I recently bought the this game and someone is telling me it’s garbage. I’m really hoping you being a souls veteran I’m assuming that it would actually be good.

Played DS3 and DS1 prior to starting DS2. The graphics are not as good as either and the gameplay differs somewhat (quite a bit actually) from both. Initially, I wasn't enjoying the game. However, the more I got into it, the better I like it. Now I am really enjoying it as much as the others.

The Bonfire Ascetic mechanic is actually a really interesting thing. It forces a bonfire to NG+ and the enemies, from it respawn and they are stronger and some more enemy placements which is quite creative.

Don't let DS2 haters get to you. This game is good. What I really like about this one and what the other souls games don't have: you can clear an area (if you kill mobs enough times they don't respawn)

GG NO RE

DS2 and DS3 are equals and DS1 is the best with it’s game changing world design

I'm extremely late to the series, as Remastered fixed what broke my experience of the first game. Playing SoTFS now, and I'd say Dark Souls 2 combined taking some good notes from Dark Souls, while having less insight into some concepts.

Areas in the DLC demonstrate it best (e.g. Iron Passage, Frigid Outskirts), where powerful enemies that wouldn't have respawned in the original, do respawn now. The iron knight guys with flaming shoulders are a fun challenge at first.... but as a constant obstacle they kill the flow of the game.

There's nothing wrong with dying, and challenge. But some challenges are only fun to overcome a single time. A bonfire near to the boss OR no respawns for particular enemies, woulda fixed this.

Dark Souls Remastered - was my first full playthrough in the series (OG Prepare to Die was broken AF).

IMO, original Dark Souls is a good demonstration of quality over quantity. Not played 3 yet, but from what I've seen, it carries over some of the refinements from Bloodborne.