I just finished Dark Souls: Remastered, which was my first souls game ever, and I was absolutely blown away by the world design. It's crazy how they were able to link so vastly different set pieces together into a cohesive world, made the whole castle and it's underground areas feel so big. Loved this vid going through that.
Im actually startet playing Elden Ring, inspired, after my favourite TH-cam Content Creator played DS1-DS3 and DS2 ( which I'm watching right now, ) with a Wheel of Pain and 20 Numbers while complainig about the the level design lol. Everytime he dies he has to spin the wheel to receive a punishment 😂. And every 25 deaths he invited some other TH-cam CC to play and talk with him. And yeah they are also played DS2 and the most said DS1 level design was way better than DS2, and DS2 is the worst game from a franchise which had only good games. So I watched both videos, and yes... DS1 has way more paths connecting the areas together, while DS2 are mostly paths going further away from Majula (the hub) without coming back. Also the geography makes no sense. In DS1 you can see the Undead Castle from Bright town, Anor Londo from the bridge, and the gardens from the roof of the Bell Gargoyles. There is a whole underworld connected with each other. I really like this multi layer world design. To the defense of DS2: The lead director was fired and replaced, and they only had a year or so to finish the whole game... At least they really made a very good game out of it.
@@mattramsey5253The fact that the game just looks and feels so antiquated as well as the game not really being boss focused, plus runbacks being so daunting, it drives a lot of people off of the older souls games, myself included. However, as someone who started on Elden then went Sekiro then Bloodborne and now DS1 just recently, I can confidently say that DS1 rivals Elden as my #1 spot. The game is so incredibly good and I can't believe I had been missing out on it for so long.
Having over ten years of playing dark souls under my belt and being able to recreate the entire map from memory, i sat watching this video solemnly nodding and muttering 'mmm, yes... that's true' and it was the most comfortable thing I've done all month
Thank you for this! Dark Souls has a now infamously twisted and complex world map that has been scrutinised for years. This was a lot simpler to understand than the full 3D reconstructions though, and I appreciate that you kept the focus entirely on the player path and navigation options. Echoing the requests for more Souls games, especially Bloodborne. Elden Ring certainly sounds like a challenge in terms of sheer scale!
what an incredibly hidden gem of a video this is. Honestly I think you could reach a big audience on youtube if people manage to actually find your stuff.
Dude, this was super satisfying to watch! I've played this game over 10 times and it's awesome how accurate your map really is, love the artstyle you went for. Keep up the great work man!
Really cool art, great dissection of the world layout and really relaxing to listen too, and despite it's calmness not boring for one bit, even (maybe especially) for people who played through the game multiple times. Amazing video.
Thanks for doing this. I have so many hours into this game and it was great to hear you run down the many paths to completing the game. I always liked how you had options to at least farm harder areas before going to the boss you wanted to fight. Peace
I recently finished DS1 for the first time and was mesmerized by the map design. This video is EXACTLY what I've been needing to help visualize how all of the stages flow through each other. This video made me so happy - you have no idea!! Thank you! :D
Thanks for the like, CGcartography. As someone who uses the DS1 mesh daily for my own project, I can say that the way you’ve presented this walkthrough (including speed and narration) is incredibly interesting to see in tandem with remembering the experience from a 1st person perspective
My favorite part of these is getting to watch you art unfold as we go on! its such a joy to get to see someones interpretation of the world. although, in my head the world is turned 90 degrees to the right, if that makes any sense. Didn't think about that being something everyone probably had an interpretation of!
I think what I like most about it is to see, how oolacile changed to the darkroot garden/basin and and what parts are completly missing in the "modern" times.
Amazing video, enjoyed every second of it! So nice to see the dedication and love for this game that you have. This point of view gave me better idea and perspective of the game world. You did amazing job. Deserves a subscribe. Keep up the good work!
Maps like these are cool. While the maps I've seen of this franchise are good, they're not really detailed, so your maps help make more sense out of how all the areas are connected. I wouldn't mind seeing you do the rest of the Souls franchise, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
Incredible video! I've just started playing ds remastered after playing basically all other soulsborn and sekiro and i found this one to be the hardest to navigate for someone who has never played it or hasn't seen any videos. This will be really useful for my playtrought (apologize for bad english in case of some errors i'm still learning)
That was absolutely awesome, this is basically the map and route I have in my head ☺️. Please do more, this is an excellent aid to newcomers and veterans who just want to play the game chilled x
Thank you for the map!! Really apperciate this very nice and amazing work. This helps a lot when entering NG+and chasing Platinum trophy on PS console.
Thanks man, I'm coming from elden ring and going through all the souls games now. I'm pretty good on finding hidden paths and beating things I shouldn't, but for some reason when I got to the smith and the church, I completely missed how to get to the top. Found all the other areas and was like "none of these feel right". I've gotten this far without spoilers and this video is perfect for me cause it's just an outline. Stopped once I got the info I needed, but I will def come back if I'm lost again.
Lol just realized I missed the stairs because I was so focused on the lift, and when I found it wasted so much time jumping off as it was moving trying to get the collectibles on top of firelink shrine church. See I find random stuff then forget the main task.
i have played every soulsborne game many, many times. Except for DS1. This has inspired me to play and beat the game with this exact route, thank you!!
Im replaying DS1(remastered) now after 13 years of putting this game down. I finished the game over 5 times back in PS3 days because it was a lot of online and coop fun, made tons of friends and met many cheaters back then. This game is the one that put FROM soft on the map.
How did I just found this now? I *love* this kind of stuff. Great work! I definitely would love to see this for the other souls games, Demon's Souls too, of course :)
6:28 I actually missed this bonfire completely during my first playthrough, which meant I had to walk from the Sen's Fortress bonfire *all the way* back to retry the archers section. Fun times.
I never completed Dark Souls as it wasn't really my sort of game, but I enjoyed watching all the playthroughs and lore, but never really got a sense of direction. This video is extremely helpful
Wonderful content man, keep up the good work! Would love to see more fromsoft related stuff. Even their older works like Kings Field 4 or Eternal Ring would be awesome 😁
Man, this reminds me how little I knew on my first playthrough. I never really realized the bells were supposed to be my goal until after ringing the first one, spent ages trying to get into blightown the back way before even finding the lower burg, and I had no clue what doors any of the keys opened because I didn't realize the items had longer than one-line descriptions until after beating the game. Had no clue why the fog gate in New Londo led to a death pit instead of a boss, even though I already had the Covenant of Artorias in my inventory. At least I was savvy enough to turn away from the Tomb of Giants the first time I found it. Fortunately though, you don't really need to know where you're supposed to go next, the game does such a good job rewarding exploration that you will make progress just by exploring. I would definitely recommend reading the item descriptions though.
Just beat the gaping dragon and I can’t understand where I’m going afterwards as the paths are not connected but continued at points which the human eye can’t distinguish as logical, logical I can’t start from a random place I’ve never been only where I am
I'm amazed by your content. Are you architect? Designer? Some kind of studies and preparation for this or just talented enough to develop this? I'm architect and starting to study game developing and, somehow, never found fun worthy content like this elaborating the spatiality of some videogames. I repeat, I'm amazed and I would like to ask you some things but first of all I'll have lunch watching your channel. You also have Metal Gear Solid... man, you hit the core. You must be +30 y.o. as me.
thanks much! glad you have enjoyed it. my job is a research programmer with some GIS focus but I got into video game maps just for fun. I recently started a (free) blog here where I'm writing a bit about my process of creating stuff: www.patreon.com/VGCartography
Me playing the game on my head while you narrate the pathing.
DS1 was a great choice for this type of video. The map is mindboggling with how interconnected and vertical it is.
yeah my first time, i thought the depths would be the lowest. then blighttown. then further down? then further down!?
It just blew my mind when I found myself back at the beginning several times.
They've never captured that winding interconnected feel again. Dark Souls 1 is a masterclass in level design. A true work of art
In retrospect, this game following demons souls was INSAAAAANE
I just finished Dark Souls: Remastered, which was my first souls game ever, and I was absolutely blown away by the world design. It's crazy how they were able to link so vastly different set pieces together into a cohesive world, made the whole castle and it's underground areas feel so big. Loved this vid going through that.
hope you got your fill, because you'll never see that kind of world design in the rest of the series :(
I was blown away by DS1's map/level design. Thanks for this video.
might be my favorite game map ever.
It’s so old but as I was playing I thought to myself that I’ve never played a game with a map this detailed and that makes sense
@@Nsmnsd197 its not that old you're just new
2011(?) was 13 years ago, we're getting old bud
The fact that this doesn’t have thousands of likes blows my mind. Mabye with the elden ring video people will go back and discover this masterpiece
The fact that quality ≠ popularity should not blow your mind.
@@TheFloodFourm I know but I just feel like this beautiful content should reach more people. I mean the dark souls fan base Is huge
Im actually startet playing Elden Ring, inspired, after my favourite TH-cam Content Creator played DS1-DS3 and DS2 ( which I'm watching right now, ) with a Wheel of Pain and 20 Numbers while complainig about the the level design lol. Everytime he dies he has to spin the wheel to receive a punishment 😂. And every 25 deaths he invited some other TH-cam CC to play and talk with him.
And yeah they are also played DS2 and the most said DS1 level design was way better than DS2, and DS2 is the worst game from a franchise which had only good games. So I watched both videos, and yes... DS1 has way more paths connecting the areas together, while DS2 are mostly paths going further away from Majula (the hub) without coming back. Also the geography makes no sense.
In DS1 you can see the Undead Castle from Bright town, Anor Londo from the bridge, and the gardens from the roof of the Bell Gargoyles. There is a whole underworld connected with each other. I really like this multi layer world design.
To the defense of DS2: The lead director was fired and replaced, and they only had a year or so to finish the whole game... At least they really made a very good game out of it.
@@mattramsey5253The fact that the game just looks and feels so antiquated as well as the game not really being boss focused, plus runbacks being so daunting, it drives a lot of people off of the older souls games, myself included. However, as someone who started on Elden then went Sekiro then Bloodborne and now DS1 just recently, I can confidently say that DS1 rivals Elden as my #1 spot. The game is so incredibly good and I can't believe I had been missing out on it for so long.
Having over ten years of playing dark souls under my belt and being able to recreate the entire map from memory, i sat watching this video solemnly nodding and muttering 'mmm, yes... that's true' and it was the most comfortable thing I've done all month
Thank you for this! Dark Souls has a now infamously twisted and complex world map that has been scrutinised for years. This was a lot simpler to understand than the full 3D reconstructions though, and I appreciate that you kept the focus entirely on the player path and navigation options.
Echoing the requests for more Souls games, especially Bloodborne. Elden Ring certainly sounds like a challenge in terms of sheer scale!
thanks! I have done caelid to stormveil so far and it's taken about as long as DS1 lol 😬
i was pretyy lost, but with this i managed to finish dark souls, thx
DS 1 map is very interesting, it started like oh i've travel far away and then boom a road connecting every map
what an incredibly hidden gem of a video this is. Honestly I think you could reach a big audience on youtube if people manage to actually find your stuff.
thank you for the encouragement!
DS1 map/level design might be my favorite game map design of all time.
Dude, this was super satisfying to watch! I've played this game over 10 times and it's awesome how accurate your map really is, love the artstyle you went for. Keep up the great work man!
thanks much!
Really cool art, great dissection of the world layout and really relaxing to listen too, and despite it's calmness not boring for one bit, even (maybe especially) for people who played through the game multiple times.
Amazing video.
glad you liked it! agree that you get more out of it if you kind of know already lol
Thanks for doing this. I have so many hours into this game and it was great to hear you run down the many paths to completing the game. I always liked how you had options to at least farm harder areas before going to the boss you wanted to fight. Peace
World design is what kept me coming back in From Software's games! ✨ thanks for this amazing upload! 😊❤️
I recently finished DS1 for the first time and was mesmerized by the map design. This video is EXACTLY what I've been needing to help visualize how all of the stages flow through each other. This video made me so happy - you have no idea!! Thank you! :D
good job beating it!
I was really confused on how to further progress in the game, i was stuck after the second bell. This Video really helped me. Thank you
howd u get stuck after 2nd bell? it literally shows u cut scene of sens fortress opening lol
holy shit this channel is a hidden gem
This was SUPERB. More than interested in this treatment for the other Souls games
Thanks for the like, CGcartography. As someone who uses the DS1 mesh daily for my own project, I can say that the way you’ve presented this walkthrough (including speed and narration) is incredibly interesting to see in tandem with remembering the experience from a 1st person perspective
It’s amazing how all of this is still burnt into my head after my first playthrough long ago. That’s why DS1 has unmatched level and world design.
Very cool art m8, truly awesome video and content!
My favorite part of these is getting to watch you art unfold as we go on! its such a joy to get to see someones interpretation of the world. although, in my head the world is turned 90 degrees to the right, if that makes any sense. Didn't think about that being something everyone probably had an interpretation of!
Interesting! I could see that given where you head at the start
Great video. Blightown kicked my ass the first time. This game is gonna take me a long time to beat.
I think what I like most about it is to see, how oolacile changed to the darkroot garden/basin and and what parts are completly missing in the "modern" times.
it is fun to compare! Souls games reuse areas like that a few different times
Amazing video, enjoyed every second of it! So nice to see the dedication and love for this game that you have. This point of view gave me better idea and perspective of the game world. You did amazing job. Deserves a subscribe. Keep up the good work!
Maps like these are cool. While the maps I've seen of this franchise are good, they're not really detailed, so your maps help make more sense out of how all the areas are connected.
I wouldn't mind seeing you do the rest of the Souls franchise, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.
cheers! working on Elden Ring map on and off already, about to start my second run
I just finished NG4+ and this is amazing, pure art! Really good!
This is my favorite video on TH-cam
Thank you for this. Best simple and clear explanation of optimal progression route on the internet.
This earned you a follow, good sir. Thanks for making it. Probably my favourite game ever.
Incredible video! I've just started playing ds remastered after playing basically all other soulsborn and sekiro and i found this one to be the hardest to navigate for someone who has never played it or hasn't seen any videos. This will be really useful for my playtrought (apologize for bad english in case of some errors i'm still learning)
Really make u appreciate the work that goes into this kind of map design
I'm always drawing maps and mapped out an imaginary journey when I was little. This is so in my alley, please do all the games.
Picked up the Dark Souls trilogy a few days ago. This video is a huge help playing through DS1, thanks so much! :)
That was absolutely awesome, this is basically the map and route I have in my head ☺️. Please do more, this is an excellent aid to newcomers and veterans who just want to play the game chilled x
thanks much. i've done a few others on my channel recently, working on DS3 this fall
Thank you for the map!! Really apperciate this very nice and amazing work.
This helps a lot when entering NG+and chasing Platinum trophy on PS console.
Never expected a 19 min walk-through:)
dark souls is one of the best game ever made. Your video underline the genius construction behind this masterpiece
Awesome video... really showcases the brilliant design of DS1 :) thanks so much, my visual brain loved it
Thanks man, I'm coming from elden ring and going through all the souls games now. I'm pretty good on finding hidden paths and beating things I shouldn't, but for some reason when I got to the smith and the church, I completely missed how to get to the top. Found all the other areas and was like "none of these feel right". I've gotten this far without spoilers and this video is perfect for me cause it's just an outline. Stopped once I got the info I needed, but I will def come back if I'm lost again.
Lol just realized I missed the stairs because I was so focused on the lift, and when I found it wasted so much time jumping off as it was moving trying to get the collectibles on top of firelink shrine church. See I find random stuff then forget the main task.
i have played every soulsborne game many, many times. Except for DS1. This has inspired me to play and beat the game with this exact route, thank you!!
Im replaying DS1(remastered) now after 13 years of putting this game down. I finished the game over 5 times back in PS3 days because it was a lot of online and coop fun, made tons of friends and met many cheaters back then. This game is the one that put FROM soft on the map.
Really amazing, just finished the remastered version and this video was really helpful!
This is actually perfect
Amazing video man, you made me remember the first time I played this fantastic game many years ago, thanks.
Very nice video! Amazing job in breaking it down. Absolutely love DS1's level design.
Its like replaying the game in my head, love it.
How did I just found this now? I *love* this kind of stuff. Great work!
I definitely would love to see this for the other souls games, Demon's Souls too, of course :)
11:53 You're not supposed to do many things in this game but some absolutely cracked DS1 players somehow gained forbidden knowledge and here we are!
Great work! Really helped me understand how some of the areas are arranged.
WTF THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOD!!! Man great job with this! 😍
As a tribute to the world of Lordran/Oolacile, this is spectacular, and as an artpiece in its own right, just amazing.
thanks much.
This is incredibly well made! Thanks a lot brother!!
Excellent work, very glad you've entered the scene. Keeping an eye on all thats posted on deviantart too!
much appreciated!
Cant believe ive never seen this, amazing work 👏🏻
This is awesome man, helped me a lot with my current playthrough!
6:28 I actually missed this bonfire completely during my first playthrough, which meant I had to walk from the Sen's Fortress bonfire *all the way* back to retry the archers section. Fun times.
Incredible, high effort stuff. Keep it up, man.
This needs more views. Great video!
I never completed Dark Souls as it wasn't really my sort of game, but I enjoyed watching all the playthroughs and lore, but never really got a sense of direction. This video is extremely helpful
Wonderful content man, keep up the good work! Would love to see more fromsoft related stuff. Even their older works like Kings Field 4 or Eternal Ring would be awesome 😁
thanks! love king's field 4, that's a good idea. i liked the PS2 shadow tower a lot once it got translated as well
This is such a well done video I’m reallyy impressed! Keep up the good work!
Man, this reminds me how little I knew on my first playthrough. I never really realized the bells were supposed to be my goal until after ringing the first one, spent ages trying to get into blightown the back way before even finding the lower burg, and I had no clue what doors any of the keys opened because I didn't realize the items had longer than one-line descriptions until after beating the game. Had no clue why the fog gate in New Londo led to a death pit instead of a boss, even though I already had the Covenant of Artorias in my inventory. At least I was savvy enough to turn away from the Tomb of Giants the first time I found it. Fortunately though, you don't really need to know where you're supposed to go next, the game does such a good job rewarding exploration that you will make progress just by exploring. I would definitely recommend reading the item descriptions though.
i ended up in Ash Lake without lordvessel my first time. walking up the great hollow is pretty horrible
Loved the reference to Manos, The Hands of Fate! I thought I was the only one who always called him that, lol
GREAT WORK, FRIEND!!
Thank you for this video! A year later and im able to navigate this maze of a game because of you
Thank you so much for the explanation of this awesome journey 🙏😀👍
Amazing job, dude!
Absolutely incredible.
This is brillant! I only Just found your channel and man is this lovely crafted. Thank you!
This is amazing, why does this not have more views?
thanks! self-promotion is a mystic art unto itself
I can run through all locations in DS just in my mind, but it still was catchy to watch
Thanks man, you're life saver, time saver, my love.
I like Dark Souls, I like maps and I like your video.
I like your comment
Wow..... great job. Pictorial view is very cool.
very good video perfect summary of the whole game
Amazing, it makes a bit more sense now :)
Im surprised that the artorias fight didnt get a mention, but this was a really cool video!
Purely excellent video dude, well broken down
thanks, appreciate it!
a vast map and a great video!
Just found this video. Really great! Thanks
Great video man!
really enjoyed this!
This is very satisfying
Underrated video! Cheers !
i just got to blight town and am astounded how much of the game is still left to go.
such a good video man keep it up!
Just beat the gaping dragon and I can’t understand where I’m going afterwards as the paths are not connected but continued at points which the human eye can’t distinguish as logical, logical I can’t start from a random place I’ve never been only where I am
Only 7k views??? You deserve more!!
I'm amazed by your content. Are you architect? Designer? Some kind of studies and preparation for this or just talented enough to develop this? I'm architect and starting to study game developing and, somehow, never found fun worthy content like this elaborating the spatiality of some videogames.
I repeat, I'm amazed and I would like to ask you some things but first of all I'll have lunch watching your channel. You also have Metal Gear Solid... man, you hit the core. You must be +30 y.o. as me.
thanks much! glad you have enjoyed it. my job is a research programmer with some GIS focus but I got into video game maps just for fun. I recently started a (free) blog here where I'm writing a bit about my process of creating stuff: www.patreon.com/VGCartography
That's peak game level design
nice video, explained it very well
Ds1 map would make an architect jealous
This video was top quality :)
Wow very cool Video, i felt my run very hard.
Still my favorite video on TH-cam
thanks for the support!
Oh, I love this!
I need video like this for Bloodborne
As always, great content. Good job man. Bloodborne next?
i'm finishing up the outline stage of elden ring, so hoping to finish that first. but BB is my favorite after that so there's a good chance soon after
@@VGCartography Oh let's go hype
Please do DS2 and DS3 as well
Where was this when i was playing the game, i got lost so many times
Outstanding.