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Dark Souls 2 - walkthrough, boss guides and tactics, bonfire locations, strategies

From killing every boss to looting every last item, our complete walkthrough for Dark Souls 2 will help you out of even the tightest of spots.

The hugely anticipated sequel to 2011's Dark Souls is finally out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and a PC version is just a few weeks away from launch. While it may be a case of more of the same for this new journey through hell, that's no small accomplishment when you consider what a tough act it had to follow. Put it this way: if you're hungry for more of the same, rest assured that your appetite will be well and truly satiated by this sequel.

Players of the previous Souls titles will certainly expect to come unstuck frequently during the game, and they'll relish those joyous moments of busting through to the other side of a particularly tricky fight. But what about if that frustration goes too far the other way, and you just want to finish off a fight before you walk away for good? Here's where our guide to the game's many, many boss fights comes in.

Cover image for YouTube video[60fps] Dark Souls 2 PS4 vs Xbox One Gameplay Frame-Rate Test
[60fps] Dark Souls 2 PS4 vs Xbox One Gameplay Frame-Rate Test

It goes without saying that this Dark Souls 2 walkthrough contains spoilers. Really, really big spoilers that befit a game packed to the rafters with really big, really tough enemies, and so you should try to resist the urge to peek ahead until you're truly at your wit's end. Still, if you've found yourself banging your head against a brick wall that's 200 foot tall and armed to the teeth - and with no sign of respite in sight - we'll help you bust your way through the battle.

You might arrive at those fights in a slightly different order to ours too, depending on how you choose to tackle the game, and which areas you choose to explore first. Rest assured we're continually chipping away at each and every region and boss in the game, and we won't stop updating our guide until they've all collapsed into a massive crumpled heap - so check back later if we've not yet covered your own particular hell.

Dark Souls 2 - Things Betwixt, coffin, boat, combat tutorial, movement tutorial

Dark Souls 2 - Majula, Majula Key, Blacksmith, locked house, locked door

Dark Souls 2 - Forest of Fallen Giants, key, knight, phantoms, white knight

Dark Souls 2 - Last Giant, weakness, guide, location

Dark Souls 2 - The Pursuer, strategy, curse, Greatsword

Dark Souls 2 - Heide's Tower of Flame, bonfire, Pharros Lockstone, lever, Divine Blessing

Dark Souls 2 - Dragonrider, soul weapon, tips, halberd, bow

Dark Souls 2 - No-Man's Wharf, ship, shortcut, Miracles, Lucatiel

Dark Souls 2 - Flexile Sentry, soul, boss guide

Dark Souls 2 - Lost Bastille, statue, blacksmith, shortcut, bastille key

Dark Souls 2 - Ruin Sentinels, help, boss strategy, summon

Dark Souls 2 - Sinner's Rise, key, Estus Flask Shard

Dark Souls 2 - Lost Sinner, key, location, tactics

Dark Souls 2 - Belfry Luna, Straid, mocking gesture, Fragrant Branch of Yore

Dark Souls 2 - Belfry Gargoyles fight, strategy guide

Dark Souls 2 - Huntsman's Copse, Creighton, Bandits, Undead Lockaway Key

You are - probably - not prepared...

Dark Souls 2 - Executioner's Chariot, combat guide

Dark Souls 2 - The Gutter, boss, Great Heal, Ashknuckle Ring

Dark Souls 2 - Black Gulch, mouth, poison, statues

Dark Souls 2 - The Rotten, boss attacks

Dark Souls 2 - Royal Rat Vanguard, boss walkthrough

Dark Souls 2 - The Shaded Woods, fog, scorpion, frog, joy gesture

Dark Souls 2 - Scorpioness Najka, boss guide

Dark Souls 2 - Doors of Pharros, Bowman Guthry

Dark Souls 2 - Royal Rat Authority, boss tactics

Dark Souls 2 - Brightstone Cove Tseldora, key, Dragon Charm, Human Effigies

Dark Souls 2 - Prowling Magus, boss details

Dark Souls 2 - Duke's Dear Freja, Freja guide

Dark Souls 2 - Skeleton Lord, boss fight, Skeleton Lord's Soul

Dark Souls 2 - Harvest Valley, boss location, Praise The Sun

Dark Souls 2 - Earthen Peak, poison, bonfire location, booby-traps

Dark Souls 2 - Covetous Demon, Gillian, Laddersmith

We've broken our walkthrough down into individual regions and boss fights for ease of navigation.

Dark Souls 2 - Mytha, poison, Baneful Queen, boss tips

Dark Souls 2 - Iron Keep, lava, Magerold, Zweihander Sword

Dark Souls 2 - Smelter Demon, boss help, Smelter Demon Soul

Dark Souls 2 - Old Iron King, Great Soul, boss location

Dark Souls 2 - Drangleic Castle, location, Castle bonfire

Dark Souls 2 - Dragonriders, soul

Dark Souls 2 - King's Passage, Looking Glass Knight

Dark Souls 2 - Shrine of Amana

Dark Souls 2 - Demon of Song, boss combat

Dark Souls 2 - Undead Crypt, Fenito, Nameless Usurper

Dark Souls 2 - Velstadt, Royal Aegis, King's Ring

Dark Souls 2 - Aldia's Keep, Aldia Key, Aslatiel, Navlaan, Bonfire Ascetics

Dark Souls 2 - Guardian Dragon, boss battle

Dark Souls 2 - Dragon Aerie, Aged Feather, Dragonfang Villard

Dark Souls 2 - Giant Lord, Giant Lord Soul, Giant's Kinship, Pilgrim of Dark

Dark Souls 2 - Throne of Want, Throne Watcher, Throne Defender

There's usually a way to simplify the toughest boss fights. We'll show you how.

Dark Souls 2 - Nashandra, final boss

Dark Souls 2 - Covenants, list, guide, leaders, rewards

Dark Souls 2 - Farming, Titanite, Human Effigy, Bonfire Ascetic, Fragrant Branch of Yore

Dark Souls 2 - rings, locations, upgrades

Dark Souls 2 - Estus Flask Shards, locations, regions, Emerald Herald

Dark Souls 2 - boss weapons, Straid, Ornifex, boss souls

Dark Souls 2 - bonfires, locations, fast travel, teleport

Dark Souls 2 - gestures, guide, locations, list, how to

Dark Souls 2 - Great Souls, Drangleic Castle, bosses

Dark Souls 2 - class guide, beginner, magic, melee, tank

Dark Souls 2 - PC tweaks, GeDoSaTo guide, optimisation, performance guide

Dark Souls 2 - merchants, armour, weapons, rings

Dark Souls 2 - New Game Plus, preparation, differences, boss drops

Dark Souls 2 - co-op guide, summoning, Large White Soapstone, Small White Soapstone

Dark Souls 2 - Cathedral of Blue, Old Dragonslayer, Targray, Blue Sentinels

Dark Souls 2 - Crown of the Sunken King walkthrough