Ornstein and Smough are the Make-or-Break Obstacle of Dark Souls

gamerant.com:

For most players, the bosses in Dark Souls act not only as the obstacles that block access to the next area, but as one of the leading draws to the series as a whole. However, among the host of brutally difficult encounters, there is one fight against two legendary enemies that stands as the pinnacle of challenge delivered by FromSoftware.

That isn't to say that FromSoftware has never managed to create a challenge that was more difficult to overcome since Dark Souls, as made obvious by how notorious Elden Ring's Malenia has become. Instead, Ornstein and Smough stand apart as a mandatory boss that perfectly tests the skills of the player, as well as the utility of any build that has made it to Anor Londo.

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When asked if there are any games that someone might want to be able to play for the first time again, many FromSoftware fans would likely put Dark Souls at the top of that list. There isn't enough that can be said about the sense of discovery that comes with exploring Lordran and the triumph of facing off against either the regular cannon fodder or the mainline boss roster. The highest point for this feeling of triumph comes from Ornstein and Smough, who will likely send most players back to the bonfire repeatedly before victory is ever achieved.

In a rare case for the first Dark Souls, this encounter pits the player against two enemies, both capable of quickly shredding chunks of health with each attack. This means that the normal tunnel vision a player might get in a boss fight will likely be the leading cause of death, as focusing in on either Ornstein or Smough often ends with the other attacking from off-screen. It forces players to behave differently than in