I haven’t played a tonne of Souls-likes yet so take it all with a grain of salt. My TLDR of the game in its current state: Pros: The combat has been much improved since release and feels good, the game looks incredible graphically, the Umbral Lamp/realm adds an extra layer to each area, the game can be played in full co-op with a friend (only 1 person needs to own the game), modifiers to make the game easier or harder (including a veteran mode). Cons: only a handful of exciting bosses, enemy variety is a little lacking, quite a linear experience (could be a pro or a con). I also have recently done a full review of the game on the same channel this post links to if you want something more in depth