second playthrough is a joke

If you're an average or above average sl then NG+ is a lot easier than people make out. I found that I steamrolled most of it until around Ornstein and Smough, and then the only boss that really gave me trouble was the 4 Kings (All 6 of them =P). The game becomes a lot easier earlier one due to you having already learnt a lot fo enemy attack patterns and having upgraded gear.