There is something about this game that brings me a lot of nostalgia every time I replay it. Not sure if it's because it was my first souls game I beat or the whole atmosphere of it. The game, while being most commonly known as the black sheep of the souls family, is a masterpiece on its own, if you give it a chance. It's packed with content and areas to explore and a huge arsenal of weapons and spells to fit your build. On top of that, it allows for powerstancing to mix up your playstyle. The story, while being more disconnected from the rest of the series, is still amazing and worth going through. NPCs are well written, DLCs are hell of a experience and let's not forget about probably the most beautiful hub out of all the games in the series - Majula. A gorgeous small village by the sea, where you truly feel at ease and relaxed when returning to it to level up.

Some areas can be very challenging, but not impossible to overcome. Bosses for me are personally on the easier scale and could be improved here and there to make it more interesting. What I'd also like to see is no soul memory, or at least not tied for pvp or co-op, to allow for easier matchmaking if pvp and co-op are your things. It still works, but it could be something like in the other games in the series.

The game is by any means not perfect, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve a chance.