Grim roguelike road trip Darkest Dungeon 2 now leaving early access on May 8th
Out of the dungeons
Darkest Dungeon 2 has been in early access since 2021, and it’s finally taking the roadtrip to a full 1.0 PC release on May 8th. We originally thought the nail-biting roguelike would see a 1.0 release this month, but developer Red Hook haven't left us empty-handed. Darkest Dungeon 2 currently has a demo available on Steam and the Epic Games Store until the end of Steam Next Fest on February 13th. Red Hook say the demo will feature the four starting heroes as you take them around one full region and explore either the Sprawl (city) or the Foeter (farms.)
Like the first game, Darkest Dungeon 2 has you journeying through Lovecraftian dungeons, tackling tough turn-based combat, and managing an increasingly fragile group of heroes. But, this time you're on the road. The game has recieved a ton of updates during early access including new characters and an overhauled progression system. The Affinity System is another interesting, new feature that affects the interpersonal connections between your party. A hero’s emotional state can influence their relationship with others in the party, creating useful buffs or hindering debuffs. So, make sure you have someone with taste on the stagecoach’s AUX cord.
I’ve had the first Darkest Dungeon installed for years, but have been waiting to be in ‘the right mood’ to experience its relentless cycle of stress, spooks, and death. Perhaps I’ll wait for the sequel since I do love roadtrips with a gang travelling cross-country. Although, I have an inkling the stagecoach won't make this any more jolly.
In his early access review, Brendan Caldwell thought the game was as punishing and interesting as ever, despite some bumps in the road. “This is a faithfully despondent, sometimes frustrating journey of attrition, decay and distrust,” he said. “A journey you should maybe put off until the wobblesome wagon has all its wheels tightened.”
Darkest Dungeon 2 will launch on PC via Steam and The Epic Games Store on May 8th, and a demo is available on both storefronts now. The RPG’s early access version is exclusively available on the Epic Games Store for £24/$26/€27.