Brandon Sanderson Loves One Surprising Fantasy RPG “Despite Its Reputation”

July 27, 2025

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Most of Brandon Sanderson‘s favorite games are every bit as acclaimed as you’d expect, but one RPG that he loves can actually be quite divisive. As an iconic fantasy author, it’s no surprise that a lot of his gaming picks have fantastical elements, and games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Final Fantasy 10 get some of his highest praise. His appreciation for Dark Souls 2, on the other hand, is a more surprising shout-out.

As part of FromSoftware’s beloved Dark Souls series, Dark Souls 2 certainly isn’t a widely panned game, but it does have a lot more detractors than the first or third entry. With a different director at the helm, Dark Souls 2 delivered a very different feel from its predecessor, and potentially frustrating mechanics and design choices turned off some fans. Over a decade later, the game still has plenty of critics, but Sanderson isn’t among them.

Brandon Sanderson Thinks Dark Souls 2 Is Great

FromSoft’s Most Divisive Souls Game Has A Major Fan

Sanderson brings Dark Souls 2 up in a YouTube video covering his favorite games of all time, although it doesn’t actually make it onto the list. Instead, he mentions it as an aside when talking about his love for Bloodborne, noting that he could have easily put any of the Soulsborne games on the list.

I went with Bloodborne, even though it could have been any of them, even Dark Souls 2, which I really like, despite its reputation in the fandom. — Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson’s mention of Dark Souls 2‘s reputation shows that he’s very aware of its divisive status, but he’s far from alone in singing its praises. The sequel swung a 91 on Metacritic, edging out the scores of both the first and third games. It’s also a score that sits far above the slew of soulslikes from other studios, and even popular games like Lies of P tend to average closer to an 80.

Dark Souls 2 Deserves To Have A Fandom

It’s Fine For A Dark Souls Game To Be Different

Sanderson isn’t a casual FromSoft fan, explaining that he’s followed the studio’s games “since the King’s Field” days. Bloodborne ultimately takes the top spot due to its mix of cosmic and gothic horror. He clearly holds them all in comparable levels of esteem, though, so Dark Souls 2 defenders have a strong ally here.

A character using magic to heal the wound of another character chained to the wall in Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG.

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Dark Souls 2 doesn’t hold quite as much appeal for me as my FromSoft favorites, but I’m always glad to see people click with any of the games. The studio’s willingness to experiment with the formula has helped it set a consistently high standard, and if every game after Demon’s Souls stuck to an identical template, I’d never have been able to play Sekiro. Brandon Sanderson‘s love for the game is a little surprising, but even if a substantial portion of fans disagree with him, plenty would easily rally to his cause.

Source: Brandon Sanderson/YouTube