Dark Souls Location Ranking

I recently played Dark Souls Remastered for the very first time and have absolutely fallen in love with the game. I had assumed there was no way it could live up to the hype and praise that have surrounded it for the past decade plus years, but I was wrong. It was a truly extraordinary experience, with some of the most glorious feelings of accomplishment I have ever had while playing a video game. In lieu of doing a standard review, which there are no doubt countless numbers of, I'm going to instead rank various game elements, which will give me a chance to gush or rant about far more aspects of the game than I would otherwise. This time, I'm going to rank every location in the world, with a couple of minor exceptions; for example, I'm not ranking the base game's Abyss, which is just an endless black expanse. And yes - this continues detailed spoilers of the entire game. Consider yourself warned!

Let's start with the worst of the worst and work our way up.

25. Lost Izalith: I'm sure no one reading this is surprised that this late game area is on the lowest rung of the ladder. Simply put, it's unfinished. The game's director Miyazaki confirmed they were rushed for time on both this location and its notorious boss fight, which I'll certainly be covering in my ranking of all of the bosses (if it ever comes to fruition). But even without referencing that interview, it's clear that this area is incomplete. The most egregious element is the bounding demons, the primary enemy you will face for the first half of the level, which are just the lower half of undead dragons copied and pasted in. They're incredibly annoying to face, besides just looking goofy as hell, and there's a whopping 27 of them according to the wiki standing sentry here! Thankfully, they can easily be avoided if you know what you're doing, but even then, this level is a total slog. You'll spend the first half avoiding the dragon asses and dashing through lava to get to safe land to walk on, and the second half doesn't have much to offer other than an oppportunity to advance Siegmeyer's questline (which also isn't that fun, because getting the 'best' ending is so damn hard). And what's that? There's a poison swamp you can unwittingly fall into? Miyazaki sure loves frustrating poison swamps, doesn't he? Speaking of...

24. Blighttown: I hated this area. Even experienced players dread progressing through this shithole. Yet, I can't help but think that it's important that it's bad, in a weird way. It makes the other areas all the more impressive, and the satisfaction and relief you get from finally clearing the damn thing is near unparalleled. Still, it doesn't change the fact that it sucks ass. There are two ways to access Blighttown, with most new players being funneled there through the Depths entrance, but regardless of which path you take, you'll immediately be confronted with infested barbarians, some of the strongest foes you've encountered thus far. They can deal immense damage if you're unprepared, and their weapons inflict poison buildup. But even with them out of the way, you'll soon be face to face with numerous infested ghouls with erratic attacks, dogs that are on fire and quick as hell, and blowdart snipers whose attacks don't cause any visible knockback, so if you're not paying attention, you won't even realize you've been hit by them until your toxin status builds up! And oh yeah, this is all in horrible lighting on precariously narrow platforms suspended so high up that falls will always be fatal. There's a bonfire partway through, at least, though if you're like me, you probably missed it on your first go through. And that's only the first half! The second half is down below in a poison swamp, where you're forced to run through it to reach the boss and a bell of awakening all while being harassed by giant mosquitoes and the barbarians from before, but this time they swapped out their clubs for giant fucking boulders. Good luck.

23. Crystal Cave: This is the area you need to pass through to fight Seath (for real this time), and it's not particularly long. It's also incredibly pretty, with the bright, shining crystals being a significant contrast from the last stinker on this list. It's actually one of my favorite levels aesthetically. So why is it ranked so low? Simple - it uses one of my least favorite gameplay gimmicks of all time - invisible pathways. I have always, always loathed them, because it feels like such a cheap way to make a level difficult. It's not really challenging the player beyond rote memorization, and it slows progress down to a crawl. I hate cautiously inching my way forward when all I want to do is play the damn game. There are ways to make this mechanic less annoying, such as giving signs to let the player know they're on the right path. Dark Souls does that here in two different ways. The first is by telltale gleams that let you know there's an invisible platform in that location, and the second is by dropping prism stones, which will leave a colorful splash where they fall to let you know if it's safe to walk there. There's problems with both of these methods, though - I, personally, had a hard time telling where exactly the gleam was located, leading me to fall off many a ledge that I swore was where I saw the sparkle, and that prism stones are a consumable item that had pretty much zero purpose up until that point in the game, so the player isn't likely to have stockpiled them. Worse, the prism stone markers vanish whenever you die, so you just have to rely on your memory as to where the paths are. Which... my short term memory sucks, so I was screwed. Lastly, even though the pathways are relatively straight ahead, even figuring out which ones to take is a hassle, as there are others that curve every which way and lead to optional goodies. It took me an hour of deaths before realizing that wasn't even the right path! So, unfortunately, the beauty of this stage does not make up for how agonizingly frustrating it is.

22. New Londo Ruins: New Londo Ruins, like Blighttown, is divided into two major sections, a first half where a misstep could spell death, and a second half far below. Also like Blighttown, both halves are incredibly annoying. The above water portion can be accessed fairly early on, but you're unlikely to make it very far, as you'll be lacking a couple of key items unless you know what you're doing. There is one thing that New Londo gets right, however, and that's the area right after you step out of the elevator from Firelink. There are non-hostile hollows in deep throes of madness, banging on the walls, holding their heads in their hands, or appearing to be praying. It's a fantastic set piece, and I think it's one of the best transitional areas in the game. However, once you cross the bridges to the ruins itself, you're in for a bad time. The upper half is almost entirely populated by ghosts, whom can only be damaged if you're a) cursed, b) used a transient curse item that has a time limit, or c) have a unique weapon that can harm them. Nobody wants to be cursed, so you'll need b or c, which isn't that bad as several of each can be found or looted from their corpses, but the ghosts are still irritating to deal with. They have a surprisingly impressive range and can move through walls and even floors and ceilings, so you have to really be careful when navigating in the dim lighting. They also have a tendency to attack in packs and can deal a lot of damage if you're caught off guard. You can only reach the lower half by using an item to unflood the ruins, which can only be obtained from a helpful NPC if you've placed the lordvessel, or you can just kill him (which isn't recommended unless you're looking to align with Kaathe). The bottom isn't much better, as it's dark like Blighttown, and filled with darkwraith knights that are manageable one on one, but can be a huge pain if they're fought in groups... Which is pretty likely, all things considered, because their aggro range is pretty damn big. Of course, there are still ghosts, as well as exploding fucking skulls that are a hindrance, because why not. All in all, it's not the worst level, but it's one I dreaded returning to.

21. The Tomb of Giants: This area surprised me, because it wasn't nearly as awful as I expected it to be. It utilizes one of my other most hated gaming gimmicks, that of extreme darkness, to the point where the only way to navigate this subterranean labyrinth would be to equip a light source. For my exploration, I equipped the sunlight maggot, a hard-won piece of headgear I got from killing the bug that normally turns Solaire insane. The stats for this helmet are pathetic, but at least this way I could keep using a high stability shield instead of trading it for a lantern. Even with the light, this map is extremely confusing, and high amounts of fall damage await you if you misstep. Thankfully, the developers were kind enough to leave some prism stone markers to help guide you. Rather rudely, the developers also filled this area with beast skeletons, who can do massive amounts of damage and can be hard to predict. Finding the path down to the boss fight with Nito is no easy task, but I didn't find it unenjoyable. For whatever reason, I didn't think this area was bad, just kind of alright. I blame two factors for balancing the scales here - the baby skeletons, who do a funny as fuck dance outside Nito's chamber, and Trusty Patches, an NPC who hates clerics, and will push you down into a hole regardless of your class if you fall for his tricks but is just so delightful to me. He's an ass, but he took me off guard in a way that made me laugh. These moments made up for the confusing layout and while not elevating this to a 'good' level, it's not as bad as people made me believe.

20. The Depths: The Depths gave me - and probably a great many players - a real run for their money. While this area is actually optional, most new players will take this route to Blighttown, unless they're especially daring and chose the master key as their starting item, opening up a route through the Valley of the Drakes. The Depths is challenging for a few different reasons, but in my eyes, it did a good job of ramping up the difficulty from start to finish, assuming you enter through Lower Undead Burg. Like most locations in Dark Souls, it's dimly lit and can be confusing to navigate, but it didn't take many passes to figure out the best route to get to where you need to go. It starts out with butchers and more undead dogs, which will certainly keep you on your toes, but they're not the ones you really need to look out for. No, it's not until the vicinity of the lone bonfire that the two most dangerous creatures show their faces. The first are the slimes, who can drop on you from above if you're not keeping careful enough watch and are strategically positioned in cramped hallways or above treasure chests. They also have vast quantities of health, which will make dealing with them a pain, especially if torch-waving hollows are abound. But the worst of the lot are the basilisks, bug-eyed freaky frogs that can inflict curse on you if you get too close to their petrifying breath. Curse is by the far the most aggravating condition in the game, as it instakills you and halves your health until you cure it. Unfortunately, curing it isn't all that easy at this stage in the game - you have to venture all the way back to the merchant in the aqueduct, or visit Oswald, or trade with Snuggly the Crow (and good luck figuring out how to initiate the trade without a guide). What saves this area from being lower on the list is that I've become weirdly fond of it after spending so much time refighting the boss, and that the runback to the boss can be pretty simple and direct if you know what you're doing, with very little encounters.

19. Undead Burg (Lower): I separated Undead Burg into two sections - the upper half, and the lower half. I did this because the difference in quality between these two sectors is huge. Lower Undead Burg was viciously hard when I first reached it, not least because of the fight with Capra Demon, but I don't look back on it that sourly. I feel it had it's purpose in preparing the player for what was to come, ramping up the difficulty and introducing enemies that are craftier and more erratic than the ones you have faced thus far. This was the part of the game where I learned that patience is a virtue, and it's best to approach new areas slowly, with your eyes and ears out for any enemies hiding around corners or behind objects. The assassins are fast and can easily overwhelm you in groups, so walking just close enough to aggro them one at a time and take them out is key. There are also venomous undead dogs, which will train you for the other status-inflicting creatures that await you in the depths. Aesthetically, the area looks like Upper Undead Burg, just even more of a dump, which is to say that it's not bad by any means. Although it doesn't live up to the first half, which would have been a difficult task, and is a bane for new players, I don't think it's a bad location.

18. Quelaag's Domain: This isn't a big area, and there isn't too much to do. It's nestled deep within Blight Town at the bottom of the swamp and doesn't appear to host much more than the boss fight with the titular Quelaag. You'll return to it in the second half of the game, where it's mandatory to progress through to collect one of the Lord Souls. In that regard, this is more or less just a transitional area that separates an early game environment from a late game one. In fact, I almost didn't put it on this list at all, since there's really not much to talk about here... That is, as long as you don't find the hidden room. There's a false wall in the elevator that leads you to one of my favorite NPCs in the game, Quelaag's unnamed sister, also known as the Fair Lady. I won't go into her lore here, but if you have the right item to understand her speech, you'll be hit with one of the most heartbreaking storylines in the game. She's also incredibly useful, not just because she's a firekeeper, but because she's head of a covenant that offers great rewards and even offers you the only opportunity (outside of abusing hitboxes through walls) to save Solaire becoming a hollow. This shortcut she opens up also lets you skip the entirety of Demon Ruins and most of Lost Izalith, and considering Lost Izalith is such a fucking slog, this is a godsend. Lastly, her eggpreg eunuch can upgrade your pyromancy. So, for such a short area, it is still very rewarding and feels great to investigate, but it's hard to rank it any higher than this due to how brief it is.

17. The Valley of Drakes This place is... well, I kind of like it! But it feels very short. This is partly because it mostly serves as a transitional area like Quelaag's Domain, only with more enemy encounters. It connects Firelink Shrine to both Blighttown and the lower New Londo Ruins (assuming you've drained the water already). For that alone, it's useful to avoid at least part of some of the most frustrating areas in the game. And the enemies are neat - they're all, as the name implies, dragons. They're difficult to face if you're unprepared, and there's also an undead dragon guarding some useful armor that was great fun to learn how to fight, especially since you'll probably first encounter him too early in the game to have a chance of withstanding his breath attacks. But there's not much else to talk about here beyond that.

16. The Catacombs You may have ventured into the Catacombs relatively early in the game, if you were able to survive the skeleton army in the graveyard beside Firelink Shrine. And, if you're like me, you probably saw a single ominous, floating skull rush towards you and shrieked and fled back up the stairs. I fought Gravelord Nito last, so this was one of the last areas I explored fully in the game. Because of that, I had enough levels and equipment that I had a pretty easy time here, but I found it surprisingly fun, even if it was confusing to navigate, especially in the dark. Like Tomb of the Giants, I used the sunlight maggot as my light source. The enemies you encounter here are mostly simple skeleton warriors raised by necromancers, and the only way to demolish them completely is to kill the necromancer or use a divine weapon. Without a divine weapon, I had a slightly harder time, but it was still enjoyable, and I didn't find myself overwhelmed by the encounters. There are also plenty of traps, and switches you need to hit to proceed, which were straightforward puzzles but fun. What made this area most memorable, though, was that there are quite a few secrets hidden in it, a couple of which are pretty esoteric (such as figuring out how to join Nito's covenant, or the blacksmith). All in all, the Catacombs was my favorite level in the game that relied on dim lighting as an obstacle, and every area from here on out will only be better.

15. Demon Ruins: The Demon Ruins isn't a particularly large area, and it doesn't have that many structures of note. At first, it's simply a lava filled cavern that's mostly inaccessible, with egg-burdened hollows lurking near the entrance. After angering and defeating Ceaseless Discharge (horrible name for a boss), the lava will mostly drain away, giving you a pathway to continue, as long as you watch your step. Even then, with the rest of the area opening up, there still isn't too much to do, or much that's hidden, other than the shortcut that you can only open if you have donated enough humanity to Quelaag's Sister. There's not even much new to find if you return later in the game, as even with the charred ring, there's only a couple of treasures chests you can now reach. Still, I found myself liking this location quite a lot, for some reason. I'm not sure if it's because a lot of the encounters on the bottom level are demoted bosses (capra demons and taurus demons) that give you a good challenge and make you feel unstoppable if you topple them, or just the design in general, which is influenced more by Eastern architecture than the western inspirations for the majority of the game, but I liked it. Could it have used more time in the oven to become truly great? Absolutely. But I don't despise it like so many players seem to. It feels more finished than Lost Izalith at the least, and while I do have other problems with it, they're almost entirely aimed at the boss fights, which... well, they all kind of suck. But I'm not grading based off of boss fights!

14. Chasm of the Abyss: This is the first location introduced in the DLC - all the locations in Oolacile are quite good! This one only ranks lower than the rest due to the fact that it's so short and serves as little more than a transitional area to fight arguably the toughest boss in the game (that isn't you-know-who(s)). It's linked to (obviously) the Abyss from the base game, which I didn't rank on this list because it holds a single boss fight, and nothing more. It has perilous paths, long drops that can be difficult to judge, and some cool treasure hidden off the beaten path. But it's the main enemies that make this location cool. They look like pieces of humanity, and have no attacks, simply damaging you if they touch your character. There's something very spooky and awful about them that makes this a great set piece, which is good, because you'll be running back to fight Manus quite a few times.

13. Kiln of the First Flame: You might be wondering, "What? Why is the Kiln of the First Flame on this list at all, and why so high?" Well, it's not that high, as it hasn't cracked the top 10, but it does serve as little more than yet another transitional area, so why write about it? Because while it is incredibly short and straightforward, I think it's a pretty awesome set piece for the final boss. It really ramps up the tension leading to the (rather disappointing) fight with Gwyn by being a world of ash inhabited only by Black Knights. I'm sure there are plenty who are unimpressed that the final area isn't a gauntlet that tests everything you've learned throughout your journey, and I was at first, too. But on reflection, I think it does exactly what it needs to do. You've already overcome countless trials, and I feel that another full-length dungeon would just be a slog. It also makes for a simple runback to Gwyn if you do lose to him. But best of all, it provides ample opportunity to farm for drops from the Black Knights. They don't respawn anywhere else in the game, so this is a real gift to the players, giving you the opportunity to get plenty of shards, as well as any equipment they may have failed to drop on your earlier encounters with them. It feels like the definitive end to the game, and for that reason alone, I look fondly upon it.

12. Royal Woods: When I saw there was a forest in the DLC, I was both excited, because I love forest environments, but also a bit cautious, because there was already a forest in the base game (which you'll see discussed in the following entry), and a few other wooded locations. I was worried this would be a retread of those same places, without much to really differentiate it from them. Thankfully, the Royal Woods is different enough in tone and structure to succeed as being a cool level to explore. It's not as dark or gloomy as the Darkroot levels; in fact, it's well-lit in some places, with actual sunlight. It also has elevators that act as shortcuts once you activate them, meaning you can get to where you want to go pretty quickly. The trees are plentiful, but there's never so many of them that they completely obstruct your paths. Instead, they're obstacles that provide a challenge to use to your advantage when fighting foes, some of which are quite tough. While the scarecrow creatures are pretty simple to deal with, the knights can be very dangerous if you're not careful, especially if you aggro more than one at once. Even with these enemies, I found the area almost peaceful in a way, just because of the greenness and vibes alone. It's a solid contrast to the majority of the areas in the game, and having both top and lower portions makes it more unique. While I don't think it's necessarily a standout area, it's a good palate cleanser and I enjoyed my time there.

11. Darkroot Garden: There are two ways to reach Darkroot Garden - either by climbing up the Basin or venturing forth from Undead Parish. On your first visit, you won't be able to explore much, as your path is blocked by a gate that requires an item purchased from Andre to enter. But once you bypass that gateway, you'll enter a murky forest full of sentient trees and mushrooms, and bursting with secrets. One thing I especially like is that there are guaranteed npc encounters, members of the Forest Hunter covenant, that require different strategies than most of the standard Dark Souls fare. They each have different styles of attack and require caution to avoid aggro-ing all of them at once. It was fun picking them off, as well as dealing with the moss-covered giants and the horrendous cats that don't respawn. The mushroom men have become something of a meme, and are a cool encounter as well, even if it's just because of how goofy they look, while still packing quite a punch. With some cool armor, an ember, an optional boss, a required boss (who is legendary even among non-fans), and the green environment that is a nice change of pace from the typical fare, this location is one I never complained about returning to.

10. Darkroot Basin: The Basin ranks just barely above the Garden, and it's partially because of my first experience with it being one of the most memorable ones I've had in the game. A friend of mine instructed me to head to the Depths after defeating the Capra Demon, but I misunderstood their vague directions and ended up entering the Basin through the tower in Undead Parish. I managed to get out of range of Havel the Rock, then found myself in a beautiful, mysterious area unlike any other location. Despite being an extremely green player and greatly underpowered for this level, I managed to use obstacles to keep me safe from the crystal golems and to slowly chip away at their health, dodge all the breath attacks from the Hydra (which have incredible range!), and evade the Black Knight I accidentally ran headfirst into, before traversing the Gardens and speeding past the Titanite Demon to Parish once again. This was a great moment, with my palms sweaty and my heart racing, that really captured the Dark Souls experience. The Basin still held up when I returned later, as it held one of the best items in the game (the grass crest shield), a fun boss fight with the Hydra once I could actually take her on, and the very well hidden DLC. It's an all-around great area to explore.

9. Northern Undead Asylum: Finally, we've come to the very start of the game, the Asylum, which serves as the perfect tutorial level. It's not terribly big, and it does a wonderful job of introducing players to the game's mechanics via bloodstains and just plain good level design. You'll fight your first enemies, hollows, who while proving to be no major threat for experienced players, will give you a run for your money if it's your first time starting the game. The first time you encounter the boss, the creatively named Asylum Demon, you probably won't stand a chance unless you picked the bombs on the character creation screen. It took me several tries before I realized there was actually a doorway you could duck through to evade him. Through there, you'll find several useful items and get a chance to practice combat more, before finding a ledge high above the boss arena, with a bloodstain instructing you on how to perform a plunge. And with those new tools and tricks in your arsenal, you're able to actually topple him this time, earning your first big victorious sigh of relief. While this locale is disconnected from the rest of Lordran, there is a way to return there that's both silly and a bit of a headscratcher to figure out on your own. Thankfully, there is a reason to return though, as now there are Black Knights that will test your skills in the cramped corridors, another Demon that will take you by surprise and offer a worthwhile reward upon defeat, and some extremely helpful items that you can access now that you have more keys and skills. Taken altogether, this makes the Asylum fondly remembered by many players, and an iconic location.

8. Oolacile Township: This town was the last substantially lengthy area of the game I traversed, so I was pretty strong by this point - overpowered, even, depending on who you ask. That didn't stop Oolacile Township from being a considerable challenge, or the highlight of the DLC for me. It's reminiscent of Undead Burg, but with twisted architecture and much more devious encounters. One thing I appreciated is that there are two routes through the upper half of the level, each of which test you in different ways. One route has more difficult fights, but the other requires you to carefully navigate thinner platforms and avoid fatal falls, with an item you'll definitely want for your boss fight with Manus (in fact, I'd say it's outright essential). Some of these walkways and buildings are incredibly cramped, creating a sense of claustrophobia that keeps the player on edge without overwhelming them. Don't get me wrong, though, you'll probably die a lot, especially in the later portion. There's a staircase you'll need to descend towards the end that has a bunch of bloatheads waiting for you at the bottom, which isn't too bad as long as you don't let yourself get surrounded, but there are sorceresses watching you from above that will attack with sinister, long-range orbs that can deal a ton of damage. They can break through your guard, too, so you'll want to be as quick as your loadout allows you and hide behind pillars to dodge their spells. There's also an elevator, similar to Royal Woods, that will let you skip most of the level once you activate it for easier traveling. One of my favorite parts of this area, though, are the amount of fun secrets hiding in wait for you to discover. A lot of times I'd see something that I think I could access, and just know there must be something worthwhile waiting for me. I know some of my friends didn't think too highly of this location, but I love the design and am glad I saved it for last.

7. Sen's Fortress: Exactly who is Sen? I've finished the game and read plenty of lore, but I still don't know. I can only imagine they're an upper middle-class white woman who thinks that she's going to be murdered in her sleep in her idyllic neighborhood so she's installed myriad alarms and decoys throughout her home, because Sen's Fortress is full of creative ways to die. Reached after ringing both bells, this castle is host to more devious traps than you can count - arrows activated by pressure plates, giant boulders that careen down hills, massive blades that swing back and forth above perilous pathways, and spiked ceilings waiting to crush you if you ride the elevators too far, just to name a few. The enemies and their placement are also crafty - the serpent-men have deceptive range and are often blocking entranceways, the floor beneath the first bridge is teeming with Titanite Demons, and you better get in the habit of hitting chests before opening them, because there's a good chance they'll actually be ravenous mimics that will chew on you or kick you to death. Even if you manage to get through the inside unscathed, you'll then reach the top, where boulder throwing giants and heavily armored knights lay in wait. This was a frustrating, even maddening experience at times - but I loved every second of it. It really tests your skills, and it also has some great items that will make you feel powerful, like the lightning spear, which will help you quickly lay waste to the serpent-men and prove useful for many hours to come. Some of the items are well hidden too and it contains secrets even experienced players may not be aware of. It's no wonder it's one of my favorite locations in the game.

6. The Duke's Archives: In an interview, director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that one of the main inspirations for this level was Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films. Gross! But the concept of a magical school or university is an intriguing idea, and even if Harry Potter is shit for far too many reasons to go into here, there are plenty of media that do the trope right. The Duke's Archive nails this, as you can practically smell the yellowed pages of old books as you explore this vast library. As you'd expect, many of the enemies here are sorcerers with powerful ranged spells, but they're far from the only foes you'll encounter. Expect an assortment of undead soldiers, crystal golems that pack a mean punch, and, perhaps surprisingly, man-serpents and pisacas. There's only one entrance to the Archives, through Anor Londo, and you'll come face to face with deadly fang boars before entering the archive proper. What follows are some of the most intense fights in the game; the enemies just don't seem to stop coming. This was thrilling, and I had a grin on my face the entire time, even when I was losing. After a scripted loss to the boss Seath, you'll awake in a prison cell further in his study, where all sorts of his experiments have gone wrong. Upon escaping, an alarm is triggered, urging pisacas to climb the massive spiral staircase to your location. I had no idea what was going on when this happened, and it was exciting to explore and turn off the alarm. From there, you'll have to battle your way back through the archives to find an alternate arena to fight Seath in. While I loved many things about this level, I feel there were some issues I had worth discussing. Firstly, being that it has a confusing layout. This may seem ridiculous, as I've praised levels previously that also were difficult to navigate, but I just didn't gel with this one in particular. Secondly, this is only exacerbated by the fact that I felt that it wasn't clearly advertised to the player that there was an alternate arena. I kept rushing back to fight Seath, once I finally got the map down, and couldn't understand why I couldn't land a hit on him. The last nitpick is admittedly very minor, but while I loved the astrolabes and assorted scholarly obstacles throughout the level that block your path and force you think quickly to make use of them to hinder your enemies and allow you safe retreat, I felt that at times there were simply too many for them to do their intended purpose without becoming grating. Overall, however, this just barely missed out on making my Top 5, because the rest of it really was that good.

5. Undead Parish: To myself, as well as many other players, Undead Parish acts as the game's secondary hub. While it's not quite as iconic as Firelink Shrine, it's still a very well-designed level that has a couple of helpful NPCs, shortcuts to a few different areas, and rewarding enemy encounters. When you first access Undead Parish through Upper Undead Burg, you'll quickly come face to face with one of the game's most memorable dragon fights, who will roast you if you stay on the bridge too long. It's exciting to return to this area to best the beast, but the most enterprising players may realize that with the proper equipment, they can earn themselves a rare and powerful dragon weapon by attacking its tail that is extremely useful in the early game. In the Parish proper, you'll fight numerous hollows, some staked out above you armed with bows, and others lurking further below, leaping from the shadows. That's not to mention the extremely aggressive fang boar guarding a locked gate that you'd have to cheese to beat this early in the game. Even then, you're still not out of the clear, as to reach the blacksmith and bonfire, you must duel balder knights, the first foes you'll encounter on a casual playthrough that can parry your attacks, in narrow halls that mitigate the ability to circle your enemy and limit your reach. I died many times to them, and as a result, ended up memorizing the route - even now I can recall with excellent clarity the placement of the enemies and treasure. When Firelink's firekeeper is killed (assuming you didn't immediately kill Laurent) this will most likely become your home for a bit. It also connects to Darkroot Gardens and Sen's Fortress, in addition to the already mentioned areas, making it a very useful homebase for the early to mid-game. For me, this was the perfect amount of challenge; difficult, but not impossible, and you're rewarded well for your efforts. I look back on this level incredibly fondly.

4. Painted World of Ariamis: Some fun development facts here - this was actually the first location designed for the game, according to an interview I read with Miyazaki in the official art book. It was mostly a prototype to test the game's mechanics, but they ran into a problem later on, which was that they had no idea how to connect this area to the rest of the game's map. It's a snowy level, which doesn't fit in with the rest of the game's environments and would be very awkward to have the climate change so drastically from one area to the next (even though a lot of games do this with little consideration). Furthermore, it's very self-contained, which makes sense because it was their demo. But the team loved it so much they figured out a way to include it, by making it completely separate from everywhere else. It can only be accessed through a painting in Anor Londo, which is fun enough to discover on your own, but the actual level itself is fantastic. I can see why they wanted it included! As I mentioned, it's self-contained, which means it's pretty compact, but it doesn't feel short in the least. First, you'll venture through a dilapidated village filled with exploding enemies and plenty of secrets hidden in nooks and crannies. Once you rise to the roofs, you'll be able to see your next objectives, as well as deal with harpy-like creatures that can be tough if you're not prepared. An undead dragon might not seem like such a threat, given how far away it is from you on the bridge, but it will shock you by lunging forward and detach its lower half, leaving the legs behind so it can breathe noxious gas all over you. Once you get to the courtyard, you'll be faced with a legion of grotesque freaks, then deal with the notorious wheel skeletons underground. At last, you'll be able to meet Priscilla and leave the level. Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot to mention - you can't leave until you finish it. This would be a horrible design decision in most cases, especially if a player is too weak, or just is bored and wants to leave. But the level is so great that it's not a concern, and there's a lot of variables that make it easier for players who are struggling to survive. Even the boss is optional! And with so many shortcuts to open during your playtime, you can quickly bypass the earlier sections to get to where you need to go. All in all, a fantastic level and I'm so glad they managed to include it in the game.

3. Firelink Shrine: This deceptively cozy area will be your hub for the majority of the game, so it's a good thing this area ranks so highly, as you'll be seeing quite a bit of it. While you'll explore timidly upon your first arrival, not knowing what enemies might be lurking nearby, before long this bonfire and the surrounding area will feel like home - somewhere safe and warm, a place to decompress after long treks back from Blight Town, The Depths, or the Catacombs. I've mentioned previously how cleverly the Dark Souls world is designed, so that even before warping between bonfires is possible, most areas have shortcuts to previous ones. A good few of them lead you back to Firelink Shrine, meaning that home is almost always within reach in the early game. This safe haven isn't much to talk about at first, with the shrine having seen better days, and there not being too much of note beyond the connections to other, more dangerous areas. The most substantial routes for new players are that to Undead Burg, and a graveyard filled with tricky skeletons that leads to the Catacombs (that most players will steer clear of for the time being). But what really makes this hub stand out are the NPCs that inhabit it. At first, there will only be one cryptic NPC who will talk to you, the Crestfallen Warrior, but as time goes on, other characters you encounter on your travels will pass through, many of whom will even set up shop and sell you spells, miracles, or armor. The true joy lies in watching the Shrine evolve throughout your playthrough, with NPCs both coming and going depending on your actions. There are also a good number of interesting loot and secrets throughout the small area, which really encourages you to explore every nook and cranny. By the time Laurentius kills Anastasia, you'll want to avenge her not just to continue using the bonfire, but because someone has invaded your home - your safe haven - and hurt one of your own. At least, that's how I felt. It's a simple but very well-thought-out hub that you just can't help getting strongly attached to. And the music's great too!

2. Undead Burg (Upper): Upper Undead Burg has a lot of heavy expectations riding on it. It's the first level new players will access after the tutorial, so it has to find the perfect balance of difficulty and guidance, so as to stop new players from dropping the game entirely out of frustration, while still being memorable and representative of the game as a whole. I'm proud to say that this area absolutely nails everything it's aimed to achieve. Is it hard? Of course! But I never once wanted to stop playing. In fact, I couldn't stop playing. Every death teaches you what you did wrong. There were a couple of times I would cuss the game out, blaming it for my failures, but I knew that it was purely my fault. This is where you'll learn the proper timing for parrying, as well as many of the strategies that you will be using throughout the entire run. But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit - first, let's talk about the layout. It's mostly a linear route through a village in total disrepair, but there are numerous paths that will attract your attention and reward it with loot and souls. Cleverly, virtually all of these paths don't lead to dead ends but instead wrap around to bring you right back to the main path. This makes it fairly hard to get lost, and the backtracking is pretty minimal, encouraging you to go out of your way to check more things out. The bonfire is located roughly halfway into the level and will later serve as a shortcut to the bridge to Undead Parish. You'll be seeing that bonfire a lot,M by the way. Even though most of the enemies are simple hollows, they are all equipped with different loadouts and are placed strategically to punish you if you're not careful. The ones with bows are the worst of the lot, many of which are standing watch from roofs and parapets, and you'll be forced to learn how to handle long-range attacks. Some are hiding in corners or furniture inside houses, just waiting to ambush you if you're not careful. Others have spears or swords, some have shields, others have firebombs. You'll have to memorize a lot of these enemies if you're a new player if you want any hope of surviving. Because of that, this area is permanently seared into my memory, and I have nothing but fondness for it. There are also optional encounters with Havel the Rock and a Black Knight, which will teach inexperienced players that even while on a casual route, you can still run into powerful foes if you go looking for them. Both these encounters had a huge impact on me, giving me some of my most thrilling "oh wait, shit, fuck, NO, run!" moments. When I think of my experience with Dark Souls, this is the first level I think of - and it's absolutely deserving of that high honor.

1. Anor Londo: I don't know what I expected when I made it to Anor Londo. I knew that it marked the end of the first half of the game, and that it was both revered and reviled by many players for often the same reasons. On arrival, I was greeted by a magnificent city, unlike any of the previous locations, with some stunning views and formidable new enemies. I was already enchanted. But it wasn't until I defeated a gargoyle demon and then had no idea where the fuck I was supposed to go that I realized exactly how glorious the level design was, and how grueling the challenge was, in this place. Walking along buttresses, evading demons to send them plunging to their doom, keeping your balance on rafters, parrying silver knights, and of course the legendary boss fight with Ornstein and Smough... I was in love, even though it demanded patience and skill. Anor Londo is also host to the single most annoying enemy in the game - a silver knight archer, placed directly in your way on the ledge before the second bonfire, armed with a bow that deals considerable knockback, all while trying to avoid falling to your death in the bottomless pit below. The rush of running, rolling, grabbing the knight's attention, retreating, watching them fall themself in the chase... There's nothing quite like it. The silver knights that infest the castle require a particular rhythm of rolling and parrying that will make you feel like a god instead of a rookie, while the heavily armored giants with their AOE and healing miracles offer rewards for those brave enough to survive. Anor Londo has a plethora of fun npcs and quests, too. If you didn't kill Lautrec, this is where you'd invade him, killing him and his two pals to avenge the Firelink firekeeper while unfairly outnumbered. You'll find the giant blacksmith, who will offer impressive upgrades if you can pay the price. The painted world of Ariamis lies in wait in the chapel, if you can take out the assassins guarding the entrance and have the doll from your return trip to the asylum. There are hidden chests full of useful equipment that will be handy even in late game areas. And, of course, there's one of the most fascinating lore reveals in the entire franchise, if you dare to stumble upon Gwyndolin's altar, or foolishly strike Gwynevere. Gwyndolin is one of my favorite characters in the game, as his entire backstory and his motives are just so interesting. If you don't go out of your way to uncover these secrets, you may never realize that he was one of the main players in the game all along - that there is only one god remaining in Anor Londo. Between it's many noteworthy encounters, hidden rooms, spiraling staircases, and incredible architecture, this is, for my money, the best location in the game.