That's the thing with ER, and the problem that highlights the terrible game balance. Because if you had an epic fight with this dragon and it does this huge laser light show at low health, and you have to scramble and dodge to get your final hits, it would be an epic fight.
But if you run in with a mimic tear and a Corpse Piler, or Comet, or any number of things, the fight lasts only like a minute and you can even skip the light show
I think that's the core of why ER is such a disappointment. Because the bosses are broken in a typical Souls setting, with all the limits of that combat system. But they are also jokes when fought on ER terms. So it's really hard to tell if it's just poor design (which I find hard to believe from this team) or it's just a change in policy that doesn't work.
And I also don't believe that the OP shit in ER is unintentional. They've done balancing consistently through the game's release. And it isn't like there was one weapon art that was a problem. Or one spell. There is a LOT of stuff that absolutely destroys shit in ER, which suggests that was the intended thing. They want you to build yourself into a powerful mage, or katana wielder, or massive sword user, or whatever, but whatever it is you choose, you should be powerful by the time you're done.