Dark Souls is considered to be a masterpiece of modern gaming, and with good reason. Well, the PC version wasn't a masterpiece. It was one of the worst ports of all time, if you ask me. But that's beside the point. Dark Souls was a game that made no sacrifices to its artistic integrity in order to flatter the humble masses. It was not dumbed down or simplified, there were no mechanics added in because they were considered hot at the time. Nothing like that.

This notion extended to the multiplayer as well, which was a strange affair that made you feel isolated, vulnerable and alone. Having a player joining you wasn't always a good thing, and though clues laid out in the universe by other players could increase your chances of survival, they had just as high a chance of being elaborate death traps.

In an interview with OXM, Dark Souls 2 producer Takeshi Miyazoe stressed that From Software had no intention of going the way of the mainstream with DS2's multiplayer.

"We feel there's a core element of the network online play that is unique to Dark Souls, and that the fans enjoy. The dev team really strives to avoid direct involvement with other players - I think there's a loose connection you have with other people. We still have yet to reveal a lot of the enhancements, but the core elements of the network play in Dark Souls, such as summoning other players, Covenants that help or interrupt other players, will carry over to Dark Souls 2."

In a market that - despite a few heroic attempts by minor teams and indie devs to create something unique -  is dominated by the merciless mainstreamification of the biggest behemoth companies, this is something that is increasingly rare to see from a sequel. It's good to hear that From are standing strong, not willing to budge for accessibility just because it would bring them another dollar or two. It's behaviour that deserves praise in today's gaming industry.

...their port work for Dark Souls: Prepare To Die Edition still sucks though. Get your shit together, From!