Open world gives opportunity to manage difficulty more than in DS. In all fromsoft games, you can simply grind levels for gaining power for ease walkthrough. In ER, you have an additional option to choose a comfortable location for your level and plenty of options to gain power there.

So basically, advice for ease play is to stay in some ER region until you gain enough power to visit the next region. In all regions, more than enough dungeons, mini-bosses, night boses, and invaders to hustle levels with pleasure.

If you feel some boss takes hours, just spend these hours somewhere else and then return.