Ben Gibson 
A Darkest Dungeon II early access trailer has landed on YouTube, showing off the style of the new game, as well as some glimpses of the gameplay mechanics. As previously announced, the game will hit early access on the Epic Games on October 26th. Don’t worry, the narrator is back.
The second instalment of the series follows the same combat structure as the first game, with it’s position based party structure and turn based attacks, with different characters/classes filling different roles in the group. We see a few returning faces in the trailer, including the Highwayman, Plague Doctor, Hellion and Leper. You can also experience the origin stories of the heroes. The original title did sometimes become repetitive, so hopefully these backstories might mix things up with some additional plot elements.
Instead of taking place within a central hub, the player will upgrade their stagecoach, which they will use to travel to various locations. According to the Epic Games Store, the game will follow a “Roguelike Run Structure”, with each adventure lasting approximately 5 hours. Characters will rest at inns along the journey, which may add another element of chance into the game, as it’s possible it will be unknown how long it will take to reach an inn for some rest and recuperation, whereas in the original game you could always recover any (surviving!) characters back at the town before they venture out again.
As before, you will be managing the mental fortitude of your characters as well as their physical health, but there is a new feature at play. Now, characters will develop specific buffs or debuffs with specific party members as they adventure together, adding a new layer of decision making into your party composition.
The art style is very similar to before, although the extra effort put into the characters animations and designs shows in the trailer. Characters look less passive than before, with an example being the Leper resting his sword back over his shoulder after making an attack. There are a lot more 3D animations present than in the first game, such as when the characters in the trailer are resting at the inn.
The trailer certainly captures the feel of the original, so hopefully the second instalment will bring enough new features to the party to become a hit.
