thirty-eight achievements track your progress but only a fraction of players will find the rare ones. The price is reasonable for the amount of content included. If you want a game that challenges your patience and rewards knowledge, this fits the bill. Avoid it if you need constant hand-holding or quick gratification.
Game Modes
Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
IGDB Rating
85.2
RAWG Rating
4.2
Deals
Finding deals...
Videos
2Annoucement Trailer
Screenshots
10Community Moods
Achievements
Loading achievements...
Similar Games
Finding similar games...
Buzzing on Bluesky
Checking Bluesky...
