I don’t find soulslike games to be slow, but that may just be a result of me being used to the controls and therefore having a lot more agency of what my character does.

What I will offer as an actual rebuttal is this: the committal nature of slower movement and attacks really forces you to identify the right approach for a situation. Same reason why I prefer Greatsword/Hammer in older Monster Hunter games. You reach a point where your character looks like they’re demolishing enemies in a relatively effortless manner, but only because the player understands exactly what needs to be done.

The initial challenge is pattern recognition and strategy, the long-term challenge is consistent execution.

progressed from the past

And in some ways, regressed.