Went back to give this game another try, and it's really picking up now. I didn't enjoy it much at all until I hit the Undead Parish but once there, and now at the first blacksmith, it got a heck of a lot better.

That titanite demon beneath the blacksmith was a jerk at first but then crossbows occurred and, welp

Now there's a glowy white doorway in the church and I don't know if it leads to a boss or not.

Anyway yeah point is the game picked up a lot and is getting good now.