Seems a game can't be just fun to make you like it.
From what you say though it's the gaing equivalent of Hot Shots or Naked Gun, which is no bad thing.
Town name: Downton - Name: Nick - Native Fruit: Apples
If all games were Dark Souls, just would be the only game I play for a bit and then dismiss the entire medium as rubbish. Thank goodness that we have a very broad range of games. And that the phrase isn't meant to be taken seriously.
I just found it inherently dull, and I love collecting all shit in vidyagames. Oh this one swings a bit different and that one does too and that one has fire! Plus the deeeeep combat system which generally amounts to rolling about, getting a hit or two in, rolling about, oh a parry rinse and repeat. I can see potential to it, it just never gripped me. The first five/ten hours did and then I realised its just running around different worlds doing the same shit, like all and every game pretty much but this? Nah.
I get people who like it, for the stats and the MP and wheeee I gave someone some weapons or summat but how people can put thousands of hours into it I do not know, just like many can't understand me putting hundreds of hours into Trials and such. Its just not for me.
Enjoyed those reviews, I completely agree on the Tomb Raider one after quite liking it at the start. My feelings quickly turned to apathy and then raging fury.
I read the SotN one. It's well written and I think really identifies the core mechanic, but then dismisses it too quickly. Yes, it's about uncovering the map, but that's not a weakness it's what makes it so good. It's all about exploration, and the slightly rough structure only adds to that, along with the locations, music, all the stuff to find, and the array of bosses (which are there for no other reason than as a reward for exploring more).
In short I could write a why SotN is so good thing and 90% of the stuff would be exactly what you said, only how that's so great.
SotN is a great great game. Prefer it to Dark Souls anyday, but that's because I like slightly easy going colourful fun games with lovely music. Plus the very bad voice acting and script is my favourite!