DARK SOULS 2: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN

BUY.

Now I won't do a full on review of the game, as it's essentially a remaster with quite a few changes made to it, but man this game is fun.

They moved around enemy placements and item locations, which in the early game is incredibly difficult to deal with, but towards the later stages of the game, they actually toned down the enemy density to more manageable levels, although you do get invaded by NPC's quite a bit more than previously.

They made Pursuer spawn in places he normally wouldn't, now to give you the feeling that you're being truly "pursued", and while it's exciting at first, the fact that he starts in his buffed form (which will let him use his dark orb spell at range) quickly became an exercise in frustration and annoyance, as he killed me in a few hits because of my low level. It would've been perfectly acceptable if they started him in much further locations, but you initially meet the buffed pursuer as early as the Lost Bastille, which is typically your second "main" boss location.

They give you access to late game things much earlier than normal in this version of the game, with the dull ember being available almost immediately after defeating the Last Giant, and you're typically guided away from other optional areas in the maps with the placement of petrified hollows infront of doors and other locations. It encourages exploration and finding unique paths through the levels, but it can also be frustrating for someone who's been through the game a few times, and who wants to quickly rush through in order to get specific weapons or armor.

They added more story elements and changed a few descriptions on items, all of which help tie the story in with the DLC's that are bundled. 

If you've never bought a Souls game and you're interested in Dark Souls 2 due to Bloodborne (or you just skipped it last gen) then definitely pick this game up. If you've played Dark Souls 2 in the past and you're curious about the changes, it's definitely worth another play, and I found it very challenging and satisfying, despite already having put ample time into the game.