The combat system in Darkest Dungeon 2 is largely based on the potent skills and abilities that each hero can obtain. The heroes are shaped by the type of abilities they can acquire, giving each a unique identity in battle that cannot be replaced. These abilities cover a wide array of uses, like doing damage, buffing friendlies, and debuffing enemies.
To scale the team's power, the heroes must acquire new skills and abilities, and become strong enough to match the enemies that continuously get stronger as the game progresses. Some abilities will make the heroes more powerful in general, while others will focus on a specific aspect of the game to counter certain types of enemies. Both can be equally powerful, it just depends on the goal of the players.
Unlocking new abilities on Darkest Dungeon 2's heroes is a vitally important aspect of the game. It is the primary method of improving the team, and the opportunity comes pretty frequently throughout the game. While traveling through different locations in the stagecoach, there is one way to unlock new skills.
How to Unlock & Equip New Skills in Darkest Dungeon 2
Shrines are the way to unlock skills for heroes in Darkest Dungeon 2. The team will run into Shrines while adventuring in new areas, and they will trigger an encounter where one hero gets a new skill. These skills are permanent, even if the hero dies or runs makes multiple runs. every time the team runs into a Shrine, players will get to select one of their four party to give skill to. Then, the preferred skill can be selected and applied to that party member. If a party member is dead upon the stagecoach reaching the Shrine, they will not be selectable.
Additionally, a cutscene will play for the chosen hero, giving players some information on their backstory. Each hero has five different cutscenes that can be viewed through these Shrine encounters, so players should make sure to pay attention and enjoy the extra bit of lore that comes with it, and not get too hard-focused on the skill itself. Overall, Shrines are extremely important and offer many benefits, including permanent skills for heroes.
To equip the skills in Darkest Dungeon 2, players can simply right-click their target hero to upon up their character menu. Then, they can go to their combat submenu, and there will be a list of Skills. Some of these Skills may be highlighted, showing that they are already equipped. To equip a new one, players can simply click on a Skill that is not yet highlighted. Only five Skills can be equipped at a time, so players should choose wisely later on in the game when skills are more plentiful.
Darkest Dungeon 2 is available in early access on PC.
