
It’s a tough trade-off, and while we miss the sense of place that Darkest Dungeon’s town gave me, this sequel has less chance of major setbacks from party wipes that feel like pure, sadistic punishment. Building on Darkest Dungeon’s turn-based combat, Red Hook Studios made a bold choice: Darkest Dungeon 2 is not the same games Instead of a long, ongoing campaign where your party leaves from a central base and comes back with loot to improve it, you make shorter stagecoach gauntlet runs toward the looming mountain, getting a little stronger each time. To enjoy it for the dozens of hours it takes to finish, you have to have the mindset of a gambler, always hoping that the dice will fall the way you want and that the next run will be better than the last.
