Here’s What Dark Souls II v1.03 Brings to the Table

From Software released Dark Souls II, the sequel to the seminal, generation defining Dark Souls, last month on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (a PC release is due this month), and they have been busy at work since then supporting the game to make sure its balance is not broken.

Proper balance is, of course, necessary especially for a game that can be as exacting on a player’s skill level as the Souls games often are- if a boss is unfairly difficult, it can completely undermine the integrity of the game (not to mention cause many players to simply quit in frustration, by sheer virtue of the fact that they won’t blame the game, they’ll simply think their own skill level is lacking).

So From’s laundry list of fixes in v1.03 and 1.04 mostly includes balance tweaks and nerfs. The full list is below:

• Changed the “heavy” throwing animation for Corrosive Urns. Reduced corrosive damage to items when hit.
• Increase in durability on Twin Blade Weapon / Decreased their durability degradation.
• Moonlight Greatsword can no longer be enchanted and buffed. Attack animation has been slowed / adjusted.
• The upward adjustment weight, the degree of toughness, the defense of “large helmet of Gerumu warrior” Armor (Thanks Google Translate. I have no idea what a Gerumu is).
• Reduced damage from the Ring of Thorns.
• Reduced damage from the Ring of the Old Sun
• Damage will not decrease for every enemy that Soul Spear pieces trough.
• Increase in casting time and decrease of damage for Soul Greatsword
• Upward adjustment of the bullet speed “lump of Seoul to be tracked” magic “crystal mass of Seoul to be tracked”, and a lower adjustment of stamina take the amount of darkness surgery “those who follow” (Unsure of the horrible Google Translate)
• The downward adjustment of the amount of damage “torrent of Seoul” magic (I’m guessing a nerf in Soul Geyser or Soul Vortex)
• Casting speed on recovery spells being lengthened.
• Decrease in damage and increase in casting time for all Fire Storm-esque pyromancies. Might also include a decrease in damage for Forbidden Sun.
• Increased defense for Lucatiel, Benhart, and Manscorpion Tark (one other NPC mentioned).
• The downward adjustment of the HP enemy “rupture the Dead” (???)
• Female mages in Shrine Of Amana receiving nerf in both damage and their spell’s tracking ability.
• Fire Lizards in Forest of Fallen Giants will not spit fire in slower intervals.
• Downward adjustment period the occurrence of the shock wave of attack during downswing enemy of “backpack hammer”
• The Last Giant now does even less damage to players and Well-Mannered Pate.
• The Lost Sinner now has less HP and does less damage.
• Royal Rat Authority now has less HP and does less damage
• Duke’s Dear Freja’s laser breath now does less damage.
• Enemies around Sinner’s Rise now do less damage
• Shadow Men in the Flexile Sentry’s Boss area in NG+ now do less damage

Sounds like a fairly substantial overhaul, all said and done.

Have you bought Dark Souls II yet? What do you think of it?