Played through it last spring and was continually dazzled by how well it pulled off the change to an open world. The scope of the game just keeps getting wider and wider, it's an incredible feeling.
Replaying it full co-op mode with my partner and having someone with you as you push through each dungeon is a very different, much more dynamic experience. I do miss the tightness of the interlocking level design in the Souls games and Bloodborne, but still the series jumps to an open world in a shockingly assured, smooth and fun way.