When I first heard of the Dark Souls II DLC announcement I was ecstatic, and I assumed the community would be as well. Boy was I wrong. Apparently everything gaming related is a controversy anymore.

The first bit of incendiary vitriol I saw being flung about was the accusation that FROM Software had said there would be absolutely no DLC produced; that Dark Souls II was a complete experience.

Well, that isn’t exactly true. Sure, Takeshi Miyazoe said back in December of last year that “we don’t even expect any additional downloadable content because we want to deliver a full game, the full experience, to fans who purchase the package from day one,” adding “We did do additional content for Dark Souls, but generally downloadable content for Dark Souls II is not really being considered.”

However, back in February – before the game was released – Miyazoe amended his previous statement, saying “There is definitely potential, I think. Again, it’s all about fan feedback. Right now we are concentrating on completing what we’ve got, but I think there are next steps on how we can expand on Dark Souls II.”

First and foremost, let’s abolish this absurd notion that Dark Souls II somehow isn’t a complete game. It absolutely is a complete game. Dark Souls II will take the average player around 60 hours to complete. It’s full of intense combat, biblical boss battles, and the series’ standard dark and cryptic lore. Additionally, while many consider it to not be quite as good as its predecessor, it is still heads-and-fucking-shoulders above most other big name offerings on the market.

To me it simply appears that between  the time of Miyazoe’s initial statement in December, and his revision in February, that *gasp* the development team had some new ideas that they wouldn’t have had time to implement in the core game, but might decide to elaborate upon and release as DLC in the future, based upon demand. That’s what happens when you undertake a creative endeavor; good ideas spawn more good ideas, ad infinitum.

As I discussed with the independent best-selling author Benjamin Wallace in this week’s INT Spec Podcast, “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” The variation on that, attributed to William Zinsser, is “A project is never done. It’s just due.”

Imagine that games are the same way. FROM started working on Dark Souls II, and once development was underway they supplied a projected release date; a deadline. If sometime between December and February they conjured up some fantastic new ideas, they wouldn’t have had time to implement them in the core game. Hence there being a “potential” for DLC based upon demand.

And the demand is undeniable. At the end of the fiscal year on March 31^st , Dark Souls II had sold 1.2 million copies worldwide – 3 weeks into its release, and before the PC version launched at sat in the ‘top 10’ on Steam for two months straight. The original Dark Souls, including DLC, only sold 2.3 million copies since it released back in 2011. The Souls series has become a powerhouse to be reckoned with, and it was clear from the numbers and response that fans wanted more.

FROM isn’t blatantly trying to rip off their consumers by cutting content from the original game, selling it later as on-disc DLC in an attempt to bleed every last cent from their fans like some companies do. They didn’t withhold content from the core game; they simply saw a demand for content and decided to elaborate on the core experience.

So what exactly is the problem?

Well, some fans are a bit distraught over the fact that the DLC will be released episodically, in three chunks, at either $9.99 a piece or at $24.99 for a season pass.

Granted, season passes are normally absolute rubbish. Developers and Publishers, asking you to fork over half of the game’s initial price for access to unannounced content, sight unseen, is an abominable fucking practice that should have stopped years ago. Why should anyone be asked to fork over their hard-earned cash for a product that hasn’t even been conceived yet; to take a leap of faith without any indicator of quality?

That, however, isn’t exactly what FROM Software is doing here. In fact, I’d argue that they should have just picked a better term for their upcoming DLC pack, rather than calling it a “season pass.” Really they are just saying “If you plan on buying all 3 episodes, save yourself $5.” You don’t have to do that, of course. You don’t have to buy any of it. Or, you can buy the first episode to test the waters before deciding on the rest.

Sure, people may not be thrilled about the episodic format, but at least FROM is offering choice, and that’s a good thing.

All of the naysayers out there, egregiously misappropriating accusations like “FROM is just being greedy,” simply confound me. Souls fans are always quick to assert that “the Souls games are the best games being made today,” and make comments like “after playing Souls games I just don’t enjoy any other games the same way.” Yet, when the developer of your so-called “favorite franchise” announces that they are making more Souls content, based upon the game’s outstanding reception, people begin to gripe about it and accuse FROM Software of taking advantage of fans?

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that, regardless of Miyazaki’s absence, Dark Souls II was an absolute labor of love. I’m the first to admit that it isn’t as great as Dark Souls, but it’s still absolutely fantastic. Hell, it’s so good I bought it twice (on PS3 and PC), and I’ve spent about 300 hours with it thus far.

Dark Souls made such a shockwave, and was such a masterpiece, that many people seemed to put unrealistic expectations upon the sequel. When a source of entertainment has reached the level of influence, regard, and recognition as Dark Souls, it’s hard to match, let alone top.

This is a common pitfall. Chrono Trigger is highly regarded as one of the finest video games ever made – a reputation that is well-deserved – but like Dark Souls, the memory of the greatness of Chrono Trigger has propelled it into the stratosphere of unattainability. Any criticism of the game is met with a knee-jerk reaction of vitriol, and all objectivity is lost.

When Squaresoft decided to make a (sort of) sequel to Chrono Trigger, 5 years after Trigger’s initial release, it was doomed before the cellophane had been unwrapped. It didn’t matter how good the sequel was, it was hindered by the inevitable comparison to its predecessor – and when you’re talking about a game that triggered (hehe) such a strong emotional response in those who played it, nostalgia will trump objectivity every single time. That isn’t to say that Chrono Cross was a better game than Chrono Trigger… it wasn’t even close… but its appraisal could never be fair because of the shadow it was living under.

The bottom line is this: Dark Souls II is an amazing game, worthy of the praise it’s received. Sure, there are problems with it like ‘Soul Memory,’ and it might not be the pinnacle of achievement that its predecessor was, but it’s still an incredible game and an incredible value.

The impetus for the DLC was an overwhelming audience demand, which afforded the developers the opportunity to implement some new features into the game. The idea that some people have, that FROM Software executives are sitting around the boardroom of their super-villain lair, plotting and scheming how they can squeeze as much money as possible out of the very fans who helped build this franchise into what it has become, is ridiculous beyond the point of absurdity.

This isn’t some shameless cash-grab; this is a development team trying to give their fans what they want, and it should be treated as such. Lumping FROM in with the companies who have egregiously taken advantage of their consumer base over-and-over is unwarranted.

Dark Souls II is a truly outstanding game, and I am eagerly anticipating these three new reasons to delve deeper into Drangleic this Summer. I, as a Souls fan, warmly welcome new Souls experiences.

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