Darkest Dungeon 2’s early access trailer has just been released and it reveals the upcoming game’s new 3D graphics. The sequel to 2016’s hit dungeon crawling RPG was finally announced last year as an early access exclusive on the Epic Games Store. The reveal came as a surprise, seeing as developer Red Hook Studio initially teased its Darkest Dungeons follow-up almost two years ago.

Apart from its team-based, dungeon-crawling gameplay, Darkest Dungeon presented a unique element in its Stress mechanic. The system, which represents the mental disturbances the game’s characters suffer as they traverse its dungeon, required players to keep their heroes’ stress levels in check - lest they become encumbered or even bring them to the brink of death. The mechanic, which is officially referred to in-game as the Affliction system, gave Darkest Dungeons an extra layer of gameplay that proved to be an emergent storytelling and character-building element.

Red Hook Studios has released the early access trailer for Darkest Dungeon 2, which shows off its updated 3D visuals, as well as some of its new gameplay elements. In spite of the transition from 2D to 3D graphics, the game still maintains its visual style by utilizing cel-shaded models instead of switching to photorealistic ones. The updated visuals not only appear to improve the game’s overall animation - especially in combat - but it also allows the game to introduce completely new gameplay elements; such as its new roguelike roadtrip structure that makes use of the world beyond the first game’s dungeons.


The early access trailer also teased the game’s initial roster of nine heroes, although players will only be able to choose four of them per run. However, much like games such as Hades and Slay the Spire, many upgrades that players are able to unlock will carry over into their next roguelike run. These include hero abilities, items, and stagecoach upgrades. Darkest Dungeon 2 also expands on its predecessor’s Quirk and Stress mechanics by introducing the new affinity system, wherein characters may or may not get along with each other based on individual choices - which, in turn, may affect how they behave in combat.

It’s been a long wait to finally get a glimpse at what Darkest Dungeon 2 will look like, and it appears to be worth the wait based on its early access trailer. Both its new 3D graphics and gameplay look like a fresh experience that balances both its predecessors' old elements with a more modern gameplay structure. With only a few days left until its early access launch, it’ll be interesting to see how fans of the first game receive its sequel.

Darkest Dungeon 2 is scheduled for early access release exclusively on the Epic Games Store on October 26, 2021.