I feel ashamed but I had to use a summoned partner to beat the Smelter Demon. I use a Mage class and it's my first time using one but I think I might have made it too much of a mage. I am at Drangelic castle and I have a leather shield and a Fire Sword + 10. It isn't very strong but it gets the job done... for the most part.

I am at lvl 108 and I can't use most of my equipment because I have poor strength and Dexterity. I somehow got through the game like that. I do have the vengarl armor set which is pretty good I think, but most enemies can kill me in 3 hits at most. Even though I suck so hard at this game, I like it a lot!

Question from someone who never played the IP but is looking for a challenge.

I am aware this game is like 60 hours long to beat. How is the re playability? Also is there any purpose to any region besides killing every creature that stands in your way? The second question is for a lack of better wording, not to bash the game.

The game is about 60 to 80 hours long on a first playthrough depending on how good you are. As for replayability... it has a lot. Everytime you do a NG+ the game gets harder and harder. It continues until you reach the 7th NG+ playthough. Besides there is a lot of secrets to unlock and if you try to do everything there is it can take you... about 200 hours? Maybe more!

The point in every region is to kill enemies to get better equip and levels and fight a pretty hard boss at the end. Some of them are optional and some of them are required to advance in the storyline.

Not getting hit does the trick. Sounds easy, it's not. I've been using Archdarke robe + Lion mage cuffs (faster casting) + Saints hoods (more spell uses) + Hexer boots and Archdrake shield. Keeping your weight below 50% should keep you fast on your feet. I'm using a fire sword +10 as well, it does the job when they're blocking all spells. I did put some more points into vitality and strength recently to use Mastodon chest armor +10.  I can absorb 1 hit from a boss now instead of instant death, most enemies still 3 or 4 hits away from death. Always save some stamina to roll out of the way.
For casting I've been using the Archdrake staff +10, mostly great heavy soul arrows and standard dark orbs, with a ritual band and faster spell casting ring equipped. Casting speed means everything and those 2 spells give you plenty uses, use little stamina plus they interrupt most enemies. For bosses I've mostly been using lightning spears and flame swathe.
At the start of the game I used a left handed sword to finish them off, but a bit further in the only way to survive was with a shield. Apart from switching to using a shield I've continued concentrating on damage output. Faster kills instead of better defense. Makes some parts very easy, others pretty hard. It's great fun though when it all works out, zapping them one by one like bugs while they're coming at you :)

I have a lot of equipment that I gathered through my journey but... I am kinda ashamed to say I never knew there was equip that could affect you (like faster casting speed). I will make sure to check everything and see the descriptions!

What I can't seem to find in the game are staffs! I have the first staff in the game... and I used that one for the whole game. I do have pyromancy and I have the gauntlet at level 6. I mostly use the Great Fire Orb and the Great Combustion Pyromancy. They dish a lot of damage, but they have little uses .

Btw very nice build, did you already beat the game or are you on your New Game+?

The number of inventory items you gather is quite insane, Gavan will pay good money for what you'll never use.
I did find some staves but only used the one you start with (upgraded to +6) followed by the Archdrake staff until I got enough twinkling titanite to upgrade the Sunset staff for hexes (Felkin the outcast gives it to you if you talk to him enough) and Staff of Amana for sorceries. (drops in shrine of Amana)
The Archdrake staff is sold by Felkin the outcast as well btw. You can boost it's power by infusing it with magic at McDuff's workshop after you find a dull ember.

I haven't beaten the game yet. I'm dragging my heels in Amana, using bonfire aesthetic to get titanite chunks and twinkling titanite. So I guess I have several bonfires at ng+ level already. I've got Black gulch at lvl 4, fun place for co-op and an easy source of titanite chunks. Plus defeating the 2 giants there at lvl 4 nets 24k souls. I'm getting a bit side tracked with finding the highest damage gear to use :)

It's a drop from the Shrine of Amana? Perfect then because I just reached that point today! I will get that one and do as you said, my sorceries need a little bit more oomph! I never used hexes though because you need to have faith for those ones right? I figured that it was useless to level up that stat. It seems I was wrong .

I have lots of bonfire ahestetics, but I never used them... I guess I know what do with them now!

The staff is a random drop from the casters, it might take a few passes to get it. I got another one while trying for twinkling titanite with bonfire aesthetic at the 2nd bonfire. That was a bit more of a challenge than I expected with a couple extra enemies at the bottleneck.

Hexes use both faith and int, I mostly use the standard dark orb which doesn't need a lot of faith though. All the higher level spells either use up souls or are aoe which isn't very useful if you can't take a beating. It failed me again just now in undead crypt at a devious ambush. I tried to repel it with profound still (stops spell casting), scraps of life combined with dark storm. (dark version of firestorm and soul vortex). Should work in theory, scraps of life should knock them down, and darkstorm does some nice damage. Looks awesome, however every time I ended up stabbed to death by the time I could move again. Better solution, run into a side tunnel and pick them off as they follow.

I tried out the Climax hex with a maxed out dark infused idol and abyss ring for extra damage at the cost of some hp when casting a hex. Climax uses all your current souls for massive damage. I got a hit of 3449 with it, consuming the 6K souls I had on me. Casting it a second time without souls it still did a decent 1000+ dmg. The standard dark orb gives me hits of over 700 with that gear.

Boss fights are too easy now with Sunlight spear and maxed out lightning infused dragon chime. Sunlight spear hits for over 1250, casts pretty fast as well. Flame swathe is third in heavy hitters, with flame at +6 just over 1000 dmg in a small area, can take out small groups in one blast.

Aldia's keep was pretty easy, cool level btw. I still died once in an ambush. And I guess I screwed up. Do not pull the lever, the messages are not kidding, nothing cool happens. A mist door disappeared and was replaced with a guy saying what is done cannot be undone. Great, thanks for that. The boss at the end was dead after 5 sun spears in less than 30 seconds, anti climax. Next zone looks awesome.

Btw hollow invasions are really annoying. When they're not close I can sign out to get rid of them but that means quitting the game to get co-op working again. Fighting them the best out come results in using up my heavy hitters I want to save for the boss. One other time I was at 10% health fighting of a bunch of enemies when stabbed in the back, and 2 other times both me and the invader ended up dead. Toxic and poison from the invader, while I use flame swathe. It's just grief play imo, my zone resets and I have to retrieve my souls, while the invader suffers no penalty at all for dying I imagine. (Never invaded anyone myself) Luckily it happens far less often then in Dark souls where running around not hollow would mean getting invaded within a minute.

So, now that you beat the game..is it truly a worthy successor to DS?

I wonder if Namco/From are now seriously considering a PS4 version..Tomb Raider came out recently with a nice graphical overhaul, The Last of Us for PS4 is coming, apparently so is GTA V, now all that´s left is DS2...what do you think about the chances?