Test: Darkest Dungeon 2 (Tactics & Strategy)

Pure stress

My characters all hate one another. The first few days were simple, with only occasional jibes now and then. In no time, debuffs started erupting, and abilities were stopped, and I was unable to complete an action without noting the horrible yelling of my character. This is for the Early Access version of Darkest Dungeon 2 in the simplest terms.

Many systems are viewed differently from the previous. The most significant difference is that you do not have a base, the “Hamlet,” where you take your troops into the different Dungeons. Instead, you’ll find that in the game in Darkest Dungeon 2, you move via carriage along a map that is allegedly like the one in Slay the Spire, making frequent stops at pubs. Before you embark on your adventure, you choose an ensemble comprising four characters to join you throughout your journey.

In the carriage.

This new system works, but it is not particularly appealing so far. It is possible to select between two to three routes that the team players are, of course, their opinion. If you don’t respect them, you’ll be exhausted. You can choose to control the carriage yourself or let it move automatically to the next destination. This is nice. However, it is not the best option. Many things scattered throughout the route assist heroes in healing, provide items or items, etc. But, when you drive automatically, most of these items do not get taken care of. Furthermore, on the way, there’s still the chance of being in an argument on the street. The severity of these fights can vary from very easy to ‘horrible depending on the location.

The run could end up with the very first street fight because powerful adversaries confront you. The arguments are restricted to five rounds. If your opponents are alive, then you don’t receive any prizes. It can be a bit frustrating as most adversaries are near death by the time you’ve finished. If you can’t deliver them, the fatal punch in the first five rounds is over. The fight is considered failing. As of now, the carriage system has been intriguing conceptually. However, it’s not very engaging in its application. There’s plenty of potential for improvement for the following stages of development.

Is there love?

Another significant change in Darkest Dungeon 2 is the stress mechanic: Stress levels now go from zero to ten. When you get to the bottom of this range, the character is weakened and is unable to recover health points, and relationships with other characters are affected. The least you can do is die instantly from a heart attack that does not happen anymore. This new system isn’t good because it is very well connected to relational systems. Suppose characters have a stress factor greater than 3. Negative interactions will happen more frequently. For example, they may be angry when they are “robbed” from a fatal strike to their enemy, and this can result in negative points in their relationships, and eventually, it is impossible to keep people hating one another.