Summary
Nearly 15 years after its initial release on seventh-generation hardware,Dark Soulsremains one of the most pivotal games of the 2010s, whose impact continues to reverberate throughout the industry. Even in the wake of the release of FromSoftware’s incredibly ambitious and award-winningElden Ring, many fans look back toDark Soulsas the pinnacle of the studio’s work, holding up the title as being director (and FromSoftware president) Hidetaka Miyazaki’s magnum opus. Though the mechanics and actual gameplay of FromSoftware’s titles have undoubtedly improved over the years, one area whereDark Soulsreigns supreme is in its atmosphere and level design, both of which come together impeccably in Anor Londo.
The true midpoint of aDark Soulsplaythrough and an important location in the context of the game’s lore, Anor Londo is practically a reward for players being able to survive the ultra-challenging back-to-back gauntlet of The Depths, Blighttown, and Sen’s Fortress. Following a decisive victory overthe Iron Golem, players get whisked away to the last remaining city and are treated to one ofDark Souls' best “stepping-out” moments, as well as some of its best enemy encounters and a monumental boss fight. Across the entire FromSoftware catalog, no single area can compete with the design and atmosphere of Anor Londo.
Anor Londo’s Interconnected Corridors and Vast Size Still Influence Other Legacy Dungeons
The impressive scale and verticality of Anor Londo come as something of a shock following three successive areas that position players in claustrophobic corridors chock-full of environmental hazards. After contending with the threat of curse from the Basilisks in The Depths, thepoison-infested swamps of Blighttown, and the treacherous walkways and boulder puzzle of Sen’s Fortress, the serenity and beauty of Anor Londo is a welcome reprieve from what seems like a trip through hell and back. That the area serves as somewhat of a hub and connection to other major points inDark Souls' main quest also makes it a microcosm of the game’s interconnected world.
If players can come to grips with the challenging foes that await them throughout Anor Londo, what they’ll discover is that the area loops back in on itself in creative ways, connecting disparate areas of the city in an organic fashion that continues to serve as the “gold standard” of FromSoftware’s dungeon design. While it didn’t have many legacy dungeons,Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLCis punctuated by some of the best dungeon design in the studio’s catalog, and it’s nigh impossible to walk through Belurat or the Shadow Keep and not have Anor Londo come to mind. Part of the fun of a great dungeon is discovering shortcuts and hidden areas, and Anor Londo has plenty of these rewards to offer players who thoroughly explore the grand city.
Anor Londo is the Thematic and Literal Peak of Dark Souls
Aside from its importance as a breath of fresh air following three extremely oppressive areas, Anor Londo is also the true midpoint ofDark Soulsand where some would argue that the game reaches its pinnacle. To be fair, there are some excellent moments awaiting players inDark 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 in Lordran to then ascend to its literal peak is not lost on most players. That Anor Londo caps off the players' first visit with the iconic fight against Ornstein and Smough is just the icing on the cake.
The fight against Ornstein and Smough remains a strong contender for the best boss not just inDark Soulsbut across the entire FromSoftware catalog. Given the pedigree ofFromSoftware’s boss enemies, that praise doesn’t come lightly. Even the normal enemy encounters in Anor Londo shift the player’s focus from fending off gank mobs to singular, one-on-one fights against stronger enemies that are begging to be parried, preparing them for the ultimate challenge Anor Londo hosts. Return visits to Anor Londo (both inDark SoulsandDark Souls 3) do little to lessen the area’s impact, elevating it to an exemplar of FromSoftware’s level design almost without peer.
