Dark Souls II is a 2014 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Games. The second game in the Dark Souls series, it is set in the fallen kingdom of Drangleic and follows an undead traveler seeking a cure for their curse. It retains the series' emphasis on challenging combat, character customization, exploration and online interaction, while introducing changes such as a hollowing system that reduces the player's maximum health after repeated deaths.