This game is a 10/10... but

[What]

I've put alot of hours in my first playthrough. I have found myself not enjoying NG+ as much. Feels too easy, and doesn't give much incentive to kill side bosses, and story gets lost. Am I the only one who feels this way? And what is the suggestion.

[cafe con leche]

I've beaten the main game 3 times and the DLC once (twice on PS5, once on PC). I'm on my fourth playthrough in NG on PC. I tried NG+ and couldn't get into it. I always have much more fun running a new build in NG.

This was my experience with Bloodborne, too. I beat it several times but could only get halfway through my only attempt at a NG+ run.

[CourtesyFlush09]

Yeah the replay value is abysmal and borderline non-existent compared to previous From games.

Play something else.

[CourtesyFlush09]

Originally posted by cafe con leche:

This was my experience with Bloodborne, too. I beat it several times but could only get halfway through my only attempt at a NG+ run.

I actually loved NG+ runs of Bloodborne, mainly because I usually run a Skill build and use the Burial Blade, which is only available when you start a NG+ cycle.

[Legiondorf]

I am never doing NG. My literal god slayed the Elden Beast, told Ranni to gf'd for all the trouble she caused, took the rang from Marika and now rules the Lands Between with Hewg and the thicc british chic from his still on fire mage tower. This is the end of the story until bothered to do DLC.

[lost horizon]

new game plus: hello Tree Sentinel, time to die

[EF_Neo1st]

Yes NG+ is easier (until you get to late game where enemies scale "I think" up to +40% damage and health).
If you want a better (harder) experience try new NG on Wretch and dont level up all that much. "IF" you used spirit ashes try not using these and if you used weapons that made it easy for you try avoiding these too.

If you want the game to be harder you can make it, NG+ is just the game yet again but now you can have 2 of the same boss/special unique weapons if you want.

Think about it, if before you played NG with 1900 HP and 55% damage negation and now plays through the whole NG with 900HP and 45% damage negation you basically die in 2 hits instead of 3 or 4 and if you dont use a weapon that goes beyond 600 AR and not using bleed, poison, etc effects you are probably also cutting your damage in half or more.
NG+7 I think enemies are 178% stronger (x1.77 more HP and damage for late game if late game is x1.4) so you can have it harder than NG+7 experience right at NG if you want.

https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/New+Game+Plus

What changes with NG+?

You will find some differences when starting a new playthrough through NG+:

.

Enemy health is increased. This means that enemies can take longer to kill.
Enemy defense is increased. This means that enemies take less damage from attacks.
Enemy resistance is increased. This means that status build ups like Rot and Bleed are reduced.
Enemy attack rate is increased. This means that enemies deal more damage with attacks.
Enemy poise damage taken is increased. This means that enemies have higher poise and take more to break poise/stagger/etc.
Enemy stamina damage is increased. This means that hits absorbed by blocking or block-like effects sap more stamina.
Enemy stagger resistance is increased. This means that enemies take more to stagger.
Runes received from Enemies and Bosses increase:
The increase for NG+ depends on the enemies and bosses and varies between a 5x increase for earlier enemies and bosses to a 2x increase for later enemies and bosses.
The factor seems to depend on the area (5x in Limgrave, 3x in Liurnia of the Lakes, Mt. Gelmir, Altus Plateau, Leyndell, Royal Capital, 2x in Dragonbarrow, Mountaintops of the Giants, Leyndell, Capital of Ash, ...) with some exceptions
Further Journeys increase the number of runes received based on NG+, or Journey 2, as illustrated in the table below.

Journey - Multiplier
3 (NG+2) - x1.100
4 (NG+3) - x1.125
5 (NG+4) - x1.200
6 (NG+5) - x1.225
7 (NG+6) - x1.250
8 (NG+7) - x1.275

So by restricting yourself more at NG you can have something as hard as NG+, NG+2, NG+... upt o NG+7 or even harder if you want, right at NG.