Longish stream of consious thoughts:
I have been playing DS2 just after finishing DS1 for the first time ~ 3 weeks ago (I beat DS1, then started DS2 the next night?).
I have the strategy guide, but have not been using it much (I had hoped it would be more of an art book than it is at ~500 pages, but it is at least comprehensive if I do need to check something).
I enjoyed DS1 enough that had DS2 not come out I would have probably been tempted to keep playing NG+, MAYBE (or maybe I would have become frustrated and just threw in the towel, who knows?).
DS2 has a different vibe in many aspects but I am still digging it. Things like vendors having a limited amount of titanite have made me more stingy with weapon upgrades than I might have.
I am now ~ level 75ish and have found a whopping single chest with a complete armor suit that I can remember: the knight suit that I assume everybody finds.
I have spent ~ half an hour each night picking off people as they enter the rat crypts the last few nights. Always good fun for a bit, though not exactly a fair fight as even if I pooch it I can usually just run away, heal up, and pick off the hapless person who I sucked into my world as they get overrun with rats.
Is it better or worse than DS1? I can't say yet. I actually like how I feel a bit of a sting after every death until I get to 75% of my health. After that, who cares right? Most of the game I am at that level, so I actually look at that as my default, and a human effigy as more of a juice up if I need it.
Unlike DS1 where I was legitimately stuck on a number of occasions with no clear path forward, in DS2 I have always had multiple paths open.
The triple sentinel boss and poison snake queen have me down right now... off in another direction where I found some ugly ass minotaur guys who can get 98% of my health off in one hit. Life's a bitch
I have played too much DS in the last few months, assuming I am on track to beat DS2 in the next month I will be done for a while.
I have not played any game as much as DS1 EVER though. I used to think Mass Effect or something with a 30 hour playtime was excessive given I have ~ 1-2 hours free per day. DS1 clocked in at 80 hours(?) and I would have happily kept playing. So I guess its some good.