Start with new characters in new worlds.

I tried a couple of times to use old characters... First off it felt really too too easy with your skills up.

Bringing anything metal means you need a forge right away to repair it. So fine but then you just skip right into Black Forest until you realize you don't need anything from there really.

As the game goes on it feels like an empty husk devoid of any purpose. I didn't like that although I felt super powerful it was all pointless to me.