I think that the whole DS2 connection to 1 with the Lord Souls and such are made out to be a way bigger deal than it actually is; the real meat and veg of the "story" in 2 is the generally way more interesting and varied bits of worldbuilding, more choral cast of NPC's and more actually present themes, in my opinion. Pretty much all around the respective Kings is damn solid. And getting to actually present the places where all that cool backstory took place, even more literally with all the Memories.
As for the ending, I don't really get where people come from with the "it's the same". It's incredibly vague what it actually is or does, and the clearer ending is Aldia's "Nor light or dark, but something far beyond", which is again a very interpretative one. Regardless of that it ends up feeling more final for me, more than a mishmash of DeS' and DS1's endings with some extra nonsense about LE DARK SOUL.
It'd have been fine for me that DS3 practically wants to retcon and ignore everything DS2, if what they do leave in didn't feel like being facetious. Every fucking item is rebranded to something really inane and the only area that is even remotely a reference is one of the most infamous levels of the game, to also be in ruins, in the middle of yet another fucking swamp, and the only reason for it all seems to be to have the Desert Sorceress set somewhere in the game for people to see some pixel titty. And the few more transcendental ideas like Memories, "beyond Light and Dark", more ways past the Kindling of the First Flame that AREN'T something also established in DS1. That and the ending wasteland doesn't even have a vague reference to Drangleic which at least it might've as well. Ah, and if then it wasn't not only a frankestein of shit from DS1 but also DeS to which it apes so much it makes me really wonder that they care way more for their general pathos than an actual narrative.
Imagine if instead of some shit from the Earthen Peak they remade say Drangleic Castle, redeeming while they're at it, frontloading the references like it's no tomorrow and even maybe also "subvert" it like the last DLC generally does.
Again, every time I try to give it credit for its own narrative this bit from Otzdarva comes to mind (it's timestamped but it's a pretty fun video overall):
Ah, and I can't really give a fuck about what Miyazaki does or thinks considering that his absence is directly tied to an increase in enjoyment for me
As for the ending, I don't really get where people come from with the "it's the same". It's incredibly vague what it actually is or does, and the clearer ending is Aldia's "Nor light or dark, but something far beyond", which is again a very interpretative one. Regardless of that it ends up feeling more final for me, more than a mishmash of DeS' and DS1's endings with some extra nonsense about LE DARK SOUL.
It'd have been fine for me that DS3 practically wants to retcon and ignore everything DS2, if what they do leave in didn't feel like being facetious. Every fucking item is rebranded to something really inane and the only area that is even remotely a reference is one of the most infamous levels of the game, to also be in ruins, in the middle of yet another fucking swamp, and the only reason for it all seems to be to have the Desert Sorceress set somewhere in the game for people to see some pixel titty. And the few more transcendental ideas like Memories, "beyond Light and Dark", more ways past the Kindling of the First Flame that AREN'T something also established in DS1. That and the ending wasteland doesn't even have a vague reference to Drangleic which at least it might've as well. Ah, and if then it wasn't not only a frankestein of shit from DS1 but also DeS to which it apes so much it makes me really wonder that they care way more for their general pathos than an actual narrative.
Imagine if instead of some shit from the Earthen Peak they remade say Drangleic Castle, redeeming while they're at it, frontloading the references like it's no tomorrow and even maybe also "subvert" it like the last DLC generally does.
Again, every time I try to give it credit for its own narrative this bit from Otzdarva comes to mind (it's timestamped but it's a pretty fun video overall):
Ah, and I can't really give a fuck about what Miyazaki does or thinks considering that his absence is directly tied to an increase in enjoyment for me
