Replaying this game and beating every boss except the Ancient Dragon and Vendrick, both of which aren't fights they are just gigantic health bars with legs, in under a week made me realize that not only am I a fucking freak of nature with no time management but that this game is in a weird middle ground where everyone's opinion on it is simultaneously wrong and right.

I still love this game though and I'm definitely on the more forgiving side because I see everything this game gives and takes in comparison to Dark Souls 1 as different rather than bad. Not in the "oh they experimented and therefore they can't be blamed" but I find enjoyment in alot of the changes they made on it's own merit.

The only thing I really think this game deserves to be ragged on, is for existing in the first place. Dark Souls 1 and it's story was completely wrapped up with minor loose ends here and there. It was a was a story with a world that had a definitive ending and Dark Souls 2, even if it's not on purpose, made that ending lose it's impact. It sucks that FromSoft was contractually obligated to make sequels even though Dark Souls 1 and it's ending was about finality and the ending of things.

Still the best souls :)