Dark Souls 2 coming to PS4 and Xbox One

It's one of the best and toughest games of the year, but Dark Souls 2 may be about to get even better -and tougher. Publisher Bandai Namco has announced an expanded version of the game will launch for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next Spring.

Titled Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, the new version of the game will include additional content, including new NPCs, additional in-game events, new story elements and item descriptions. It will also receive the expected visual overhaul, and is due on 7 April 2015.

Rather wonderfully, this enhanced version won't be restricted to the new consoles. It will also be available as a standalone release for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. The older consoles won't benefit from the same graphical improvements, for obvious reasons, but will have all the new content.

Most exciting of all, if you already own Dark Souls 2 and don't want the next gen version, you can get all of the additional content as part of a free update. The game itself may be punishing and frugal, but in real life it's nice to see Dark Souls being so generous.

From Software's other hardcore action game, Bloodborne, is also out next year. The PlayStation 4 exclusive arrives only a few weeks earlier on 25 March.