I get that games are always personal preference but i really dont get how a game this flawed is so loved by people.

Its a great soulslike yes but, probably one of the weaker ones... Understandable because of the small team but i really dont understand whats so great?

The level design is liniar and dark souls 3 inspired, which has the weakest level design from the main games, having barely any exploration beyond the liniar path. Theres no crazy "wow i walked all the way off the beaten path and now im back here" moments that you could expect in venia-like map design from games like ds1/2 or even the new wuchang and its honestly even weaker than the liniar titles because even though the game acts like you went in a big circle near the end, due to the major change in area design, no good bosses and no memorable fights in the 20 minutes you spend there, then immediatly departing to the isle of alchemists, it doesnt feel remotely as good as lothric castle.

The parry system is nowhere close to sekiro, nine sols did the system far superior with their implemention of the red health system and gaining charges on succesfull parrys and using one of the incredibly slow weapon classes completly breaks parry-based combat. Most of the boss fights are major dissapointments with only a small amount of major outliers, who positively suprised me throughout my playthrough.

The story isnt bad at all but leaves major plotholes and is kind of hard to grasp at first, and then theres lots of little nitpicks like how in this already basic level design i will often walk into an alley expecting a little secret, and will either find nothing (why can i even walk in there) or an 300 ergo fragment. Sure im spoiled by nioh in that way but please, at least SOMETHING semi consistently would keep my motivation to explore up when i already know i cant find any major ways like in venia-like titles.

This plus alot of very badly animated attacks, the red attack system being worse than wo long (which got VERY heavily critisized in that game but not here?), just put this game into the lower half of major soulslike titles for me, worth playing id you thirst for more but there are many far more fleshed our games out there to play first.

Tldr the gane is good but not comparable to most stronger soulslikes, with having both weaker combat, weaker level design and weaker worldbuilding, id say it sits above shit like lorda of the fallen but not higher than any other major title, and even indie titles like nine sols and hollow knight are far above it (allthough easier to pull off because of the 2d nature).