A means of self-inflicted suffering it may be, but one of such perfection that Dark Souls 2 subsumes the player in its glorious pain. In this hacking and slashing affair, gamers take the role of a cursed undead, picking across the sprawling corpse of a once great civilisation, Drangleic. Not that this is explained: narrative is not so much told as implied, hidden within landscape and atmosphere.

There's no real quest here, just the goal of exploring, growing stronger and surviving. It is not easy – foes, especially bosses, can be an enormous challenge. Failure means death, death means losing progress and souls, and souls are needed to improve; consequently the game is often nail-bitingly tense. Online features provide occasional respite through jolly co-operation, but this is a game primarily about suffering alone in hope of triumph. Fortunately, when victory comes, the feeling is magnificent. Compelling, deep, and full of surprises, Dark Souls 2 is probably the last great game of the previous console generation.