Sacred Haven of Debauchery

Play Dark Souls, skip DS2, play DS3. Overall I'd say this is a decent game for what it is but, there are some glaring issues with this game.
Charm and level design from Dark Souls is missing. Combat is improved, but movement in the game and overall feel just seems "off." Some enemies are needlessly challenging and come at you in numbers. Bosses are bland, boring and generally easy.
Not missing anything story wise. Since DSR and DS3 exist, there really is no reason to play this game unless you absolutely want to.

just get DS1 and DS3 don't bother with this trash heap

Play one skip, this game, then play three.

This is the worst in the series hands down. The fact people love this game astounds me.

Dark Souls 2 (and Scholar of the First Sin for that matter) feels like a Dark Souls rip-off.

Dark Souls 2: Copy of the First Paste

Stick to 1 and 3 unless you are really big into PvP.