The thing that solidified this as the greatest game ever for me is the lore (nothing new when it comes to FromSoft). They don't ram it in your face, you have to go looking for it, and if you do... the storytelling depth is just unreal.

Fun fact, George R R Martin (Game of Thrones guy) Wrote the backstory to the entire world, 5,000 years of lore running up to the moment you enter the game, with outer gods, dragons, giants, and everything else. Every enemy, even the menial goons, have a backstory that intertwines with everything else. Some of the story is just... brutal. (Wait until you get to the DLC Jar people... you'll know when you see 'em)

If you're really into it, I absolutely recommend checking vaatividya on youtube, who not only does all the lore research for you, but puts the into 40-minute video series, one set dubbed 'prepare to cry' as it tells how tragic some things unfold.

I swear to god, people can learn about life in a pretty deep way through this game lol