>>86370891nta, but imho strong visual and level design, very contained gameplay loop without a billion of skill trees, crafting and excessive but meaningless customization, likeable and memorable cast that doesn't talk too fucking much
all things that AA gaming was sorely lacking at the time (not like it got particularly better about it in the future)
the visual and level design was the part where DS2 failed to deliver the hardest due to engine changes they implemented that fucked up the lighting system and left the game looking like a grayish-green blob rather than DS1's distinct, high contrast play of light and shadow and both the boss and level design was relatively plain (a good direct comparison is looking at the 4 major and final bosses of DS1/DS2, where in the first one you had very visually distinct and striking designs like Nito, Seathe, Four Kings or Biggie/Smalls and in DS2 you had Balrog, giant spider, iron mask with a sword and Biggie/Smalls 2: boring and overtuned edition)
