The culmination of FromSoft's "Soulsbournekiro" games, will be back again.

------------------------------No Maidens?------------------------------
⠸⡸⠜⠕⠕⠁⢁⢇⢏⢽⢺⣪⡳⡝⣎⣏⢯⢞⡿⣟⣷⣳⢯⡷⣽⢽⢯⣳⣫⠇
⠀⠀⢀⢀⢄⢬⢪⡪⡎⣆⡈⠚⠜⠕⠇⠗⠝⢕⢯⢫⣞⣯⣿⣻⡽⣏⢗⣗⠏⠀
⠀⠪⡪⡪⣪⢪⢺⢸⢢⢓⢆⢤⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢊⢞⡾⣿⡯⣏⢮⠷⠁
⠀⠀⠀⠈⠊⠆⡃⠕⢕⢇⢇⢇⢇⢇⢏⢎⢎⢆⢄⠀⢑⣽⣿⢝⠲⠉
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡿⠂⠠⠀⡇⢇⠕⢈⣀⠀⠁⠡⠣⡣⡫⣂⣿⠯⢪⠰⠂
⠀⠀⠀⠀⡦⡙⡂⢀⢤⢣⠣⡈⣾⡃⠠⠄⠀⡄⢱⣌⣶⢏⢊⠂
⠀⠀⠀⠀⢝⡲⣜⡮⡏⢎⢌⢂⠙⠢⠐⢀⢘⢵⣽⣿⡿⠁⠁
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠨⣺⡺⡕⡕⡱⡑⡆⡕⡅⡕⡜⡼⢽⡻⠏⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⣳⣫⣾⣵⣗⡵⡱⡡⢣⢑⢕⢜⢕⡝⠀
⠀⠀⠀⣴⣿⣾⣿⣿⣿⡿⡽⡑⢌⠪⡢⡣⣣⡟⠀
⠀⠀⠀⡟⡾⣿⢿⢿⢵⣽⣾⣼⣘⢸⢸⣞⡟⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠁⠇⠡⠩⡫⢿⣝⡻⡮⣒⢽⠋⠀

⠄⠄⠄⠄⢠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣯⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⣼⢀⣿⣿⣿⣿⣏⡏⠄⠹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⡆⠄⠄
⠄⠄⡟⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄⠄⠈⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣇⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄
⠄⢰⠃⣿⣿⠿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠙⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⢿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠄
⠄⢸⢠⣿⣿⣧⡙⣿⣿⡆⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠛⢿⣿⣿⡇⠸⣿⡿⣸⡇⠄
⠄⠈⡆⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⡙⠳⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⢀⣠⣤⣀⣈⠙⠃⠄⠿⢇⣿⡇⠄
⠄⠄⡇⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣠⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣷⣆⡀⣼⣿⡇⠄
⠄⠄⢹⡘⣿⣿⣿⢿⣷⡀⠄⢀⣴⣾⣟⠉⠉⠉⠉⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⢹⣿⠃⠄
⠄⠄⠄⢷⡘⢿⣿⣎⢻⣷⠰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⣀⣀⣴⣿⣿⣿⠟⢫⡾⢸⡟⠄.
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠻⣦⡙⠿⣧⠙⢷⠙⠻⠿⢿⡿⠿⠿⠛⠋⠉⠄⠂⠘⠁⠞⠄⠄⠄
⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠈⠙⠑⣠⣤⣴⡖⠄⠿⣋⣉⣉⡁⠄⢾⣦⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄

I feel this game gets too much hate compared to the praise that DS1 gets. While it does have a few issues I don't feel the overall quality is that much worse than the original. The bosses are weak, many ganks and some iffy mechanics as well as hitboxes. Even still I found there to be some great bosses like Smelter Demon and Looking Glass Knight in the base game, as well as the DLC bosses which are by far the best in the game. While certainly the black sheep of the series I still respect it for trying to do something new.

Played this through its entirety on my Steam Deck. I did enjoy the game much more than any of the modern switch pokemon games. However, I don't think I could've made it through this slog without a fast forward button. The double battles are so much more engaging and allow for much more strategic play than singles that creates a much more thorough battle experience. There are also steep difficulty spikes which may require grinding unless you are using tactics like toxic stalling, or parafusion to cheese your way through encounters. Overall enjoyable, but I remember it's sequel more fondly.