A Dark Souls area reigns supreme as peak of FromSoftware's level design

A Dark Souls area reigns supreme as peak of FromSoftware’s level design

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Highlights

  • Anor Londo is a notable area in Dark Souls for its interconnected design and thematic importance as the game’s literal peak.

  • Ornstein and Smough’s iconic boss fight in Anor Londo is considered one of the best in the entire FromSoftware catalog.

  • Anor Londo serves as a hub and connection to other major points in Dark Souls, showcasing the gold standard of dungeon design.

Nearly 15 years after its initial release on 7th generation hardware, dark souls remains one of the most important games of the 2010s, whose impact continues to resonate throughout the industry. Even after the release of FromSoftware’s incredibly ambitious and award-winning game Elden Ringmany fans remember dark souls as the pinnacle of the studio’s work, holding the title as director (and FromSoftware president) Hidetaka Miyazaki’s masterpiece. While the mechanics and actual gameplay of FromSoftware titles have certainly improved over the years, one area where dark souls What reigns is its atmosphere and level design, which come together impeccably in Anor Londo.

The true midpoint of a dark souls During gameplay and an important location in the context of the game’s story, Anor Londo is practically a reward for players who can survive the ultra-challenging gauntlet of The Depths, Blighttown, and Sen’s Fortress. After a decisive victory over the Iron Golem, players are taken to the last remaining city and enjoy one of dark souls‘The best “coming out” moments, as well as some of his best enemy encounters and a monumental boss fight. In the entire FromSoftware catalog, no area can compete with the design and atmosphere of Anor Londo.

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Anor Londo’s interconnected corridors and sheer size still influence other legacy dungeons

The impressive scale and verticality of Anor Londo becomes striking after three successive areas that place players in claustrophobic hallways filled with environmental hazards. After facing the curse threat of the Basilisks in the Depths, the poison-infested swamps of Blighttown, and the treacherous paths and rock puzzle of Sen’s Keep, the serenity and beauty of Anor Londo is a welcome respite from what seems like a trip. through hell and back. That the area serves as a kind of center and connection with other important points in dark soulsThe main quest also makes it a microcosm of the game’s interconnected world.

If players can take on the challenging enemies that await them in Anor Londo, what they will discover is that the area creatively folds back into itself, connecting disparate areas of the city in an organic way that continues to serve as the “standard Gold” from FromSoftware’s dungeon design. While it didn’t have many legacy dungeons, Elden RingThe Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is marked by some of the best dungeon designs in the studio’s catalogue, and it’s almost impossible to walk through Belurat or Shadow Keep and not think of Anor Londo. Part of the fun of a big dungeon is discovering shortcuts and hidden areas, and Anor Londo has many of these rewards to offer players who thoroughly explore the big city.

Anor Londo is the thematic and literal peak of Dark Souls

Dark Souls Ornstein and Smough

In addition to its importance as a breath of fresh air after three extremely oppressive zones, Anor Londo is also the true middle point of dark souls and where some would say the game reaches its peak. To be fair, players have some great times ahead of them in dark souls‘ second half (Ash Lake, Painted World of Ariamis, and Oolacile Township come to mind), but the thematic impact of crawling through the lowest points of Lordran to then ascend to its literal peak is not lost on most the players. Having Anor Londo cap off players’ first visit with the iconic fight against Ornstein and Smough is just the icing on the cake.

The fight against Ornstein and Smough is still a strong contender for best boss, not only in dark souls but in the entire FromSoftware catalog. Given the pedigree of FromSoftware’s enemy bosses, that praise doesn’t come easily. Even normal enemy encounters in Anor Londo shift the player’s focus from fending off ambushes to singular one-on-one fights against stronger enemies begging to be stopped, preparing them for the ultimate challenge that Anor Londo presents. Return visits to Anor Londo (both in dark souls and dark souls 3) do little to diminish the area’s impact, elevating it to a near-peerless example of FromSoftware’s level design.


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