I would disagree, the game trains you to be cautious prior to this point... watching for traps, hidden enemies etc. but then throws a boss at you where the first thing he does is charge you and nearly kill you? That's a fast, twitch reaction that doesn't match the slower more methodical pace the game had trained me…

Having the difficulty be a bit more accessible might not be averse, I mean I gave Dark Souls a shot, enjoyed the first dungeon quite a bit and then got completely sick of it immediately after. All this could be solved with more save points, having to go through the same area that you already know all the tricks too 10…

Runner Up: Organ Trail

Best Sidekicks/Pets: Torchlight 2... because you can have a Ferret with GOGGLES!

Probably a bit of a redundant question but why did you decide to move the game away from a European Setting?