It's very good, however they took a lot of risks with the design that many hardcore souls fans dislike, although a loud minority still tout it as their favorite. It has a reputation as the black sheep of the series, but if it wasn't compared to the others, it would be considered one of the best games out there, in my opinion.

If you get hooked on the souls-like formula and can't get enough of it, I'd recommend checking DS2 out. If you want a smoother experience, you could just skip to DS3.