Dark Souls 2: 10 Lessons All Games Must Learn From It

9. Make More Interesting Areas!

While there is some amazing scenery in Dark Souls (your first steps into Anor Londo are a real highlight of game design), Dark Souls 2 takes it too a whole new level. Nearly every level is beautifully designed with amazing vistas and an interesting variety to every level. Travelling through Demon Ruins and Lost Izalith in Dark Souls felt a little repetitive; every area in Dark Souls 2 feels satisfyingly unique. Take Heide's Tower Of Flame for instance and compare it to the area that follows €“ No Man's Wharf. Heide's Tower Of Flame is a desolate but impressive ruin with an eye catching flaming tower standing alone amongst a scene of destruction; No Man's Wharf is... well, it's a wharf, but that's what makes it so interesting €“ we've never seen an area like it in Dark Souls. Even the design of Majula, the hub town, is genius; its bright sun and Cliffside location makes it feel genuinely refreshing, a place for us to rest before re-entering the horrors surrounding it. Creating interesting areas makes us naturally want to explore it; it pushes us through the game simply to see what awaits us further on. This is definitely something that other game developers need to learn from; Drangleic should be considered an inspiration to all those trying to design and build worlds.