From what I've heard on several streams, I wouldn't say it's an unpopular opinion. Most of the people I play with agree that it could definitely be brought down. I saved a clip of an especially egregious example from last weekend:
I had the same desire to knock it out before DS3 drops, so I cracked out and beat the whole thing one night last week. Took about 30 minutes to readjust to "Souls-style" but after that it didn't take too long to clear. I liked it a lot even if it's not on the level of Artorias of the Abyss DLC. Most definitely worth your time.