| Darkest Dungeon | ||||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review | DLC Review |
Darkest Dungeon 2 is a turn-based action RPG roguelite where you march through the depraved and occult alike to reach the end of the world. Read on to learn everything we know about the game, including gameplay and story information.
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Darkest Dungeon 2 Gameplay
The main campaign of Darkest Dungeon 2 is divided into five acts, each featuring a unique end boss and progressively increasing in difficulty. At the beginning of each run, players can choose which act to tackle, determining the journey’s potential conclusion if they make it that far.
Each run allows players to select up to four mercenaries to accompany the carriage, customizing them further by assigning a subclass or specialty, referred to as their Path. Mercenaries specialize in specific combat roles and possess unique abilities, ranging from offensive attacks to buffs and healing, enabling diverse strategies.
Gameplay is structured around two primary pillars: Travel and Combat. During Travel, players navigate through branching paths within each act, each path presenting new opportunities or challenges. These may include combat encounters, shops, field hospitals for healing, or locations where new skills can be unlocked for the mercenaries. Inns, located between sections, provide a chance to heal health and sanity, use Inn Items for buffs or Affinity improvements, and remove illnesses. Inns also serve as hubs for skill enhancement, carriage upgrades, and selecting the next destination.
Combat operates under its own distinct mechanics during specific encounters. Parties are arranged into four ranks, with certain abilities restricted to specific positions. Players and enemies take turns based on turn order, aiming to eliminate the opposing team. Skills and abilities can impose status effects or Tokens, which act as buffs or debuffs. For instance, Dodge Tokens grant a 50% chance to evade the next attack.
To reach an act’s final boss, players must clear a lair in a prior section, defeating a mini-boss along the way. Successfully overcoming the end boss completes the act and unlocks the next one, if available. Throughout their journey, players earn Candles of Hope by completing objectives, which can be used to unlock new abilities, trinkets, cosmetics, or additional mercenaries, enhancing the game’s progression system.
Darkest Dungeon 2 Story Plot
Darkest Dungeon 2 follows the journey of the Scholar, who seeks to undo the catastrophic effects of the Iron Crown, an eldritch artifact whose release and devastation were caused by their own experiments. Armed with the Flame of Hope and joined by four mercenaries-turned-heroes, the Scholar embarks on a perilous trek to the Mountain, aiming to banish the eldritch abominations unleashed upon the world.
Along the way, they face relentless challenges, including remnants of a shattered civilization twisted into monstrous forms beyond recognition. Each step forward is fraught with danger, testing the resolve of the Scholar and their companions. Failure carries dire consequences, as the mission demands nothing less than delving into the darkest depths to reclaim a world teetering on the edge of madness.
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