Wtf is Elphael?

I have played through DS1 - 3 and am the type to look through every nook and cranny in existence after wiping every single enemy in the area.

I am on my first Elden Ring playthrough and defeated Maliketh so I decided to go after Mohg and Melania. I cleared Mohg (but took Varre tp instead of snowfield portal so no opinion on his entire area as of yet) which was fair and I solo'd but the area before him wasn't bad. Strong, but tolerable enemies that took a bit of setup (even the red frog gathering before his elevator wasn't bad).

Why is it that after Morgott, the game took a turn to unstaggerable, one-three shot commons EVERYWHERE. The Ancient Dragons at CFA that are tanky (I killed the first one with barely any life left, and don't say "just run past" becuz it was holding end-game material), the two-shotting bird spam and the electric sword 'dogs?' that also one->two-shot you. I"m 110-120... what the f.

Then the DTS before Maliketh was bs in its own right one-shotting, then phase 1 Maliketh backstepping two-three sword swooshes decimate my health and then his arc of blades that completely destroy you in phase 2? Then after he's dead I go to CS for Malenia. Stupid fucking Ordina no-horse parkour with archers that can also one-shot you if you're unlucky. Then the Haligtree bubble spam and ant spit that can instakill... then finally... Elphael...

The first area in my Fromsoft game history where I refuse to look around for items, find secrets and explore just because the area's full of spam. The Putrid Tree Spirits that can zone and instakill with magic alone, the yellow shield knights that do more than half health with a swing, the ballista spam with all previously mentioned, the enemies that shoot barrages of arrows that can instakill.... The revenants down below that can kill you effortlessly unless you have a weapon strong enough to stagger (maxed out bastard sword btw w/ golden vow & vyke dragonbolt buffs).

This area is the worst designed and this endgame is awful. I have never been so disappointed and am very close to comparing it to DS2 DLC bosses in awfulness. Got to Malenia and got her down to 25% (first phase I'm assuming) health so let's hope she makes this up because the slog to get to her is the worst likely in FromSoftware history.