A good way into elden Ring now. I was for a long time playing quite underleveled and had detoured off to a rather difficult area when there was far easier things I hadn't done but I've now caught up to nearing unofficial recommended levels for the stage I'm at.
My initial impressions of the difficulty being imbalanced are still there though. I'm still getting spanked by standard mob enemies on my way to bosses multiple times over then I'm smashing the boss first time. it's just making no sense. I've just made it up a big cliff with what I would call posion harpies killing me repeatedly right before the next Grace. Finally made it, rested, entered the boss arena blindly, giant fire dragon, destroy it first time with barely a scratch. This has been a theme throughout.
I'm around level 60 now and still rocking my starting uchigatana albeit levelled up a decent amount and have the same starting samurai armour set on too, armour seems to have been really ignored this time.
From people I know playing it, I seem to be the only person not running a magic build, that seems to be the overpowered go to build this time around.