The developers tell me that, while the idea behind DD1 was to have players descending into a dreary pit of doom and gloom, DD2 sees them trying to lift a ragtag group of heroes out of that darkness to stop an apocalypse (though they'll still face their fair share of doom on the journey). I recently talked with creative director Chris Bourassa and design director Tyler Sigman about why they decided to take the game in this new direction, the difficulties of switching to a relationship-based affliction system, and why they're excited to be working in early access again. Heroes are no longer cannon-fodder to send out on doomed expeditions, but vital team members who have stories to share and relationships to forge. But this time around, we're leaving the Ancestor's squalid hamlet behind, and swapping it out for a stress-fueled stagecoach.

It's dark, it's tough, and a narrator likes to remind you of those things frequently. Darkest Dungeon 2, the sequel to Red Hook Studio's gothic roguelike, is a somewhat familiar affair.

Darkest dungeon 2 plague doctor team