They spawn in the exact same spots and you end up going through the same locations killing the same enemies by making the same motions with the analog sticks and pressing the same buttons at the exact same moment. After you figure out how to deal with a particular type of an enemy, the challenge vanishes.
I've meant new encounters, the ones you haven't seem. Yes getting to the place you've been after getting killed it bullshit, and the only challenge is figuring out the quickest way to deal with them.
How fitting that in a thread decrying the simplification of games people decry basic elements of the RPG genre! The repetition in Dark Souls isn't perfectly implemented by any means, but that doesn't mean it's not there for a reason. First of all, in a strategic sense, attrition is important in Dark Souls. Even enemies you've faced before will eat up your precious Estus, spells and munitions the next time you meet them. Even if you can force your way through a particular encounter, it's no good if you have no juice left for the boss fight. Early in the game it may not matter so much, but later on the variety of tactical options makes a big difference in how safely and how consistently you get through encounters.
In addition, the game is intended to test the player's staying power, not peak performance. Some people dislike that, and that's a valid opinion, but the design of Dark Souls revolves around the player's ability to make consistently good decisions and options - it's not enough that you can get through an encounter once out of five or even once in two tries, but to get through entire levels you really want to get through encounters
all the time. This is essential in building tension in the game - without it Dark Souls would be very different, much like Super Mario or something becomes ridiculous if you play with save states. It's also surprisingly difficult, because players are an impatient bunch, and impatient players make mistakes. Even after you've learned to fight a particular enemy type competently, you have to weigh getting through enemies safely versus getting through quickly and stylishly, and odds are you'll die hilariously every once in a while doing something stupid.
Of course, the game could be better about this, and I really wouldn't mind if the game had variant enemy placements each time you respawn or something to mix it up a bit. Still, taking out the repetition wouldn't just make the game worse, but basically break it in its entirety, and it would be foolish to deny this. In conclusion, git gud scrub.