Everything from the complex lore to the challenging-yet-fair combat system can be discussed at length when it comes to Dark Souls, but there’s one particular thing about the series that separates it from the rest of the cookie-cutter AAA games that hd crowded the market in the early 2010s — the level design.
While the second half of Dark Souls is objectively worse than the first, there’s no denying there are some brilliant areas that truly push the concept of creative level design to a whole new level. Dark Souls juggles oppressive atmosphere and combat with level design that put its contemporaries to shame.
10 Northern Undead Asylum
From Software pretty always nails tutorial areas in their games, and Dark Souls is no exception. The Northern Undead Asylum might be a fairly unremarkable setting, but it works seamlessly as a tutorial.
From teaching a number of useful gameplay mechanics to including a boss in which the player can use everything they’ve learnt in this quick introductory segment, the Northern Undead Asylum serves as a great example of how to introduce players to a video game.
9 The Duke’s Archives
The Duke’s Archives might be present in the latter half of Dark Souls — when time and budget constraints led to rushed level design — but even thnm, this area manages to wow players with its numerous intricacies.
It’s a shame that this brilliant area is followed by a complete disappointment in the form of the Crystal Cave, which dampens the excitement that one might have while facing off against Seath.
8 Ash Lake
Ash Lake might not be the most important location in the game from a gameplay perspective, but one can’t deny that this area looks absolutely beautiful — something that’s quite welcome in a game that has a bleak and oppressive atmosphere across the board.
One still needs to keep their guard up in this secret area, mainly due to the Hydra that’s lurking in the background.
7 Undead Parish
Between the Undead Burg and Undead Parish, the latter is one of the best introductory areas in Dark Souls. The entire level is full to the brim with challenges that will test everything the player has learned up to that point.
This area also contains the first Bell of Awakening, along with a boss fight that is arguably the first real challenge that players will face in Dark Souls.
6 Sen’s Fortress
The quest to raise the gates of Sen’s Fortress in itself can take quite some time, making it all the more special when the player finally manages to access this area after hours of hard work. Of course, their work is far from over — the trap-laden fortress can be quite a challenge to climb, but always ends up being a rewarding ascent since players can finally access one of the best areas in the game.
5 Oolacile Township
The DLC areas might not be as famous as its bosses, but there’s no denying the fact that the Oolacile Township is an especially entertaining area to explore in Dark Souls.
Featuring a number of interesting enemies coupled with the classic From Software level design flair that gamers have come to expect from this studio, there’s really nothing wrong that gamers can point out in this impressively designed area.
4 Kiln Of The First Flame
The latter half of Dark Souls might be a pain to get through at times, but finally reaching the Kiln of the First Flame makes it all worth it. Fighting through an environment with a level of beauty that can only be described as melancholic, the Chosen Undead deals with the last remnants of Gwyn’s guard before facing off against the Lord of Cinder himself. It’s the perfect buildup to an admittedly great fight.
3 Painted World Of Ariamis
As is the case with most From Software games, an optional area actually ends up being one of the most entertaining in the entire game. The Painted World of Ariamis is something that no self-respecting Dark Souls fan should ever miss out on.
The level has pretty much everything that one would want from a Dark Souls area — great enemy placement, beautiful environments, tight level design, an excellent end-stage boss, and even a freakin’ dragon if everything else that’s been listed isn’t enough.
2 Anor Londo
Anor Londo is the towering castle that players are looking up at for the majority of their playthrough. To finally roam around this beautiful area is easily one of the biggest highlights of Dark Souls.
From the infamous Anor Londo archers to a boss fight against Ornstein & Smough that is considered by many Dark Souls fans as one of the best and most challenging fights in the entire series, Anor Londo is a hub of amazing content and the area where the Dark Souls experience peaks.
1 Firelink Shrine
Regardless of how many areas the player might have accessed and been wowed by in their playthrough, there’s no denying that there’s only one that comes to the mind of any Dark Souls players when the game is brought up — Firelink Shrine.
Landing in this area for the first time and figuring out just how much it branches, coupled with a heap of interesting NPC interactions & questions, makes for what is easily one of the most dynamic and iconic areas in Dark Souls.
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