I have yet to complete any of the Souls games, not because I can't but because I really like these games and don't want to. Yes, I am well aware of NG+ etc.

I definitely want to give Elden Ring a try but if I find it as interesting and challenging as the Souls games I probably won't want to finish it but to get so far (a few 10's of hours) and restart.

I don't see the lying here. What he said wasn't entirely new, we already knew all of this through trailers and interviews.

- Big and small dungeons connected seamlessly to the open world;
- A map of the world to aid exploration, no markers nor pre-destinations, you're free to go anywhere;
- A mount (they call it a horse, though it looks like a goat to me...) to traverse the big open world which can help you in combat, especially large bosses;
- Summons (of allies and enemies) to help ease difficult areas;
- Not an easy game or 'FromSoftware's signature difficulty.'

There is easy mode summon a friend for co-op . If that’s too hard summon a couple friends . All souls games can do this

Yes summons are the easy difficulty mode, and are apparently more accessible in this game. Difficulty options would basically undermine all the work put into the systems they have spent years refining and became famous for. And how would that even work with pvp / co-op and experience building being core features of the gameplay? It wouldn't.

In some places I had to farm like I was playing farm simulator 19.