On the well-worn path made smooth by the mainstream, the human species plods mindlessly, pursuing happiness. Except, that is, for a certain few — the divergent, the complex, the Dark Souls. Mesmerized by the macabre, transfixed by torment, these souls seek completion in hopelessness, despair and impending doom — where true fortitude is earned. There is a place where suffering, misery and challenge reign, where only the iron-willed and the cunning survive. You made the journey once before. Now, descend once again into the depths of devastation with knowledge and information that will help you survive, offered by this guide.BradyGames' official strategy guide to Dark Souls II comes equipped with the information you need to unravel the secrets of the dark and mysterious world without spoiling the storyline. If you're a new player, get a handle on basic survival tactics with help from the guide, or if you're an advanced player, stay on the cutting edge with information about hidden technical details. A Lore Index guides you to the clues you need to hunt down the truth, while an area guide walkthrough helps you navigate the huge open world environment. Detailed maps provide useful shortcuts that not only save time but help prevent deaths by PvP invasion. From cooperation and survival to invasion and destruction, the guide discusses essential techniques to help you survive with a detailed enemy analysis that reveals elemental weaknesses, lethal attacks, damage type weaknesses and more. Exhaustive coverage of the game's weapons, armor and magic let you study up on their locations, full stats, upgrade paths and usage techniques, so you can stay one step ahead of your enemies. Ensure you discover every last consumable, accessory, offensive item and upgrading material in the game with comprehensive item data that helps you find each one, make the most of it and defend yourself when it's used against you. A dark and foreboding world awaits. Make sure you're equipped to survive with the help of this collector's edition guide.