Top 5 Reasons Why Skyrim Will Crush Dark Souls 2

As many of you already know, Dark Souls 2 was announced at the Spike Video Game Awards back on December 7th. Though it is projected to be released in 2014, there are already rumblings about just how awesome this new RPG will be. Much like it’s predecessor, Dark Souls (2011), parallels and comparisons are already being made to video game mega-giant Skyrim.

While still in its ‘infancy’, Skyrim was being compared to the original Dark Souls. At first the gaming community seemed divided over which title would be deemed superior. With both games having strikingly similar elements and themes, it all came down to any notable differences between them, and which title had more pull and notoriety at the time. Both games did exceedingly well in sales and critical reviews. However, it can be argued that Skyrim came out on top by virtue of the strong reputation of prestigious series The Elder Scrolls, of which it was the newest installment of; as well as the sheer technological beauty and expansiveness it offered.

Tomohiro Shibuya

The upcoming release of Dark Souls 2 seems to have ‘rematch’ written all over it! According to an interview with gaming website http://www.siliconera.com, Dark Souls 2 director Tomohiro Shibuya stated “My concept is to get Dark Souls and what made it great, and give it a major upgrade,” Shibuya went on to clarify that there are currently no plans to increase the game’s size. If anything, it will just be slightly larger than the first. He’d also like to keep the overall gameplay time required to beat the game as close as possible to Dark Souls.

Will Skyrim not only stand the test of time, but the test of one of its biggest competitors as well?

Here are 5 reasons why the answer is yes:

IT’S CONSTANTLY EXPANDING: Though already over a year old, Skyrim is still evolving and growing via periodic releases of downloadable DLC’s. There have been three to date, and there are two more rumored to be released sometime in 2013 or early 2014 at the latest. Between the current DLC’s we have seen added game play, new quest lines, new skill trees, new achievements, and advancements to how we interact with the game itself (ie: wielding weapons on horseback, ability to ride dragons ETC.).

Research indicates that the original Dark Souls only offered one major DLC. Now they are creating an entire sequel to build onto what the original could not deliver the first time. By the time Dark Souls 2 is released, Skyrim will have grown and evolved a projected FIVE times. Developers will have a hard time keeping up with that kind of progress if they want to make this new game better than a constantly evolving future classic.

OPEN MAP AND NON LINER GAME PLAY: The beauty of Skyrim is you can go where you want, when you want. You have

Isn’t it beautiful?

all of Skyrim (and now Solstheim as well) at you exploring disposal. You also can complete the main quest at your own speed, which is a definite pro in light of all the other major quest lines the game has to offer. You get to choose to be either a Stormcloak or Imperial, and fight the war at your own pace. You can also become the head of as many or as few guilds that you wish. Or, if you feel like spending a few days picking flowers and building your alchemy skill tree, that’s totally ok too.

Dark Souls 2 reportedly will not have an open map. The game play’s major plot, while ‘simple’ in design, will still gently nudge you in its intended direction whether you like it or not. The best RPG’s are the most flexible ones. Choosing your own adventure is what makes Skyrim more than just a video game. It makes it feel more realistic and comfortable to interact with. It’s the embodiment of what gives RPG’s their name and nature. At the end of the day, isn’t escape from reality with a better one the desire of any gamer?

SKYRIM HAS AN AWESOME WIKI: As most of you are aware, anything and everything on the internet has a wiki guide with material predominantly written by knowledgeable and devoted users. Skyrim is no different. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend you check it out. This site is MASSIVE! The sheer amount of effort that has been put in by both users and moderators alike really shows. There is volumes over volumes of detailed information on every square inch on Skyrim soil. Every character – even the most pointless of NPC – has a biography page and photograph. The quest walkthroughs are extremely detailed and accurate. You could spend DAYS just surfing this wiki and reading things. The fact that it is also very aesthetically pleasing is an added bonus and clearly heartfelt touch.

Dark Souls 2 is to early in development to have a wiki, so lets look at the wiki for the original Dark Souls. Not going to lie, it’s pretty nice. It covers all its bases, as any wiki should. Once you start delving into the site itself however, it’s apparent where it pales in comparison against the Skyrim Wiki. The articles don’t go into nearly as much detail as they should. There is also FAR less information about things like weaponry, game play styles and characters.

If you aren’t convinced, check out google. Skyrim is vastly more popular. You can type in pretty much anything and something Skyrim related will pop up. That is a sign of a strong fan base! You can’t have a successful game without the devotion of its loyal fans.

See what I mean?

THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO: Though it is still quite early in production Dark Souls 2 is projected to have some form of skill

So diverse!

trees and character building activities. Though, if its predecessor is any indicator they will be nowhere near as expansive as what is offered by Skyrim! Completionism aside, Skyrim allows for players to choose what kind of character they want to be and decide for themselves what type of skill sets they want to work on. It doesn’t matter if you are a Mage or Warrior, Nord or Khajiit. You can still take on the game effectively and complete quest lines in the style of your choosing. Not everybody wants to be a dark wizard or a fierce warrior. Some people even want to be somewhere in between. With Skyrim not only is that acceptable, it’s encouraged. The game is what you make of it, and that’s what matters.

THERE BE DRAGONS! Ok YES both games have dragons. That’s why we are here. Take a look at what each game has to offer:

SKYRIM DRAGON:
Realistic proportions of body and wings. Plausible and attractive skin tone. Coloring that seemingly occurs in nature. Believable detailing and texture. Clearly designed to be aerodynamic. Looks like it ‘belongs’ in Skyrim. Appears natural and indigenous to the land it occupies.

DARK SOULS/DARK SOULS 2 DRAGON
Unattractive and disproportionate head. Unnatural coloring. Unrealistic texture. Wings inappropriately mounted on body. Does not look aerodynamic. Sticks out from game visual style. Looks almost cartooney.

I’ll give the Dark Souls/Dark Souls 2 dragon that it is designed to embody what people would typically imagine a mythological dragon to look like. Red IS traditional, and the devil like horns are a nice touch. However, is this really what their audience wants? Where Skyrim has captured the market is everything looks real, and feels real. When you look at a Skyrim dragon, you see a creature that looks like it actually existed. Skyrim dragons have really flown the skies and brought civilizations to their knees. They are things of living legend, and creatures of divine beauty. Dark Souls 2 dragons look like they were drawn for a children’s storybook. It can be equated to looking at a drawing of a cat VS an actual picture of one. Sure, both represent the same thing. However, one is a living breathing thing, and the other is just a caricature.

Well, there you have it folks. At the end of the day, it’s all down to a matter of the tastes and opinions of the masses. However, with it’s already strong track record thus far, it’s clear that Skyrim is the stuff of video game legend. It proved itself worthy in round one, from the looks of things this powerful title has round two in the bag as well.