Dark Souls is a great game.  Still my favorite in the series.  Maybe even more than Elden Ring.  It's so goddam good, but it takes awhile to get in to.  The whole "You Died" thing and learning from how you died is a very different vibe than I was used to.

I legit bought it.  Died like 10 times.  Put it away for a year.  But then when I tried it again I tried something a little different and it just started clicking.

If you're looking for a cRPG then yeah DoS:2 has great writing.  Baldur's Gate 3 is in Early Access but it has the same basic design (beyond specifically D&D aspects) and the same great writing.

Disco Elysium is supposed to have incredible writing too.  I've never tried it but I've considered buying it like 3 times now.  Just waiting on a discount.