pay attention to your enemies, they telegraph their moves and are almost all completely consistent in their behavior and patterns (the dogs being one of the few notable exceptions) - difficulty mainly comes from people thinking they can just rush in and spam any attack and have it work, [b]don't do this;[/b] Instead make sure to learn your weapon's move sets, it's damage, it's stamina depletion, it's range (this is all easy done than said, it'll come naturally with a little bit of practice) - couple those two things together and you can pretty much beat the game without leveling up, but since few people aren't that good remember a few things when leveling: -health and stamina are incredibly important, so leveling up vitality and endurance respectively will make your life easier and the game funner -strength is needed for quite a few weapons, but those requirements are relatively low so you shouldn't invest too much into it unless you know how to make use of slow heavy weapons -Dexterity on the other hand is also needed for a few weapons, but leveling it up leads you to fast weapons that also do a lot of damage, you really can't go wrong with it [spoiler]Great scythe is best scyth, great scythe is best weapon[/spoiler] -Resistance is more or less useless as every other stat by default levels up the same things -intelligence and faith are used for sorceress and miracles, I'd advise you stay away from these as you wont know how to best use them and your point are better spent elsewhere Probably forgetting another skill, but that's really it; also, pyromancy has no level requirments at all, so if you have the cash and know where to spend it (hint: fully upgrade a flame with the guy at firelink, then head down to blighttown near the spider nest and you'll find someone special) And most importantly, dying is a lesson, use it to make yourself better - and have fun.

Prepare to die.

try not to die so much.

When you get to firelink shrine, steer clear of the skeletons. If you find skeletons, you're going the wrong way. Instead, go up a hill, and fight hollow. You'll find that's the best way to start.

Don't be scared to go slow and lure enemies out one at a time. Most people die by rushing into a new area, or even just by going around the next corner without utilizing the camera to check it out first. Then they get swarmed, and even just three or four enemies can quickly be more than one can handle. Learn your combos. Practice on the weak enemies a short distance from Firelink Shrine until you could perform your combos, dodge combos, etc. in your sleep. Being able to rip those off without having to think about it will be a blessing later down the road, and will grease most battles for you. Don't be afraid to use a White Soap Stone and summon a bit of aid for the Boss Battles... in fights like with the Four Kings, it's nigh impossible [i]without[/i] having someone with you. Get a Repair Box from the Merchant in Undead Burg. Spells only have a limited number of uses, but uses recharge when you rest at a Bonfire. However; Bonfires also reset all of the enemies in your area... so if running a Mage-archetype, also be proficient with a sword or some-such weapon. Pick when to use your spells very carefully. That's all I've got for now. It's been a couple of months since I played Dark Souls... I may have to go back into the Dead World soon. Hope this helps. :)

Cry out all your tears now.

Don't get the Drake Sword. It ruins the fun. I beat the game for the first time as a level 71 Wanderer with a +14 Falchion.

First thing you want to get is Power Within.

Don't be ashamed to look at the guide a few times. Don't rely on it as it will ruin your first experience, but don't hesitate to look at it a few times. Also, don't bother trying to learn to parry on your first playthrough, backstabs are much easier and nearly as effective.

Learn every enemies moveset. After you've done that. the whole game gets a lot easier.