>>721190743
The biggest ball drop in all future games is the loss of atmosphere. DS2 kind of has it in majula, but it falls apart as soon as you start warping everywhere.
DS1 being interconnected so thoroughly, plus the attention to ambience, helps sell it as a real place. Even the second half areas people bitch about have some level of immersion I just don't feel in later souls games when sitting around the bonfire.