The amazing Dark Souls 2 path tracing mod is now available to download — I’m shocked at how it makes the ugliest Dark Souls look like a modern game

FromSoftware’s action RPGs have never been known for pushing the envelope in terms of raw graphical quality, but in most cases, their fidelity is good enough that their phenomenal art direction carries them the rest of the way, and makes them look very impressive. One title in which this wasn’t the case, though, is 2014’s Dark Souls 2.

Dark Souls 2 has an attractive if not inconsistent art style, though it’s let down quite a bit by the game’s infamously flat and washed out lighting, along with many repeated textures throughout its levels. As a result, I’ve always felt it to be the ugliest of the Dark Souls games by far, and find the original as well as the third entry to be far easier on the eyes.

Thanks to the public release of a new mod that’s been in a work-in-progress and in private testing for several months, however, it’s now possible to transform Dark Souls 2 into the best-looking game in the trilogy on PC, which is something I never thought I’d say.

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The mod in question is DS2LightingEngine, which is now available to download on Nexus Mods here. Developed by Ganaboy, it’s a massive overhaul to Dark Souls 2’s lighting and its visual effects that adds advanced path tracing (ray tracing), dynamic shadows that can be properly cast by light sources, upgrades its shaders, introduces volumetric fog, and more.

Notably, it is still in a beta state, so I wouldn’t go in expecting a flawless experience without any bugs or glitches. Still as evidenced by the mod’s preview images alone, it clearly makes a massive difference, and even makes Dark Souls 2 look like a modern release in some places. Check out the images below:

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(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)(Image credit: Ganaboy on Nexus Mods)

One thing to keep in mind if you decide to try the mod out is that it’s going to make the game considerably harder in several places, as some areas will now be pitch black but still have enemies that detect you perfectly. You’ll need to keep a torch or some other sources of illumination handy, which is something I actually think is pretty cool.

Another consideration: the DS2LightingEngine only works with the Scholar of the First Sin edition of Dark Souls 2 that came out in 2015, which is thankfully only $14.99 at Loaded right now (it’s $39.99 normally). Also, you’ll need a ray tracing-capable GPU to use the full path tracing version of the mod. If you don’t have one, you’ll be limited to the less advanced rasterization one.

Make sure to read the mod’s full description on its page, as it explains how to install everything properly. Note that while it states the mod is safe to use while playing online, I did see one post from a player saying they were banned from Dark Souls 2’s servers several hours after playing with it.

Another mod they were using may have caused this, but regardless: be aware of the risk if you decide to go online with DS2LightingEngine. Thankfully, once modder Yui finishes their Dark Souls 2 Seamless Co-op project, this won’t be a concern anymore since it will use separate peer-to-peer connections.

Are you planning to try out the DS2LightingEngine mod yourself? What are your overall thoughts on Dark Souls 2? Let me know in the comments, and vote which Dark Souls game is your favorite in the poll below.

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