is exploration good in DS2?
Yes, but not as good as DS1, because they nailed the interconnected world in that game. DS2 is more like branches off from the main hub, and you can access most of them right away or very early. DS1 was built different than the other Fromsoft games. You'll still have plenty to explore and the DLCs are especially massive, but you won't have those "omg I'm back at firelink!" moments. It's similar in the way you go through Catacombs/Tomb, or Duke's/Crystal Cave, a series of areas that eventually hit a dead end.
Soldiers when sollivers walks in