
It's a far more pared-down experience that's focused more on moment-to-moment gameplay. There is meta progression between levels, but it isn't the same as the original, where you'd dedicated hundreds of hours to progress. Instead, it's easier to compare it to something like Slay the Spire, where each run is a distinct stand-alone thing your goal is to get to the end, fight a particularly tough boss, and then move on to the next challenge. Gone is the game flow of the original, where you make repeated trips into dungeons to gradually build up your forces and your town.

It's probably more genuine to call it a spin-off than a true sequel.

It's probably best to start the review with arguably the most controversial part of Darkest Dungeon II.
