Not to start a war about hardest boss and haven't beaten DLC yet but Elden Ring has what alot of people would say is the hardest boss in the franchise. Like Elden Ring did open things up to more people with the open world making it easier to go around or bypass walls, but it isn't easier.

Like there isn't a single boss in DS1 or 2 that comes anywhere close to fighting Melania. IMO Bloodborne and DS3 have contenders but if you are 100%ing the game Elden Ring is just as hard as any other souls game. Although the horse and teleporting does make some of the zones easier to explore, there are still difficult dungeons.

I think alot of people remember DS1 being much harder because we were also learning the system, how it plays, how to win.

They increased players' attack and defence a little, probably by 10% or something. They didn't remove any bosses or even bosses' attacks, they didn't replace standard dodge with Bloodhound step or do anything drastic. I don't understand what you are so mad about

Yeah I get it. To be honest hearing about how hard it was I started playing perfectly expecting to stop as it became insurmountable but its surprisingly surmountable if you accept that dieing is just part of it. In some ways it reminds me of shadowbane which was a pvp nightmare and I totally thought I would stop playing but once I just viewed the gankers and such as just hard npc monsters I found enjoyment in it. I have not thought about that came in awhile but playing it was a lot like elden ring. run run run run.

There was a time where the tag line for Dark Souls was “Prepare to Die”

That's a neat fun fact, but I didn't buy Dark Souls, known for its difficulty, I bought Elden Ring, notable for its beautiful open world and complex meandering story.
Beating Malenia's ducky dance or chasing the Elden Beast around the arena for half an hour is not as interesting as all the questions created by the multiple stories and characters in the world. Or how Marika has betrayed or been betrayed. How Godfrey was cast aside only to be recalled when The Order needed protecting. Or how Godwyn pollutes the world above his carcass.
No part of the story will be diminished if the player is given a slight edge in combat. The combat often isn't even that fuckin good, it's just pattern memorization.
Some of you try hards are just, ugh, go back and sit down on your shit bucket. The rest of us are trying to have fun with our video games.