You can beat Dark Souls. yes, you. you reading this, looking through the comments with an angry attitude trying to find people getting toxic about casual players, you can beat this game. anyone can. Dark Souls is filled to the brim with assists and aid and relief in places you'd never expect to find it.

Dark Souls is like no other game I've ever played. at once profoundly beautiful and hideous, profoundly rewarding and frustrating, elating and depressing, light, and dark. without the struggle of ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ deaths to the capra demon, the triumph of beating it wouldn't be the same. without the misery of crawling through Blighttown, the glorious sky of Anor Londo wouldn't be as jaw dropping. the game will be rough to play. it absolutely will. but you can beat it, and when you're standing in front of the door to the final boss, thinking back on each roadblock you found insurmountable, that feeling will stay with you for your entire life.

also, practical advice for people who genuinely want to give the game a fair shot, pick Pyromancer, go for a strength build, and grab the Zwihander from behind firelink shrine, just sprint past the skeletons. that's a weapon you can beat the entire game with, (and i have, twice) so you can't go wrong with upgrading it, and should do that as often as possible.

Five stages of Dark Souls:
1. Denial
What, I got killed? Nah, probably my stupid controller just lags.
2. Anger
Who made this?! This is insane and unfair! How are you supposed to play this, it's literally impossible!
3. Bargaining
Ok maybe if I grind more levels and equipment then I can beat this game.
4. Depression
Armor is useless, weapons are slow or do no damage, character stats make no difference, buffs timeout before I can make use of them, this is all pointless.
5. Acceptance
Fine, let's try that boss one more time, everything bad that can happen already happened anyway.
6. Transcendence
Oh hi Kings, BONK! Oh hi Manus, BONK! Oh hi Gwyn, BONK! Ahhh, beautiful Lordran, feels like home! Now, who should I bonk next?...

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣤⣤⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⣿⣿⣿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⣯⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣿⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢻⢺⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡏⣧⣀⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢶⣿⣋⣟⠭⣿⣿⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢻⣿⣭⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡏⢮⣳⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢻⡿⣦⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⠢⣽⣅⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠸⡆⢤⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⡟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢷⠸⣞⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⡏⢧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⡄⣿⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⢻⡈⢣⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣇⢸⣿⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⢳⣬⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⡈⣿⣧⠀⠀⢠⡄⣸⣿⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⡇⢹⣿⡀⠀⢸⢧⠟⢹⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠸⣿⡇⣠⠋⢾⣾⢸⢀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡖⠀⠸⣿⣶⣿⣷⡏⢰⡿⢿⠏⣸⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⡇⠀⣴⢋⣿⣿⣿⠇⡟⠁⣏⠀⣿⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⡞⣏⢦⠇⢸⡿⢿⠋⢀⣤⣀⡘⢦⡟⢸⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⠃⢀⣴⡆⠀⠀⠈⣹⣿⡷⠆⠀⣧⠈⢿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠜⢁⡴⠋⡀⠙⢄⠀⣰⣿⣟⠓⠀⠀⢉⣴⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣤⢰⡏⡠⠊⢀⡴⣇⠀⢀⡞⠉⠛⠀⡀⢀⣄⣩⠌⠙⢦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⣿⢣⠶⠖⠊⢀⣈⠉⣹⡷⢀⣴⡯⠔⣛⡵⠁⣠⡏⠸⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⡿⢿⠟⠀⣰⡞⠉⣿⡷⠇⠃⣠⢴⣶⣾⡋⢀⡴⣽⠁⠀⠘⣏⣀⢰⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣶⣶⣅⣠⣶⠀⠒⠟⢁⡴⠋⠀⠀⠀⢹⣿⣿⡋⣧⢸⡇⡏⣀⣀⠀⠙⣿⣉⠙⢤⡄⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⣠⣴⣺⢿⣿⣿⡛⠛⠿⠿⣯⣷⡲⣶⣟⣻⡀⠀⣠⣿⣿⣖⣸⣨⣿⠿⠛⣻⣿⣶⣾⣾⠇⠀⠻⣄⠀⠀
⠀⣾⢟⠿⠿⢶⣮⡙⢏⢢⡀⢠⡌⣿⣿⡿⠟⡿⢳⣼⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⣧⣤⣤⣤⣿⣿⣭⣿⠁⠀⠀⣀⣈⣧⠀
⢺⣥⢿⠾⠿⠿⠿⡿⠚⢋⣠⠯⣿⢉⢉⠻⠾⠛⢿⣿⠻⠿⢛⢋⣤⣯⣭⠽⠶⣾⣻⢿⣻⢿⠶⢛⣻⡿⢽⠄