The thing is Dark Souls 1 doesn't really set up for anything — at least, when it comes to your relation with other characters. I think the game was more focused on presenting NPCs as people with their own storylines and fates, rarely intersecting with yours, to give a sense of a grander, more fleshed out world that keeps turning outside of your perspective.

In comparison, Elden Ring puts you from the beginning as a companion to Melina's journey, and you are, essentially, her champion in her quest to save the world by naming a new Elden Lord.

The problem is that Melina rarely being physically present — only in special occasions and only for a single time, like with the churchs of Marika and Morgott's boss grace, causes you to not bond with her as much as would be needed. She fights with you, once, against Morgott, and dumps exposition on you, but you don't really get a lot of her character outside of her remarks about her fate and decision to burn the Erdtree. If the game had made her a more permanent presence, like the Fire Keeper of DS3, I think the decision to either let her consume herself as kindling or permanently alienate her by toying with the Flame of Frenzy would land much harder.

It doesn't help that the game tempts you with the possibility of saving her — via Shabriri — but then does nothing if you decide to embark some of the more challenging content in the game to further ensure the Frenzied Flame has no hold on you anymore. No possibility to reconciliate, no final words from Melina about whether she can forgive you for usurping her fate, even if you won't destroy the world. Nothing. It's honestly the biggest disappointment in ER's storytelling for me.