for as janky and weird as it is, this game imo blows ds1 and 3 out of the way with its batshit amount of features
from the improvements made upon the weapon/estus upgrading systems to quality of life changes such as faster ladder climbing and spell replenishing items and features such as powerstancing (who became better in elden ring), bonfire ascetics, upgradeable spell casting tools, boss weapons being able to be infused/buffed, this game has a lot to offer and I feel like it deserves more love for those little things it has
sure its world is not as astonishing as the one of dark souls, its combat is not as polished as bloodborne, it's boss roster is not as impressive as the one of dark souls 3, but, in the end, dark souls 2 is a game that manages to stand out for its uniqueness and risks that it takes