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[Tg89]

There's basically no grinding needed in Souls games. I think that's one common misconception that people maybe take from other RPGs.

If you just go through the game you'll almost always be appropriately leveled and the benefit to actually grinding is pretty minimal. Maybe a bit to be gained early on by pumping stam and health but that will only get you so far.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

You made several incorrect assumptions.

There is no grinding in this game. You never need to grind.

Souls are given out like water. Even a death loss of tens of thousands of souls is nothing over the course of the game.

Skill points are not the main way to improve at the game.

Royal is only the easiest on paper, for those experienced with the game. It is certainly not the easiest to play for everyone.

If you were truly interested in the game and went in blind, you would have been fine. You did yourself a disservice.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

OP: To answer your questions, it's because Demons Souls is the "roughest" souls game. Being the first one released and the remake being almost identical to the game that came out in 2009, I can understand why you would make the claims you did. My short answer for you is: play Elden Ring and eat all your words. It addresses every major complaint people have had with the souls games.


The long answer:

I don't know when exactly souls games have garnered this narrative for being punishingly, frustratingly, relentlessly difficult to the point in inaccessibility. I remember when Demons Souls first came out, and it was heralded as a modern take on challenging games from the 2D era. In particular, each boss had its own gimmick and the real difficulty was the levels themselves, because they were long and often had traps/surprises built into them. It's really not much different than the early Mario platformers, or basically any other game that you would encounter something new, fail, and then try again with the knowledge of what stopped you from progressing. Stats and gear can tip the scale, but generally you were getting better at playing the game - and it's always been this way. I really enjoy this because you can very obviously see your progress, and it makes challenge runs or replays even more fun so long as you haven't completely forgotten how to play.


There is almost no grinding/leveling necessary, though I can see why someone new to the formula may think so after messing up their stats. If there is one area I don't think FROM does well, it's explaining stats - the freedom they give to completely new players means it's really common that they'll even distribute their stats to use a new cool weapon or ability, and then end up needing to "grind" later on because they didn't level vigor/vitality and now they're getting one-shotted with no way to respec. I guess in Demons Souls the upgrade materials can be a grind if you are looking for specific ones for your weapon. These are problems mostly affecting the early games, and while you can grind souls/mats to correct it, that just turns people away from the game. Once you figure this out, grinding/farming is the last thing you'd want to do in a souls game - it barely helps at all.


I also do agree FROM has turned things up a notch difficulty-wise in more recent games, and especially in most of the DLC they created. That last DLC boss and runback in DS2 was agonizing, and the Malenia fight is just mean-spirited. But the people with these takes are not getting that far, they usually get tripped up early on Tower Knight, Capra Demon, etc.

 

[ssringo]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?

Cussing at my screen. Taking a break.

How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?

I don't grind or farm more than maybe 10 minutes if I want a particular drop or need a bit of souls to level up before heading into a boss/tough area. If that means I miss an achievement then that's okay.

Why do you like it?

From has refined it over the years so everything (mostly) works well in tandem. Good variety in how to play the game and thus replay value. It's different than all the mainstream schlock and nobody else that tries to imitate it comes close.

The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

Demon's laid the foundation and shares a lot of blood but is a bit of a different beast with how everything is structured (not just the world). Dark Souls (remastered) would be the best starting point for someone interested in the franchise. There's lots of great shortcut porn (unmatched imo) and moments where you can really tell how far you've come and gotten stronger.

 

[Ceadeus]

You got to love the world they throw you in. Take the time to grind when you're stuck. Find solutions in items and equipment. There is no hurry to finish the game you can play an hour a week and still love it. That's about it!

 

[_Ex_]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

I have thus far beaten Demon's Souls (PS3) and Dark Souls: Remastered (PS4) both offline. Both times as sword user, no magic. I never used any guides, walkthroughs, or summons. These were "blind runs".

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?

I sit back and reflect on what went wrong, and what I did wrong. Then I formulate a new approach doing something different than last time. Because I am doing something different, there isn't repetition. Because I am actively working to solve the matter, there isn't frustration. Only those that continuously attempt to use the same solution to solve the same problem face repetitive frustration. The secret to "get gud" isn't bashing your head mindlessly against a difficult wall. It's strategizing and implementing a better solution to scale that wall every attempt.

How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?

Nobody "finds time". We all have the same 24 hours every day, as every other person on earth. You allocate time. One way to allocate time to "get gud", is instead of mindlessly scrolling social media on one's smartphone and/or binging streaming video all night, instead one puts that shit away and plays a video game.

Why do you like it?

I rated both the Souls games I beat as 9/10s, so yes I liked them. And no, not in a Stockholm Syndrome kind of way. What I admire most about the Souls games is they respect me as a player. I hate games that coddle and patronize me like I'm an incapable infant.

By the way, people who think the Souls games are hard, need to go back and beat From's earlier King's Field and Shadow Tower series (yes - I have and they are wonderful). Without any artificial aid. You'll come to realize the Souls games aren't that hard after all.

 

[HRK69]

Just move on if you don't like it

We'll see you when the next From project is out and FOMO starts kicking in. Make sure to mention your desire for an easy mode too!

 

[Strategize]

The two biggest mistakes I see people make in these games are...

1) Poor spatial awareness, not properly exploring the area thus getting lost and not knowing where to go. Be more methodical, check each path, if both paths lead to bigger areas, make mental note to check the other path after you've done the first. You should almost be zig gagging through levels rather than always steaming forward.

2) Being confused on how to properly build your character, games have never been good at teaching you about this, most people don't even use the little "help" button that gives you more info about the stats. This the one area where I would look up a beginners guide on youtube for how to do it properly.

The truth is, as long as you're around the right level and have at least a decently optimized build, the actual combat isn't difficult with the exception of a few endgame bosses here and there that might require you to actually learn the moveset of. The games are more about knowledge than pure skill.

 

[Black_Mamba]

Tedious for me are games with no challenge. The souls formula is highly addictive and it gets better the more you play.

Having said that, Demon's Souls is the worst introduction to the series imo. The game has some bad design ideas that make it too frustrating, specifically the (almost) lack of checkpoints and the world tendency system, which in the end force people to play as a ghost with less HP. I gave up on Demon's multiple times because of this and ignored all the series until I tried Elden Ring.

Maybe you should give Elden Ring a go. It's a much more polished and evolved experience compared do Demon's (though you'll end up liking it as well when you get good).

 

[killatopak]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

The feeling of contentment after the struggle is amazing.

Obviously, it’s connected to the above answer but I also like numbers. Numbers going up triggers dopamine in me. It also helps since I love turn based rpgs. I love grinding but only if there’s an appropriate reward. I actually find myself overlevelled often despite not actively grinding. Usually it’s because I want to map out the whole area and that involves going back and forth killing and looking for secret stuff.

The game actually calms me down. I don’t think I ever got mad at anything despite dying tons or falling to death. It’s because at the core of it, I know the problem lies with me and not with the game. I’ve seen multiple people complete the games no damage or level 1 or even with completely nonsensical gaming peripherals.

I genuinely like the games. The way you are slowly drip fed lore. The way you have to actively need to find it by reading between the lines of dialogue, item description and art design is so appealing to me it’s practically half the reason why I play these game. The way the games are so dark but always find a way to give you some sort of hope if not now but in the future. The art design pulling so much weight to give these beautiful landscapes. The haunting and sometimes blood pumping audio which always set the mood.

I have so much more to say but I genuinely believe if you at least try, like and complete one the souls games then it becomes so much easier to appreciate every other game in the series. You don’t have to complete DS. You can try the others as well.

 

[Denton]

Why do you like it?

I don't anymore. Finished DS1, DS2 and Bloodborne, and pretty much called it quits on the entire genre. Running to bosses through respawning enemies it just a boring ass immersion destroying mechanic I no longer find interesting.

These games are really only good for dopamine rushes, and I no longer get enough satisfaction from that.

 

[Punished Miku]

I called out extremely poor combat balancing on FS games a long time ago and got banned during the height of Elden Ring mania, twice. Now I just enjoy watching the drama.

 

[hyperbertha]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

Okay these are 3 questions, but somehow linked together.

Context:

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

I've never had to grind in any souls game.its not about levelling up stats. You learn from mistakes.

 

[S0ULZB0URNE]

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

i take my time exploring, and i enjoy returning to previous areas after im a lot stronger to re-explore. no need to grind/farm, and its fun.

also enjoy not resting at bonfires (so enemies dont respawn) and keeping my souls count really high to add to the tension.

 

[RoboFu]

The better question is... why are you so lame OP?

 

[Lucifers Beard]

I didnt play much of Demons Souls on PS3 but I played through Dark Souls 1, 2 and 3 as well as Bloodborne and Elden Ring and never felt the need to grind heavily, if really at all.

I have seen that I needed another few runes to level up and killed a couple of easy enemies to make sure I didn't die and could get the level up, but that was never more than 2 or 3 monsters in a room over a handful of times throughout any of the games. Fighting is also good practice and helps you perfect your move set as well as practice blocking, dodging and parrying.

If you like the base gameplay of Demons Souls, then you'll likely find that they get better every game (Dark Souls 2 is by a different team and not quite as good as the first game). I have a wife, kids, pets and a full time job and still found time to play through Elden Ring twice and now the DLC.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

Okay these are 3 questions, but somehow linked together.

Context:

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

You don't have to grind in Souls.

 

[FunkMiller]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

Okay these are 3 questions, but somehow linked together.

Context:

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

Your problem is that you have to learn the movesets of the enemies. At every level. There is no button mashing to be done. If you’re grinding, you’re trying to overpower instead of understand. That’s why it’s not clicking for you.

Take another shot, but go in with a mindset of ‘if he does X, I do Y’. It’ll become a completely different experience.

Learn, understand, overcome.

That’s why these games are so popular, and are constantly advocated by people suffering with mental health issues.

Souls games want you to win… but they require you to engage with them in a specific manner to get the most out of them.

 

[Muffdraul]

I tried Demon's Souls circa 2011. A co-worker friend recommended it when it came out, but I didn't play it until later. I was really into the idea of a single player solo version of AD&D, so at first it seemed pretty cool. I remember I finished the first section, I beat a big boss and arrived at the main hub area. But by then, I was already sick of it. It felt like walking uphill both ways. I eventually also tried Dark Souls because I'd heard it wasn't as 'bad' as Demon's Souls, but again I could only take a couple of hours, seemed like pretty much the same thing. If people honestly enjoy that much friction and push-back and stress in their games, hey, more power to 'em. If I didn't know any better I'd think it was mostly about ego and ePeen.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Every single boss can be beaten at level 1. There is no grind needed. You just need to practice your move sets and “git gud” at the bosses. Grinding out stats is something you do when you refuse to learn a bosses move set and want to brute force it, or completely change your weapon type.

 

[DryvBy]

These get a lot easier over time but they're also not for everyone. A lot of times if I'm dying to a boss more than 5 times, I'll turn the game off and do something else then come back a day or two later. I usually end up killing the boss without any issues after that.

 

[bitbydeath]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

Okay these are 3 questions, but somehow linked together.

Context:

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

Demons is the hardest souls game, I’ve beat all the others (except for the final Elden Ring boss), and none of them gave me as much trouble as Demons Souls. Like you I’ve only put in 5-10 hrs into that game and no desire to return.

 

[lughnasadh123]

I just go in hyped up to see how far I get before either I hit a wall losing any desire to go further or roll credits. Basically have zero expectations how it's going to go. I also happily use a follow guide, FighinCowboy, to sand off some of the bullshit gotcha moments their games like to throw at you since my playthroughs are a one and done except when I get to the boss and just try things myself before looking further for help. No PC summons, and rarely an NPC summon. I hoard items because who the fuck knows when I'll actually need them (that's a me problem). I'll cheese the shit out of anything that is cheeseable - the game does it, so not join 'em? I shout at my tv when I die. I shout at my tv when I win. I'll never really git gud, but I do get good enough.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Basically, there are three ways to have a fun time in a Souls game

1. You grind four hours and steamrolls a boss.
2. You try and try again to study a boss pattern and openings and what not.
3. A mix of 1 and 2, discovering a abusing a boss weak point.

If you do not like 1 or 2, IMO, no souls game is for you. I prefer 1, everytime the grind can be mixed with exploration. In Demon Souls, grinding requires a VERY slow approach of all enimies, because of checkpoint distance.

 

[Skifi28]

Other than to get the platinum in Sekiro, I don't think I've ever grinded in souls. They also have some of the most rewarding exploration and tons of weapons/build options. I'd say they are far less repetitive than your average game. Just void hiding behind a shield 24/7 and try to engage with the game's mechanics.

 

[Saber]

If you're not having fun/enjoying you can aways move on, theres no shame in it. Making these questions it's just like asking people around in the restaurant how can they like a food you didn't like.
If it's too much for you and you still want to beat the game, then take a time from it. Ask for help over internet and study pattern and builds. Play at your own pace.

People like to do things they love. It's similar to hobbies, why does people like to do things that maybe be hard for some and still have time for it? I really think you should reflect on this one instead of cracking your head over it.

 

[RoboFu]

Souls games are usually so good that the first time through it may take you grinding to lvl 160 to finished it l, but then go back through and beat it again on lvl 70 on your second play through.
Some really good players can beat the games with no armor on lvl 1

Everything has a pattern.

 

[semiconscious]

i play the souls games because, from the very beginning (demon's souls import), i've been completely in love with their level design & their atmosphere. i love wandering around & exploring their rich, bizarre game worlds, & finding actually decent/useful shit along the way...

now, the combat? i basically just sorta put up with it? after the first, i think, 3 (demon's & dark 1&2), i've gone with magic builds ever since with the newer games & replays (with the exception, of course, of bloodborne, which I did have a really great time with anyway). i'm not crazy about the combat, particularly the bosses, which i'll cheese at any opportunity (which's very often), but, hey, if i don't somehow deal with all these fuckers, i can't very well do a whole lotta exploring, now can i?...

with video games, i believe in taking the good with the bad. with the souls games, the bad, for me, is the combat. just the way it is, & no biggie, cuz they're absolutely worth it...

 

[Slimboy Fat]

Never had to farm in any of these games

 

[Draugoth]

Elden Ring lessens the grinding. There's a place you can easily farm millions of runes in an hour if you want to, and they never patched it

 

[Schmendrick]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?

I usually don`t have much repetition in these games. Aside from a few bosses I rarely need more than 3-4 tries for most of the content. I´m also not a completionist as in that I need to have every item that is hidden somewhere.

How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?

There is absolutely no need to grind in these games unless you are simply bad and need to be overleveled to do anything or if you really want all upgrades possible.

Why do you like it?

No grinding, low repetition, interesting combat and a marvelous level/world design that really rewards exploration.

 

[Plague Doctor]

I don't like wading into the get good or difficulty talk, but I will say this:

Like with many things in life either the shit clicks with you or it doesn't. That's it.

And to be specific here: By "clicking" I mean you like the challenge, the trial and error, and the learning. You enjoy overcoming the boss encounter inspite of the frustration. You are cool with dying to the same boss 10, 15, whatever times. And this is a big ask for some, I get that.

Lots of shit doesn't click with me, and I just don't play it. I don't see the point of forcing it.

 

[Randall365]

Good life lessons there too - failure is but a step to success and if something is too hard - take a breath and evaluate - you are almost certainly doing it wrong.

Kinda ruins other games a bit.

 

[Randall365]

I don't like wading into the get good or difficulty talk, but I will say this:

Like with many things in life either the shit clicks with you or it doesn't. That's it.

And to be specific here: By "clicking" I mean you like the challenge, the trial and error, and the learning. You enjoy overcoming the boss encounter inspite of the frustration. You are cool with this.

Lots of shit doesn't click with me, and I just don't play it. I don't see the point of forcing it.

The exception to that is I bought Bloodborne - got to the second boss, which I then found so hard I traded it. A year later, I got Dark Souls on PC - eventually completed it - went back to Bloodborne and then completed it and the DLC. I think it is possible to start with the wrong Fromsoft game for you.

 

[Ellery]

Frustration -> Learning to not give up. No matter how often you are wrong you only have to be right once. Go through the emotions. Scream and be angry. Why not?

Grind -> You grind your skill and expertise in souls games. There is no need to grind level or gear. It also doesn't really help much. You gotta be patient and dodge.

Like -> About 3-4 hours into my first Souls the R1 swinging of the weapon, the use of stamina coupled with having to respect enemies instead of powering through them I found my love.

 

[Raven117]

Demon Souls…i realized that the bosses were easy and the levels were the real challenge.

It’s why it’s my favorite.

They seem to get a little bit further from this design philosophy with every iteration, but I wish they went back to it.

 

[kiphalfton]

The most entertaining thing is seeing how butthurt some people get over these games.

It's all relative; if you haven't accomplished anything else in life, I'm sure this sort of thing seems like a big deal.

 

[newtypepilot]

just echoing the sentiment that you don't need to grind in any souls game, except for when you are farming a particular rare drop.

All souls games require you to learn the combat mechanics and then face the bosses through trial and error. Study boss attack patterns and learn when it is safe to attack or not. You are supposed to die alot so don't get discouraged by it. If you do feel frustrated at a particular boss, go explore other areas and come back to it later.
As for the mobs, you don't have to fight every enemy you see. You can just run past them.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

OG Souls vet, never once "grinded" in these games lol. The sense of mystery, discovery and adventure in these games is unparalleled. The art direction, level and boss design is second to none. The feeling of elation when overcoming a particularly difficult challenge is unlike any other game out there. Just some of the reasons I love Souls/anything FROM does.

 

[Bernardougf]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

Okay these are 3 questions, but somehow linked together.

Context:

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

The idea is not for you to farm to get to a high level and brute force your way .. thats what you are doing wrong... you have to learn to play and beat the challenges as they come ... outside Elden Ring that is open world.. all other souls you have a natural growth path ... you may want to farm for weapon or weapon upgrades material but thats it.

 

[GHG]

It's all relative; if you haven't accomplished anything else in life, I'm sure this sort of thing seems like a big deal.

Ah makes sense then that people would have such strong reactions against not being able to progress or complete the game. It's clearly not just a videogame to those people so instead of playing or doing something else they bitch and cry about it like wounded animals.

 

[Pegasus Actual]

Hey OP, first off, I just want to thank and congratulate you for asking an honest question. Very brave.

I took a couple of cracks at getting into Fromsoft games and just haven't. I probably would like them if I got over the hump. Grinding time not a big deal, I got like 2,000 hours on Destiny 2, could probably knock out the entire Fromsoft omnibus in like an eighth of that time.

I do like the git gud concept, the mechanics just weren't that fun to me, and crusty 30FPS Bloodborne was probably not the best purchase for my PCMR sensibilities.

Video games are their most fun to me when I'm developing skill at them and always improving. Frustration and repetition are key aspects of learning. Video game skills for the most part are kind of useless, but can feel like an accomplishment regardless. <insert it's sad you don't know the difference meme here>

 

[Boglin]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?
How do you find time to grind and farm in these games?
Why do you like it?

Okay these are 3 questions, but somehow linked together.

Context:

As you can see, I played like 7h Demon's Souls and uninstalled it afterwards.
It was my first and last From game.
The few first hours were fun, I admit, but after I realize that to level up any skill I need to grind for 1h, and I would still be nothing and considered low level shmuck, I said I quit. Where is the fun in it?
And, oh, I played as Royal, considered the easiest class to start in this game, I don't want to know how I end up being knight or whatever of that sort.

I don't get frustrated because I'm typically looking for a challenge and if it were easy then I'd just get bored. If I find the gameplay fun then I also genuinely enjoy the process of improving. I don't grind for equipment, but I you could say I enjoy grinding personal skill. For example, I'm nearly 40 years old and getting champion rank in 1v1 mode in Rocket League was one of the most grueling and difficult gaming things I've ever done which took me thousands of hours but I loved every minute of it.



I suppose there is a certain appeal to jumping in some games and immediately feeling like a god where you wreck everything, but I grew out of enjoying those a long time ago. If you're not motivated by or don't enjoy overcoming a skill based obstacle then maybe the Souls games simply aren't for you.

 

[Bernardougf]

in my younger days i wouldve loved "souls likes" but fuck that shit now, im in my 40s and have limited game time, give me narrative driven solo games any day of the week.

Yeah.. Im in my 40s too but my mentality is another.. cant stand walking and doing fucking nothing or just watching a boring badly written dialog ... At my age I just want to turn the console get immediately on gameplay and thats it ... story driven games are getting worst and worst and my tolerance level for the modern bullshit is minimal.

 

[MrRibeye]

I bought Elden Ring, walked to the spider boss at the beginning where you are supposed to die, died and then uninstalled the game, because I simply don't enjoy these melee combat games.

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Jesus Christ, sounds like Shadow of the Erdtree swept the leg

FROM games seperates the Men from the boys

Get gud or get out !

 

[EviLore]

How do you cope with frustration and tedious repetition?

This is my face when I enter the boss room:

This is my face when I die to the boss:

And when clearing the boss:

All about mentality. If you’re easily frustrated you’re not going to improve. You’ll go straight to looking for crutches or giving up. The fact is that quadriplegics, blind people, octogenarians, and every other outlier group have beaten these games. It’s about will.

 

[DelireMan7]

I never really farm in these game. Usually it's more about learning pattern, how to dodge/block attacks and when you can hit the boss. Level up help and you should do it of course but usually the levels you get just by exploring is enough.

Also I think Demon's Souls can be brutal and quite unfair at several moment. Starting from Dark Souls (or any following game but I recommend Dark Souls 1 because it's the best ) would give an "easier" start in the franchise.

 

[MagiusNecros]

If you desire to use certain gear and builds then yes there is grinding to acquire those minimum stats. If there is no grinding you wouldn't need to level up or upgrade weapons/gear and clear every FROM game at level 1 as a Wretch with just a Club.

Game is easy once you read boss inputs and know all their hitboxes. Only hard part of the game is the Camera betraying you.