I really enjoyed many of the elements of this game, and coming back to it now really highlights how much of it has been absorbed into games that came after it. Once I got over how "sluggish" the combat can feel at first, I grew to really enjoy how it emphasizes deliberate movement and timing. The level design also lives up the hype, with a world that feels vast, mysterious and dangerous. The shortcuts throughout the world are particularly brilliant, serving as both a reward to be sought after, and an elegant replacement for any kind of fast-travel system.

Ultimately what pushed me away were the dated graphics, the lack of a real narrative to draw me along, and the fact that I am playing on Switch without an online subscription, so I don't get any player messages. This meant I ended up spending too much time wandering around looking for the specific door to the random key I just found, or trying to find the barely-visible path to the next area I need to traverse. Hopefully the more recent Souls games will be better in this respect