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For Dark Souls II, choose a guide that names your edition before following its route: the original game and Scholar of the First Sin are not automatically interchangeable. Then match the guide to your goal—first playthrough, a specific boss or questline, DLC, or achievements—and check its platform, spoiler level, and online assumptions.
Choose the edition your guide covers
Bandai Namco presents Scholar of the First Sin as the complete Dark Souls II experience, while Steam lists it as a distinct product released April 1, 2015. Steam also describes revised enemy placement and included released content. These edition differences make it important to check a guide’s scope rather than assuming an original-game route will match your version. Bandai Namco’s edition page and Steam’s listing identify the edition; verify the version named by any walkthrough you use.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - PlayStation 4 | $21.39 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin (PS4) | $22.20 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![PS4 - Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - [PAL EU]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41hZuOBiyfL._SL160_.jpg)
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PS4 - Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - [PAL EU] | $39.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition - PlayStation 4 | $21.94 | Buy on Amazon |
Pick a guide by what you want to accomplish
| Guide type | Best for | Check before following |
|---|---|---|
| First-playthrough walkthrough | Finding a route through areas and progressing through the game. | Edition, platform, spoiler level, and whether it covers DLC. |
| Focused area or boss guide | Getting help with one location, encounter, or obstacle. | That the instructions match your edition and platform. |
| NPC questline guide | Following a character’s events and interactions. | How much it reveals and whether it explains missable steps. |
| Build, item, or progression guide | Planning a character or locating a particular item. | Whether recommendations assume a specific play style or game version. |
| DLC guide | Exploring add-on areas and their encounters. | Which DLC and edition the guide covers. |
| Achievement or completion route | Tracking a broad set of requirements across a playthrough. | DLC requirements, New Game cycle coverage, and any online-dependent steps. |
For a low-spoiler first run, start with broad route guidance and consult exact item or quest instructions only when needed. If you are pursuing achievements, use a dedicated checklist: a general walkthrough may not account for every requirement.
What to check in an achievement checklist
A community-authored Scholar of the First Sin achievement route, last updated in 2023, organizes its plan by region and New Game cycle and includes NPC questlines, covenants, gestures, spells, and DLC sections. Its author says the Scholar spell achievements require DLC sorceries, miracles, hexes, and pyromancies. Treat those details as the scope of that particular guide, not as an official guarantee that every checklist is complete or that its route is optimal. Read the community guide, and check its edition and DLC assumptions before relying on it for completion.
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- All 3 DLC Pack Contents: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, Crown of the Ivory King
- Additional NPCs Added For Enhanced Story Experience To Assist Guiding Players Through Level
- Parameter Setting Adjustments for Improved Balance
- Augmented Item Descriptions
- Increase in Maximum Online Players
Match controls and online assumptions to your platform
The official PC manual documents keyboard and gamepad support, as well as configurable key bindings. PC control instructions should not be assumed to apply to console versions; use the controls for your platform. Consult the PC manual for the documented PC controls.
The same manual says offline or disconnected PC play restricts co-op and versus play, invasions, player signs, messages, evaluations, and ranking. A guide that relies on those features may not fit an offline run. This manual describes offline restrictions; it does not establish current server uptime or present-day platform policy.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- The Complete Dark Souls III Experience All on One Disc: Includes the award-winning base game, PLUS both complete DLC expansion chapters: Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City.
- Intense Combat Action: Challenging, genre-defining gameplay. Diversified combat action allows players to craft their own unique style.
- Team up for some jolly good cooperation or test your ability in PvP battle: All PvP maps unlocked and accessible. Improved online matchmaking functionality.
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Blood and gore, violence
Rank #3
Rank #2
- The undead curse continues to spread across the kingdom of Drangleic in the ultimate Dark Souls II experience
- Features the game's 3 DLC chapters: Crown of the Sunken King, Crown of the Old Iron King, and Crown of the Ivory King
- Also includes an array of brand new content, including an expanded story featuring additional in-game events
Use a scope check before following a route
- Edition: Does it specify the original game or Scholar of the First Sin?
- Platform: Are the controls and instructions for your PC or console version?
- Goal: Is it a first-playthrough route, a focused solution, or a completion checklist?
- Coverage: Does it include the relevant DLC and, for achievements, the requirements the guide claims to cover?
- Spoilers: Does it reveal only what you need, or give exact quest and item directions?
- Online play: Does it assume co-op, invasions, signs, or other online features?
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
