Dark Souls II vs DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin
Dark Souls II is an action-RPG open-world game from FromSoftware (2014) while DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin is an action-RPG RPG game from FromSoftware, Inc. (2015).
What each one is
Steam files Dark Souls II under Action-RPG and Open-World. In contrast, it files DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin under Action-RPG and RPG.
Developed by FROM SOFTWARE, DARK SOULS™ II is the highly anticipated sequel to the gruelling 2011 breakout hit Dark Souls. The unique old-school action RPG experience captivated imaginations of gamers worldwide with incredible challenge and intense emotional reward.
DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin brings the franchise’s renowned obscurity & gripping gameplay to a new level. Join the dark journey and experience overwhelming enemy encounters, diabolical hazards, and unrelenting challenge.
At a glance
| Dark Souls II | DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.9/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (88%, 46,773) | Very Positive (84%, 131,673) |
| Critic aggregate | 91/100 | 79/100 |
| Price | $39.99 | $39.99 |
| Install size | 12 GB | 23 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2014 | 2015 |
| Developer | FromSoftware | FromSoftware, Inc. |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Dark Souls II vs DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Dark Souls IIAction-RPG open-world gameDARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First SinAction-RPG RPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Dark Souls IISouls-like, RPG, Dark FantasyDARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First SinSouls-like, Dark Fantasy, RPGThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Dark Souls II ✓Score 7.9 · 88% on Steam · 91 criticDARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First SinScore 7.8 · 84% on Steam · 79 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Dark Souls II46,773 reviews · 4 add-ons · 12 GBDARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin131,673 reviews · 23 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Dark Souls II$39.99DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin$39.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Dark Souls IIVerifiedDARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First SinVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Dark Souls II takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueDark Souls II and DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- Xbox
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Dark Souls II (GamingPickz Score 7.9)
- Lighter on storage: Dark Souls II (12 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin (131,673 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Souls-likeRPGDark FantasyDifficultAction RPGActionAdventureAtmospheric
Where they differ
UnforgivingExplorationEpicImmersiveReplay ValueOpen World
Character CustomizationMedievalSingleplayerLore-RichStory RichRemake
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Dark Souls II is demanding, for players who want a challenge. DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Dark Souls II | DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA® GeForce® 9600GT | NVIDIA® GeForce GTX 465 / ATI Radeon TM HD 6870 |
| Minimum CPU | AMD® Phenom II™ X2 555 3.2Ghz | AMD® A8 3870 3,6 Ghz |
| Minimum RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Install size | 12 GB | 23 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Dark Souls II · DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Dark Souls II and 1 for DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Dark Souls II and DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin in scope?
Dark Souls II has drawn 46,773 Steam reviews, ships 4 add-ons and installs in 12 GB. DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin has drawn 131,673 Steam reviews and installs in 23 GB.
Is Dark Souls II or DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Dark Souls II rates higher (7.9 to 7.8). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Dark Souls II or DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin?
Dark Souls II is cheaper right now at $39.99, against $39.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.