I'm about 45h in now on the first one (close to end) and I have to say, the story + cinematics are spellbinding. Really, really good. The creativity is off the charts.
If you have media that shows every cinematic in addition to the non-cinematic chapters (that I think are important) about Clifford (I think 4, 7, and maybe 10 or 11), then you familiarise yourself with the lingo + abbreviations of the universe, you'll be OK.
The game is a storyteller's showcase where introductions to chars you know come in an unorthodox order; it makes you want to keep playing because you're continuously wondering a number of things.
The coolest thing about DS1 for me has been how blatant the care is – this deep care for the story, for the chars...I would call it a very high-quality experience.
I've heard some devs this past year – to include Hideo – say all the real creativity in gaming is retreating to indies, away from AAAs because of today's ballooning production costs and risk-aversion.
I say this because with Hideo, you're getting indie risk-taking and creative latitudes but backed by AAA funding. Not many studios can offer this. It's often one or the other: AAA samey sh*t that looks incredible, or underfunded albeit unbridled creativity.
