If you want to make your life easier, once you've made it to the first boss and encountered him (don't have to beat him), you can get an item from the Hunter's dream called the Beckoning Bell. Ring this bell in game to have other people join you, especially right before bosses. There is also another item you can buy in the Hunter's dream called the Small Resonant Bell that allows you to join other people's game, but keep in mind that if you join others your own story won't progress, so it's better to call others into your world. The game becomes significantly easier (and more fun imo) with several people. Me and my friend co-oped through the entire game in the past week basically just taking turns and joining each other.
Also get the Hunter Axe as your beginning weapon and use the charged R2 attack. Spin2Win. That one beginning weapon got me through the entire game start to finish even though I had access to some pretty top tier stuff like Ludwig's Holy Blade. Also, if you have access to the DLC area, you should run in there and get the Whirligig (it's around the starting area) as soon as possible even though you won't be able to beat any of the enemies at low level (watch a guide). It is the best PVE weapon in the game and will make your life a lot easier.
