0.5/5 ★ – guished_foobi's review of Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin.

The Dark Souls franchise is infamous for its difficulty. Even so, I believe most of the series gets a bad wrap. The majority of the time, the Souls games are tough but fair. They give you the tools you need to be successful in tandem with highly difficult yet also highly rewarding gameplay. None of this sentiment applies to DS2. To me, this is the only game in the series that is tough and UNFAIR. In every other souls game there is a feeling of catharsis you experience when you overcome a challenge. Because ultimately YOU got better, YOU persevered, and YOU triumphed. I never once felt that feeling in DS2. This is a game that gives you no quarter, it relishes in your misfortune and will continually shove your face in the dirt. The map layout is confusing and convoluted, enemies are relentless and in a ludicrously high quantity, and bosses are hit or miss. This is the only Souls game where I actively needed to look up a guide to help me reach the ending. Even though there are bosses that are genuinely well designed and fun in a bubble, when you factor in the abhorrent run-ups that many of them have I can honestly say that I did not enjoy a single one. It is a shame that some very fun bosses (mirror knight, sir alone, ivory king, etc.) are wasted in this dumpster fire of a game. I genuinely feel like I wasted every moment of my time spent with this title.