I played Dark Souls and tried to like it but it left me out in the cold too much for my liking in terms of instruction and tutorials. And not just that, I played a Pyromancer but I was forced to use the same spells for way too long before I could finally get some more. There were some other things I didn't like about it I think but on the whole, I'm one of the few people who don't like Dark Souls.

I DID love the atmosphere and the lore though. Base gameplay was pretty good too.

I personally enjoyed the fact that the instructions were vague, leaving me to figure many of the things out on my own. I was worried about not having a map at first, and now I can pretty much fly through the place.
I too picked a pyromancer, only because after a friend showing me all the classes, I had decided they're not only annoying invaders (especially with the Oolacile pyromancies, dat combustion), but nearly everything is vulnerable to fire. Right before ringing the second bell is where you get a lot of pyromancies, so if you're able to make it all the way through the swamp and past Quelaag without dying, it's very rewarding to pick up all those spells and upgrading the glove. If you're some form of purist and refuse to use a guide to min/max your stats, you're in for some chop.
My roommate picked up Dark Souls 2, but I've yet to play it since I haven't finished 1 yet.