Frosty Jack

Cut from the same cloth as Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, there is a steep learning curve in the beginning, they all have it. You push and push and push until finally something clicks and you just get it, and then the whole world opens up to you. I've gone through the same emotions at the start of every single new FromSoftware IP: "I hate it, I don't have time to learn this game!" Six months later: "Ok, let's try this again...this is the best game ever!!!" This is definitely one of those games that takes time to learn, and it does an exceedingly well job of teaching you, you just have to pay attention. There isn't a lot of flexibility in play choices: you either stick and move, or you memorize attack patterns and deflect until they are staggered (or a little of both, since posture stops recovering once the boss's health has decreased by half). And honestly, stick and move will only get you so far, so eventually you'll have to learn how to deflect, but once you do, the game becomes a walk in the park and, just like all the other Souls-borne games, super rewarding. The story is fantastic, and like all other Souls-borne games, you have to dig to find everything, but it's well worth it. Great world building and a great cast of characters. I'm REALLY looking forward to Elden Ring.