Dark Souls 2 Next-Gen Graphics Overhaul Leaves Gamers Stunned

3 hours ago 4

Published Mar 9, 2026, 1:26 PM EDT

Chris is a Gaming Editor at ScreenRant. He has been a professional writer since 2009, and has written for top TV, comics, movie, and video game outlets like Engadget, Polygon, Destructoid, and more. He brings with him an expertise in every game genre, no matter how niche or mainstream.

You may know him as the former Managing/Reviews Editor of Destructoid, where he published hundreds of game reviews across every genre, including MMOs, sports games, and Metroidvanias.

Find Chris on Twitter @_SRChris.

Dark Souls 2 has a special place in my heart. Although it was polarizing at launch due to some of the choices the dual-director team of

However, you may want to give Dark Souls 2 another chance, especially since it's been very recently overhauled. You can grab said overhaul right now on NexusMods (via DSOGaming), and if you didn't like how the game looked initially, this might bring you back in.

Dark Souls 2 Has Always Deserved More Love

A Different But Welcome Direction

Available now, the Dark Souls 2 Texture Renewal Project "upgrades every texture in the game." It features over 2,500 textures, and is part of the staggeringly ambitious "Renewal Project" for the game, which also includes gear, UI, and dynamic lighting renewals. If you combine all of these together, you get a completely overhauled version of Dark Souls 2.

Here's what the mod does from top to bottom: "The best upscale available on the site. This mod upgrades every texture in the game to 4096x4096 resolution (including 2048x2048 versions) and adds full PBR Material pipeline thanks to DS2LE. The mod includes top-quality Upscales for Albedo, Roughness/Gloss, Normal, Displacement, and Metallic/Specular maps for every single area in the game."

The newest upgrade for Dark Souls 2 is the DS2LightingEngine, which is still in the works. Fans are already excited for it, with one noting on Reddit: "I have over 700 hours in this game, and it is by far my favorite Dark Souls. I am excited for this." Another is in the same boat: "Wow! DS2 is my favourite Souls game (and I played them all, in order, since Demon's.) The only thing that bothered me was the poor visuals. These mods could make this game a definitive best for me!"

As a note, this mod is specifically for the Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin edition of the game, which was released later in the Dark Souls 2 lifecycle. It features all the DLC in one place, as well as an additional storyline, and some mechanical/technical tweaks. It's now considered the definitive edition of the game, and is available on modern platforms.

Will Dark Souls Ever Return?

We're Waiting For When It Does

Although FromSoftware hasn't expressed interest in another Dark Souls game, there's a ton of potential there for follow-ups. Maybe it won't necessarily coalesce into a Dark Souls 4, but we could see a spinoff or another take on the same world, just like Nightreign for Elden Ring.

As long as FromSoftware is confident in their vision, I'm happy to try it out and see where it leads. While we may not see another Dark Souls anytime soon, fans would be waiting with open arms. Considering how polished and smooth Dark Souls 3 was, there's a lot of potential left in this grimdark fantasy universe.