2. Learn to Lock On
Although I've heard conflicting reports on locking on (some love it, some don't), I've found it an invaluable skill for survival in the Dark Souls universe. In Dark Souls 2, lock-on has been somewhat refined, is more responsive and the camera will track more effectively. This means two things: one, it's easier to see what you're doing (most of the time) and two: enemies now react accordingly to your crafty moves and may surprise you with new attack patterns designed to stop people from circling around them. Despite this fact locking on ensures that you can constantly see your enemy and can navigate around them. Just don't use it when more than one enemy is around; if so, the other enemy can easily blindside you and send you packing back to the bonfire before you can even get an attack in. Boss fights in particular often benefit from locking on. I've killed many bosses in both Dark Souls 1 and 2 by deftly navigating through an enemies' defenses and circling around the constantly, blocking where appropriate and attacking as necessary.