I understand the reasoning behind it, but I do feel a lot of the changes are "harder for harder's sake", and I expect a little more out of From than that.

Co-op and pvp are the best things about Dark Souls 2. The port is also functional. 60 fps plays and looks better. What I didn't like about 2 was the extra health items with slower estus, the gangs of hard trash versus easier bosses, and level design was pretty but disconnected and horizontal. That and crippling lack of being able to cheese with zweihander from the start.

i think ds2 pvp and coop is better than ds1. not great but better than ds1

insert another rant here about how DS2 did everything but pvp and co-op wrong

good ol Majula