Shponglefan wrote on Today, 14:53:

Curious, because from what I've seen most people recommend just playing the SotFS version over the base version.

To clarify, my comment was mostly aimed at new players who have just finished DS1 and want to give the sequel a try. In my view, the original version of Dark Souls 2 makes you gradually acclimate to the increased difficulty, especially with regards to multi-enemy fights. While Scholar pretty much throws you into the fire right away. You end up with the same experience in the later portions of the game, but vanilla DS2 guides you there a bit more gently.

Shponglefan wrote on Today, 14:53:

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I enjoyed DS2 more than DS3. I feel that DS2 had better areas to explore and more interesting game mechanics. DS3 had better bosses though.

To each their own, of course. I mostly play these games for the cool boss fights, and in that regard, DS2 doesn't really compare favorably to DS3, aside from a few exceptions. Also, I kinda prefer the faster speed of DS3 now, especially after finishing Bloodborne. That game has really good combat, and once you get used to it, it's hard to go back.

Playing Sam & Max: Hit the Road via DOSBox-staging and the CRT shaders.
From time to time grinding more missions in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Approaching the end of the storyline...