10 Best Areas In Dark Souls

Probably one of the first locations most players reached on their first playthrough of Dark Souls, it may seem basic and unassuming but it was a microcosm of everything you needed to learn about Souls.

Slow, stumbling enemies with big attack windows were clumped together with ranged ones to teach you about waiting for your opportunity and engaging melee mobs while dodging arrows. If you searched them out, more difficult encounters were here with a Black Knight for the chance of some big loot in the early game.

Your first encounter with a Dragon was probably here and you learnt that level hazards are a real threat when you got barbecued on the bridge. The Undead Merchant taught you the merit in breaking barrels to find hidden locations and the basics of the NPC shop functions.

This is where Andre was found and the clang of his Blacksmith Hammer on the anvil in the distance would soon become a comforting sound after a long trek back. Bosses that can be exploited, the value of shortcuts, the mechanics of summoning - it was all laid out here in these often overlooked but beautifully executed areas.