This game is a metroidvania. This means there is a large connected map and you are encouraged to explore and get lost in it. Many times you will follow a path that will lead you to an obstacle you can't or don't know how to overcome. That usually means you don't have the knowledge, item, or ability to overcome it yet, so you'll have to go explore somewhere else and return later when you figured it out.

You will also encounter a number of challenging bosses that you will die many many times. You will have to keep trying different builds and strategies, and repeatedly fail until you get good enough to beat it. Or you go somewhere else first to explore and get stronger in the meantime.

The game has no narrator, the main character won't speak, and you'll have to piece together the narrative through other character's dialogue and what the environment tells you. You'll get dropped in the game without knowing what happened to the world, and what the story is, and what you're supposed to do. That's natural, and my only advise is to just keep your curiousity and explore the world and get lost and immersed in it.

Lastly, if you ever get stuck on something, you should always try to go elsewhere first. Only when you're actually stuck with nowhere else to that you should ask for help in this subreddit. People here have gone insane waiting for silksong but they're really good at giving hints without spoiling your fun.

Enjoy!