There exist numerous types of speed runs in the world, with the prevailing opinion being that a short playtime is the sole crucial factor. However, these typically entail the liberal utilization of glitches to bypass certain sections. Corey “Allakazzaror” Coolidge, a Dark Souls 2 speed runner, chose a decidedly more honorable approach in his record-breaking speed run. He managed to complete From’s sequel in less than an hour without resorting to a single glitch.
With a time of 59.15, Coolidge might not defeat every boss with the highest level of proficiency, but every strategy he employs is firmly rooted in the developer’s intentional design. Some people might be puzzled as to why he repeatedly battles the same boss multiple times. The reason for this is a hidden shortcut that can be unlocked by accumulating a total of one million souls throughout a single playthrough. Otherwise, one would need to claim the souls of multiple high-level bosses, and well, this method proved to be more expeditious.
Despite this remarkable record-breaking run, it did not proceed without any obstacles. At one point, Coolidge even met his demise, resulting in a setback of approximately 18 seconds. In the realm of speed running, that is a considerable amount of time. “I was conflicted about whether to restart,” Coolidge expressed in his Reddit notes regarding the run. “In retrospect, I am extremely glad that I did not.”
Dark Souls 2 boasts a wide variety of speed run types. Partially, this is because at its launch, the game contained a glitch that enabled players to skip to its third act by performing a series of jumps on scenery that was not intended to be climbed. This shortcut was later patched, but one could still play the disc version without an update to access it. To keep abreast of all the diverse types of speed runs (any percentage, glitchless, all bosses, and any combination of the aforementioned), one can refer to this Reddit thread dedicated to archiving these.
For those interested in delving deeper into Allakazzaror’s intricate and challenging strategy, he has released some notes on his route for any courageous soul willing to attempt to follow in his footsteps.
