Dark Souls 2 announced for PC, PS3, Xbox 360

A trailer for Dark Souls 2 premiered at the Spike Video Game Awards tonight, showing off the desolate environments familiar to those who've played the brutal action role-playing game's precursor.

According to a press release from Namco Bandai, From Software is currently developing the game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The game will feature a new hero, storyline and challenging world to explore.

"This new chapter in the Dark Souls saga presents opportunities for us to drive innovation in gameplay design, develop an entirely new story, and expand the scope of the world in which the player interacts with the game," said Tomohiro Shibuya, the game's director. "We have taken these necessary steps with Dark Souls 2 in order to evolve the overall experience of the Dark Souls series. The entire development team is striving to make Dark Souls 2 an experience that is fresh while not forsaking its roots in presenting players with challenging gameplay. Our goal is to surprise and delight our fans with new experiences and plot twists while enticing new players to join our dark journey."

Check out the trailer at the 2:30 mark below below. It begins with an isolated knight making his way through craggy mountainous regions, dense forests and over an rickety rope bridge. The unnamed hero meets a woman along his journey, who presents him with a flower. Dragons fly overhead and breathe fire on the ground. A dragon's bones dot the landscape.

From Software's brutally difficult Dark Souls released in 2011 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PC port arrived in 2012.