The first half of Dark Souls is one of the best games ever made. The 2nd half is unironically worse than Code "bro look off of a cliff and find a hidden path lmao" Vein. In this way, I think DS2 is a truer sequel to DS1. Incredibly high highs, unbelievable lows. DS3 oftentimes feels too polished - if that makes sense. Weird and offputting is necessary for these games to work. Not to say DS3 is bad, but it doesn't really feel as rotten (positive connotation) as I think it sometimes wants to.

Bloodborne is the true superior sequel to DS1 because it actually represents a leap forward in both mechanical and aesthetic design. Nasty game, love it.