IMPORTANT NOTE

If you already own DD1, don't make the same mistake I did - buy the Iron Crown bundle and get DD2 for £25.

Steam support unfortunately won't refund the difference.

DARKEST DUNGEON 1 PLAYERS PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING

DD2 is a fun and approachable standard 3 map rogulite with much of the great art and style of DD1. However, you have to go into this experience with the full understanding that this game is NOTHING LIKE Darkest Dungeon 1.

In the first game, there was a steep learning curve as the game punished you over and over again while you tried desperately to keep as many of your characters alive as possible through murky mechanics and unforgiving RNG. Over time, you learn the systems and improve all of your different recovery and gearing locations so that you get your people surviving longer and with better item prep. You got to know the ins and outs, the strength and weaknesses, and the quirks of each of the members of your teams. In the end, weeks... months.... years later, you may get to beat the game.

DD2 has none of that. As a standard 3 map roguelite, the whole point of the game now is to charge in and experiment aggressively. Once you get to the farthest inn you think you can make it to, you end the game, collect your candles to invest in the meta game, and get ready to try again; just like every other 3 map roguelike in exsistance.

So, this game is faster and more accessible with great art, and interesting story and approach and it has some interesting twists on the standard roguelite, but that is still what you are going to get this time. The irony is, they spent way more time in this game giving each "character" a back story and development, but in the end, there is no development as they just die and come back over and over with extremely limited permanency. You invest absolutely NOTHING in any one character despite the game saying you do. Instead, you are investing in the entire CLASS of character. Each individual means nothing.

In the end, if you are looking for a more polished DD1, this is NOT it. If you are looking for a much more normal roguelight set in the same universe as DD1 than you are good to go and will have a blast!

To me Darkest Dungeon 2 is a mixed bag. I am a fan of the original one. The gruesome Gothic artstyle and the superb narration really encapsulate me. The stress and resolve system are both pain in the butt, but frustratingly addicting. It is quite a unique turn-based RPG experience. Now the sequel is out of early access and I jump right into it. Most of the mechanics remain the same, yet many of the features that make the first one stand out, are either lacking or simplified in the sequel. Maybe it is done so to appeal to a wider audience, or maybe the dev shift the focus to something else. I still find the game enjoyable, nonetheless. It's just that the sequel loses what makes the first one so unique.


1. Art, Animation, And Music
(I think it's official to call the 3D sequel "Risk Of Rain 2 Treatment".)
I hesitant to call the art direction of Darkest Dungeon 2 "improvement" because the original 2D art has its charm. Yet I cannot deny the 3D environment with the same artstyle looks extra lively, the burning city, the swampy rain forest, the misty fishing hamlet, etc. I also like how beautifully animated everything is. From idle animation, to preparing a skill, to executing said skill, to finishing the move, the animation feels so fluent, friends or foes alike. And finally, the music. This, at least, I am confident to say that sequel surpass its predecessor. Something about the melody just sticks with me, even after I have beaten the game. I can still find myself humming the music of traveling stagecoach.

2. Hero Story
This one of the new features of the sequel. It basically is the background story of each character narrated by the one and only Wayne June, and adding some special turn-based fights between chapters. I especially adore the latter. In my opinion it's a great way to make the player feel the struggle of the characters in the significant event of their lives. Plus, after each chapter, the character who just reflects on the past will receive a new skill, and can be assigned immediately.

3. Revamped Hero Skill And Path
Most of the cast receives multiple skills over-haul or adding some interaction with other heroes, mainly the Combo Mark. Introducing combo adds an additional layer of thought when it comes to forming team comp. Hitting combo always comes with additional benefit, so it is crucial to choose at least two people to work together(usually one to mark enemy, the other reaping that mark). However, this is not set in stone. Each hero also provides with Path when you upgrade them in alter of hope. Path is alternative playstyle which when chosen, it alters certain skills to fit a specific playstyle. For example, Graverobber has three Path to choose. Deadeye makes her an insane range DPS; Venomdrop allows her to pierce Blight resistance and blight enemies more consistently; Nightsworn turns her intargetable all the while adding more damage and flexible position.

4. Other Compliments
→Ahh, Wayne June. Your godly narration shall echo forever in my head.
→Customizable stagecoach, both cosmetic and utility.
→Crushing debris on the road sometimes yield good result, making the controlling the stagecoach a mini game.
→The fact that any broken relationship can be fixed with excessive alcohol will never not be funny to me.


1. Instead Of Clones, Individuality Stands Out
The "Hiring" system in Darkest Dungeon 2 function as choose-your-fighters rather than that of the first one which is just picking from completely randomized clones.
→Like: This design fleshes out each character as important individual with stories and motive, instead of random number generator. Shrine Of Reflection is an interesting way to tell those stories. It also makes building character's specialty less RNG-based.
→Dislike: Because each character is one of a kind now, hilarious team compositions can no longer be achieved in Darkest Dungeon 2. No longer can you have dual Highwayman and keep spamming Duelist Advance. No longer can you have four evasive, repelling old men on the battle field.

2. Stress And Resolve
This system works more or less the same, but the result is different.
→Like: Stressed-out and Resolution has been vastly tone-down to two results, Meltdown and Resolute. As a result, a stressed-out character will no longer speak death sentence to your team comp, and you have more time and opportunity to fix that problem.
→Dislike: On the same note, having a Resolute character also has way less benefit to your team comp. You can no longer massively turn the tide of battle with one virtuous character. Another issue about simplifying virtue and affliction is that it removes a lot of painfully or amazingly special moment which makes the first game so iconic.


1. The True Roguelike Experience
I don't think Darkest Dungeon, as a formula, work well with modern definition of "Roguelike", as in "getting slightly stronger after each encounter". Yes, you do become stronger after each region. You can get temporary buff through Inn items and upgrade your heroes' skills once with mastery points. That`s it. Other than skill upgrade, none of the buff you get is permanent. They will always disappear when you reach the next inn. As a result, it always feel like you are collecting enough resources to maintain those temporary strength, instead or slowly growing stronger. I bring this up mainly because Darkest Dungeon 2 in many ways, is trying to chase a lot of modern roguelike trends but still wants to keep the old formula which only works for relatively short, mission-based gameplay.

2. Other Complaints
→Icon and its explanation should be baked in to the UI instead of a separate note you can call out.
→One more full-fledged region would make multiple runs less repetitive.
→Maybe it's just me, but I feel like 80% of the bosses are DPS race.
→Where the hell is Reynauld?? What have you done to The Crudsader Red Hook??

中文小簡評
→黑暗地牢續作褪去許多一代的傳統，嘗試了現今較流行的Roguelike配方，適合完全沒接觸過一代的玩家，但對系列粉絲多少有點失望。
→3D建模配上獨特哥德式畫風，別有一番風味。
→角色動作十分流暢耐看。
→音樂有種令人沉癮的旋律。
→角色故事配上特殊回合制戰鬥的敘事手法非常有趣。
→大多一代角色技能翻新，搭配新機制和技能風格，更注重團隊合作。
→先祖的配音已深植我的腦海。
→客製馬車造型及實用道具。
→撞倒路邊的土堆有時會到錢或道具，讓駕駛馬車不會太無聊。
→大量的酒精可以修復感情這點莫名好笑。
→因為角色是獨立個體，不再像以前一樣是複製人大軍，沒辦法安排派出重複角色，有好有壞。
→壓力系統精簡化，崩潰不再像以前幾乎沒救，給了玩家更多空間補救，但是這也失去了讓一代如此特別的特色。
→一代的配方套上現代Rogulike架構明顯不合。
→圖示和其說明應該要想辦法融入戰鬥UI裡面，而不是另外放在一個視窗裡。
→希望能再多一個完整區域。
→可能是我打法問題，但是怎麼感覺有8成的Boss都在拚傷害阿。

I would like to start this review by stating that I have 400 hours in DD1. I played an 80 hour Bloodmoon campaign directly before playing DD2 (for over 50 hours at time of review). I have beaten all 5 Act bosses, with multiple different teams, multiple different times, while having less than 50% of the unlocks when I did so.

I thoroughly enjoy both games for entirely different reasons, and I would not say one is better than the other. These are two different games. They have similar combat and share the same aesthetics, but the core gameplay loop is very different. If you enjoyed Darkest Dungeon, then you will probably find something about this game you like as well. It is 100% worth a try.

This review is for people who have read some of the negative reviews and are still on the fence.

TLDR; Game is very hard. Game is also very good. Me like game very much.

==== The Good ====

Visuals:
I was on the fence about the 3D models when I first played the early access version, they've since grown on me. Dripping in style and atmosphere. Love the aesthetics. Enemy designs are ridiculously cool. All the characters are oozing with personality. Animations feel weighty and impactful. No notes.

Sound:
Good ol' Wayne June can't go wrong. Not as iconic as the lines from DD1, but give it time. Soundtrack is phenomenal. In game sound effects are great as well. No notes.

Gameplay:
Difficult, stressful, but oddly satisfying. Different game play loop than DD1. I was hopping back and forth between both games over the last week and it felt like I was playing a different game each time. Scratches the same itch but with different time investments and expectations in each.

Combat is similar enough in both, but DD2 expands upon those ideas with the token system. I happen to like the token system very much, I don't know if I'd call it 'better' but I do think that it's more in-depth and interesting to engage with. More information is available to a player at a glance. However it is a lot to be presented with at once, which makes learning it more intimidating than DD1. Your mileage may vary.

==== The "Its Aight" ====

The Relationship system has gone through several iterations. I currently enjoy it where it's at now. You can get certain bonuses to various skills, buffs during combat, and even tag team attacks or defenses with positive relationships. The opposite for negative relationships. You can influence it in various ways, such as attacking the same enemy back to back, healing party members off deaths door, etc. It can be frustrating at times, but it's overall pretty easy to manage and even trivialize to a certain extent by using Inn Items to push relationships into the positive. If your party hates each other by the mountain, you're essentially going into the Darkest Dungeon with a fully afflicted party. It's going to be a bad time.

==== The Meh ====

Cant skip dialogue and cut-scenes you've already seen. Mildly annoying.

==== The Bad ====

For me the only real negative is the time it takes to unlock everything. Cut that time in half and I feel like it would be paced out much better. But I also was getting back to back successful runs very early on, which already makes things easier because I had more tools to play with. I don't dislike the unlock system, I just wish it didn't take nearly as long. Also would be nice if you could access The Alter at any time outside of a run.

==== Addressing Negative Reviews ====

I have read through a lot of the negative reviews of DD2, and I just wholeheartedly disagree with most of the complaints. I would like to break down some of those complaints and offer my own counterpoints to them.

I'm going to say the obvious here, but many of the complaints can be boiled down to "Skill Issue" and I don't mean that in the "Git Gud" kind of way. I genuinely mean that there seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding the game's mechanics / party composition.

- Too RNG heavy

The game is no more RNG heavy/reliant than DD1 was. Full stop. In fact in a lot of ways it's less RNG heavy, because you can factor in tokens when making decisions rather than numbers. You know if an enemy has a crit token, you know if the enemy has a dodge token, these things don't happen randomly. Any attack you make will connect with the enemy barring any blind/dodge tokens. You have knowledge of turn order at the start of the turn. You can see most of what is ahead of you if you scout.

Good and Bad RNG happens in both games and in my experience the RNG in DD1 is far more punishing, because you have much less information to work off of.

While you can certainly make an argument that random Trinkets / Stage Coach items can influence your run, I've never had a run where I didn't find any useful trinkets. I'm not saying it can't happen, but I've yet to find it an issue in 50 hours of playtime. I have completed runs with bad trinkets. Its possible to complete a run with no trinkets at all.

In DD1, once you have all the best trinkets, there is very little reason to use anything else. DD2 forces you to make the best of what you find, which fits it's game play loop better. Whether you enjoy that or not is totally an individual preference.

- Planning runs isn't possible / required

Planning runs in DD2 is just as involved in DD1. You want to build a strong composition covering all your bases (tanking, healing, stress recovery, damage and dots). You want to know what bosses your build will be better against. For instance a combo team built around a Leper is going to have a much harder time with The Librarian or Sleeping General than they will the Leviathan.

I have beaten every DD2 end boss blind going in with strong all around team. I purposely switch out party members so I don't become reliant on any one character. Every character has their strengths and weaknesses.

- Stress doesn't matter / the affliction system was removed

First off, the affliction system is still present it's just different. Meltdowns replaced Afflictions and Resolute replaced Virtuous.

Stress matters a lot in DD2, I would go so far as to say that it matters even more than it did in DD1. The relationship system-- love it or hate it-- is an extension of the stress mechanic, It is *THE* most impactful system to having successful runs. If you let meltdowns happen and you start to have negative relationships, your run *will suffer* You not only get part of your kit disabled if it locks in a skill you did not want to use, it's even worse if a skill that you *DO* use starts handing out non-stop debuffs. Fortunately, the relationship system can be trivialized pretty easily by hard focusing it and always buying every single relationship boosting item. Good or bad, up to you to decide, personally I like the current iteration of relationships. But to say that stress is not important is just factually incorrect.

- Unlocks don't matter

Unlocks are all incredibly influential and go a long ways towards making runs easier overall. There's not much to be said here. Stronger characters, better path choices, better items. They also add variety. You don't need them to be successful, but they help and they are very impactful.

==== Conclusions ====

Ultimately if you don't like the game, then you don't like the game and that's fine. Some people will love it, some will prefer DD1 or DD2, and others will hate both games with a passion. If you enjoyed DD1, I think there's a lot of fun to be had with DD2. It offers a similar experience in a different package. I'd say give it a try, and if you really don't like it then you can always refund it.

The masochist in me absolutely adores both games for different reasons. I'm looking forward to the Kingdoms update, as I think that will add a ton to the DD2 experience and help bridge the gap between both games.

Game is very hard. Game is also very good. Me like game very much.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk

This game is undeniably incredibly stylish. But is it any good?

First thing first: the music, effects, voiceover, and visuals in Darkest Dungeon 2 are so, so great, the game is worth its price just for them. The combat music in Shroud... The Occultist playing with his knife afer a strike... The way the Man-at-Arms drags his morningstar when he hits... It's obscenely good. The kind of good that makes you go "nnnngh" and look around in embarrassment.

But what about the game itself — the design?

Here's a controversial opinion: I don't think DD1's design is particularly brilliant either. Or rather, it's good in the sense that it uses game design to evoke strong and particular emotions. But as a game, it relies too heavily on RNG and makes the player grind for no good reason. It becomes an endless slog. Sensible DD1 strategies include letting go of your mercs with subpar traits and treating them as resources rather than characters.

Where does that leave us when the roster management is removed?

On the one hand, this very controversial change is not necessarily bad. If a hero gets very unfortunate traits, you don't have to scrap them and invest in a new one — you can just abandon the run and start another, or better yet, try to grab as many candles (currency) and altars (permanent unlocks) before you do.

On the other, the game became much shallower — a whole layer of gameplay was scrapped, replaced with a weird Slay the Spire-like that's not particularly good at being Slay the Spire. Instead of building the base, you now have bog-standard unlocks. And aside from abilities, they aren't even that fun.

This is where the main issue lies for me — not in the change itself (I actually applaud the bravery of shifting the genre). Roguelites are all about variation and making suboptimal choices due to the modifiers the game throws at you. In DD2, variation is very limited. You explore the same biomes, only changing their order. After you unlock all abilities (that does, admittedly, take some time), you always have them available. Sure, advanced trinkets can change your strategies, but generally all runs begin to feel very similar... and yet you have to grind this world many times over.

All bosses in this game are puzzle bosses. Each features a unique mechanic — that the surrounding biome does nothing to prepare you for — and has a correct way of being "solved". Sure, there is some leeway — you can sometimes choose between playing the boss "the right way" or DPS racing them — but after you've figured out how they are supposed to be beaten, there's not much fun in repeated fights with them... of which there will be many. And generally speaking, there aren't that many different strategies in the game at all. You can't play without a healer. DoTs are king, as is dodge. The classes are so wildly different, they have abilities and paths to choose from, but fights feel the same.

So, even though the tokenized battles feel clearer and more fun than DD1, I feel that DD2 struggles with its identity much more. StS-likes can't have a 5-hour run. Roguelites require MUCH more build variety than this game. For a combat-oriented tactical game, the battles don't allow for different enough strategies — an unassuming deckbuilder Arcanium that doesn't even have full combat visuals blows DD2 so far out of the water as a tactical game, it's not even funny. The coach-riding is actually fine in terms of pacing — it gives you a respite between fights — but there's just not much in this game to look forward to aside from the standard dopamine loop of unlocking new stuff.

I play a lot of tactical games, and I can tell you that as a tactical game, this one is very mediocre.

The presentation and visual design are its trump cards. And for them, I'll give DD2 a thumbs up. But honestly, having unlocked all character and abilities, I can't say I'm particularly compelled to play more. And for a roguelite, that spells doom.

(Relevant: I've played MUCH more of this game outside of Steam during beta, so my playtime here is not representative.)

Dear Developer,

Please rename the game to Darkest Road, and the Steam rating will go up. The game is fun, but it's just very different from its predecessor.

Warmest regards 🤍

Melhor que o primeiro em praticamente todos os aspectos, perder um personagem com 3 memorias doeu mais do q perder meu leproso lv 5 com 3 quirks locados, se vc for masoquista esse é o jogo ideal por que aqui só tem dor e sofrimento.

10/10 melhor jogo.

After spending over 900 hours immersed in Darkest Dungeon 2, I can confidently say it is a challenging yet rewarding masterpiece. The game strikes a balance between punishing difficulty and the exhilaration that comes with overcoming it. If you're looking for a game that demands strategic thinking, and rewards adaptability, this is it.

Initially, I found the level of randomization in the game—particularly at launch—to be overwhelming. Too often, failure felt like the result of bad luck rather than poor decision-making. However, the developers have worked to address this issue through a series of updates and balance changes, creating an experience where every loss feels like an opportunity to learn and grow. Today, success in Darkest Dungeon 2 is far more about your strategic choices, your understanding of the game mechanics, and your knowledge of enemy behavior. This shift has made victories feel even more gratifying and defeats less frustrating - most of the time :)

One of the most impressive aspects of the game is how it encourages experimentation.  Every team composition is now viable—a huge improvement from the early days when certain combinations felt sub-optimal. With a bit of understanding of game mechanics and enemy abilities, you can succeed with any group of characters, which has transformed Darkest Dungeon 2 into a sandbox of tactical possibilities.

The journey itself—navigating the game’s haunting, beautifully rendered landscapes—is unforgettable. Every step feels consequential, and every decision matters. Whether you’re managing your team’s stress levels, deciding which encounters to tackle, or weighing the risks of pushing your luck for better rewards, the game constantly challenges your ability to think ahead and adapt on the fly. The tension is relentless, but it’s this very pressure that makes every small victory feel monumental.

Another standout feature of Darkest Dungeon 2 is its community. The game’s fans are incredibly supportive, and the tight-knit nature of the player base fosters a sense of camaraderie that’s rare in today’s gaming landscape. Whether you’re looking for tips, sharing war stories, or just enjoying the creativity of small but dedicated content creators, there’s always something to engage with. The content creators, in particular, deserve praise for consistently producing entertaining and insightful material that enhances the overall experience.

In its current state, Darkest Dungeon 2 has become everything I hoped it would be and more. It’s a game that demands your respect, tests your resolve, and rewards your persistence. While it’s not for the faint of heart, for those willing to embrace its challenges, the payoff is unparalleled. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer, this is a journey worth taking—a journey into madness, perseverance, and triumph. Darkest Dungeon 2 isn’t just a game; it’s an experience, one I’m thrilled to recommend to anyone who dares to face its horrors.

Steam Reviews can be a bit tricky sometimes when you are pondering on "What game should I buy next?" situation.

I loved DD1, and when I heard that DD2 was coming out I was beyond thrilled to get my boots back into its cryptic world and amazing storytelling. After its release on steam, before buying, as many of us do, I took a glance at the Steam Reviews and the Red Thumb Down reviews caught me off guard.

"It doesn't live up to the first game...", "Huge disappointment...", "A step backwards from the first game...", "The story is not as good as the first one...". "Odd and poor decisions on the mechanics..." etc.

That, plus after watching some YT reviews, I hesitated and wondered: "Is it really that bad?". Took me a while to take a decision, but finally, in a weakness of curiosity, I bought it.

After an hour in game, I began to realize what those reviews tried to warned me about and felt that same disappointment. "They could've just improved on what they did on DD1...", "What in Cthulhu's name have they done...?". "I have zero idea what the story is even about...", I berated.

Time went by afterwards, I stopped playing it and moved on to other games.

Then, it dawned on me. A glimpse of an inner debate that perhaps developed there since that disappointing hour, and thought, "Let's play DD2 without the expectations of DD1, as if its just its own thing and not exactly a sequel". It was a bit difficult mind you as, the obvious "2" on the title made it hard to "pretend" it was just a "new" game, nothing to do with the 1st one besides aesthetics. Shortly after... surprisingly enough, I began to enjoy it.

I realized that, when I first opened DD2, I had my brain wired on the expectations that it was going to be an improvement on DD1... and *there* lay the fault, the "pesky" pebble in the shoe that didn't allow me to enjoy DD2 for what it was: "A new perspective on the Darkest Dungeon Franchise", "A Frankenstein of risky, experimental but certainly fun ideas".

The reason why I said that Steam Reviews can be sometimes tricky when deciding where to invest our money into is due to the realization that, we all experience games in a different way. What is trash and poor writing for some, could be gold or exciting to others and, from what I could gather, most negative comments come from, I believe, the expectation on what DD2 could've been and not what it *is*.

I'm not defending its flaws, DD2 sure has some questionable things going on that, for someone who enjoys rougelites as I do, can be quite annoying and unnecessarily overly cryptic. But heck, I'm a masochist when it comes to difficulty, I don't like tutorials, I don't like me being explained every single mechanic as I would rather figure it out myself. But that's me, those are my quirks and I won't berate against someone who doesn't share the same opinion.

I enjoy DD2 for what it is, in spite of flaws and everything. I like the DD aesthetics combined with the new mechanics and perspective that the devs took the risk implementing on. I don't quite sure understand why they did it but I'm enjoying it now that I have changed that initial perspective I had.

If after reading this you feel that perhaps you and me flow through the same wavelength... maybe, just maybe, you'll be able to have that fun I'm now having with DD2. A new perspective, atop what makes Darkest Dungeon interesting.

I definitely recommend it, but mind you, please, not to buy this game if you are truly seeking an improvement on DD1 because you'll find yourself empty handed. This is a new intake into DD, it's its own thing, and it shines because of it, in my humble opinion.

"Many Fall In The Face Of Chaos, But Not This One. Not Today."

However, this game deserves a way higher rating. It is fun, it is well made, it is unique experience.
Unfortunately its main game loop takes away several aspects that Darkest Dungeon 1 players enjoy so much.
This explains the sour ratings for an otherwise highly enjoyable game.

What is different:
Instead of slowly restoring your hamlet, your heroes travel the landscape with a stagecoach.
The expeditions are long and follow a roguelike gameloop. You can choose which regions to travel to and, like in many other roguelike/roguelite titles, select the next waypoint from a choice of 2 or 3 options.

Positives:
1. First off.. the greatest thing about it.. THE SOUNDTRACK.
Stuart Chatwood filled this game with a bunch of absolute bangers: Sprawl Battle, Traverse the Mountain and Battle of the Mountain - these songs will put you on edge in epic decisive battles, where small mistakes will be even more punished than in the first iteration of the game. Sprawl Battle became my personal most heard song on Spotify.
2. The graphics are great. The pre-move animations add a lot of life and dynamic action in comparison to the more static first Darkest Dungeon. The winddown animations are just beautiful too.
3. The relationships between characters are a fantastic addition. Unluckily, it became a bit too easy to always get good relationships, which often makes the game a lot easier. Unluckily the powered up moves are random and sometimes just useless.
4. The boss fights can be hard if you bring the wrong team comp. To me, these harder fights are very enjoyable. Beating the boss with one man standing basically in the last swing was a very amazing and memorable experience.
5. The token system adds a bit more consistency in your battle plan. For most players, this might be an improvement. I personally enjoyed the randomness of the first part a little more.
6. The reflection shrines tell the stories of the heroes and are really cool.
7. The narrator (June Wayne) delivers once again and the lines slap hard. Yet, most lines feel less iconic than the first part.
8. Less micromanagement.

Negatives:

1. There is no gravitas when failing a run or when a characters dies. You don't lose them. You can just select them again in your next run. This bitter aspect of the first Darkest Dungeon is what made it so thrilling. Here you can basically end a run early with little consequences. Sometimes it is the best course of action to abandon midway and cut your losses.
2. Good team comps are limited. You can't play some goofy stuff anymore like 4 Lepers.
3. Decisions along the way have no impact. You decide on whatever resource you need most in the moment.
4. Many beloved characters are missing in the base game and are trickling in with DLCs. As things are progressing right now, getting the full DD1 roster in the future might cost you another 50-100 bucks.
5. Camping is replaced by the inn, which is less immersive. The fear of ambushes and the little moments of respite inside the dungeons was a great touch.
6. Spending a few hours just to get smacked by a boss or miniboss is pretty bitter. Yes, you can upgrade a bunch of stuff and it was not completely for naught. But the upgrades are whatever.
7. Many paths of the heroes are inferior to other paths and for me there is no reason to play semi-useless builds.
8. Some characters are strong and they play nicely (e.g. Highwayman and Man-At-Arms). Some characters are quite weak like the Runaway.

Conclusion:
It is not Darkest Dungeon 1. It is still a fantastic game. Some gameplay mechanics are better, some are worse.
The DLC money-squeeze is a bit of a turn-off. Especially hiding already designed characters behind a paywall is a huge no-no.

Addendum:
Redhooks EULA agreement is pretty dank: https://store.steampowered.com/eula/262060_eula_0 (Section 5, 14 and 20)
This is a singleplayer game. I am not speedrunning. Why do you want to monitor my RAM?