Dark Souls 2 'more approachable' - Series creator steps aside

Dark Souls 2 will be "more straightforward and more understandable" than its predecessor, as a pair of new directors take over the series.

That's according to the latest issue of Edge - on sale December 20 - which reveals the just-announced sequel will be the first in the Souls series not to be helmed by creator from Hidetaka Miyazaki. Instead newcomers Tomohiro Shibuya and Yui Tanimura will take the reins, with Miyazaki supervising.

"Their descriptions of how they intend to mould Dark Souls II into a more approachable form seem reasonable," Edge writes on its website. "But Shibuya admits that their approach will be influenced by their individual characters."

It adds: "We sympathise if that sort of statement concerns you, but at the same time, we can surely agree that we would all like to see Dark Souls attain as great a presence as The Elder Scrolls. How it gets there is a worthy matter for debate, but it's certainly a noble task."

Shibuya himself told Edge that he sees himself as the sort of person "who likes to be more direct than subtle" and as a consequence Dark Souls 2 will be "more straightforward and more understandable."

Dark Souls 2 is in development for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Despite the co-director's comments on accessibility, Namco Bandai's PR promises "the kind of unrelenting challenges that have become a hallmark of the series, while presenting devilish new obstacles for players to overcome."

The sequel will feature a revamped server based multiplayer experience "that will put a distinct Dark Souls II twist on the concept of playing and sharing with others," it says.

Shibuya says in the press release: "This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game. We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls II in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series.

"The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls II an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey."