>>70773311The optimal strategy has always been pure dodging (least risky/most rewarding defense option, which is why many veterans play DS1 naked), but over time it got increasingly codified in how they balance fights, and the weird animations are a big part of it. It's kinda shitty because the challenge is just "die until you memorize the timings." I don't find it fun at all, but a lot of the newer fans swear this is the beating heart of Dark Souls.
DS3 was a lot worse about it since dodge was basically the only option, but ER buffed/added stuff to help you block and stagger enemies, etc., so it's kinda... drunk kung-fu with no theme instead of the graceful ballet they had before. And practically anything is better than what they had in DS2, where the attacks were all tracking and forced you to just wait them out before attacking back (i-frames are tied to your stats, thus the fights weren't designed around it).
ER comes across really janky, but it's not so bad. They implemented a lot of good lessons from earlier games without cutting too much. At least until late game where they kinda fuck up the balance again.
