Dark Souls - Lighting up the Chasm of the Abyss

I know others have done something similar, but I think this is a more accurate method.
Song used: Arbiter Grounds - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST

[@ZullietheWitch]

Seems like the video got a little crunchy from the compression in a few spots. I'll try to watch out for that more in the future.

[@Tidurian1997]

I'm really curious to see how dark root basin looks without the water in which the hydra is placed, or making the invisible platforms in the crystal cave visible🤔

[@mostafafawze5863]

i like these vids that show something we never think about keep these vids

[@SocksMahoney]

Aside from just upping your rendering bitrate, yt will crunch up videos that are under 1080p. You don't need to record in 4k or anything but if you upscale your vids to 4k in rendering, the uploads will be a lot cleaner since yt uses a completely different codec for 4k videos.

[@Reac2]

A trick to avoid that is to brute force upscale the video into 1440p or 2160p with whatever editing software you use and uploading it that way. The more redundant pixels, the less important ones get lost in compression.

[@louisgreubel742]

Still, super awesome concept. Thanks for it!

[@KreationKills]

manus' man cave when he pays the electricity bill

[@vit968]

*"I see the light. It burns!"*

[@theredheadedmenace1010]

“I did not see the light until I was already a man(us)”

[@starchythepotato2877]

Manus Cave

[@oshenone6947]

I'm gonna fill his man cavern with my estus flask

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

@@theredheadedmenace1010 "You think the Abyss is your ally? You were merely adopted by it. I was born in it, molded by it."

[@jadephoenix4297]

Oolacile's light spells sure have gone a little overboard.

[@MrDibara]

No wonder Manus was so fucking pissed at them. Who can sleep with so much light on your eyes?

[@thegk-verse4216]

Thus began the age of light

[@Red-Tower]

@@thegk-verse4216 thus began the age of light mode *oh god my eyes it's so bright*

[@Proto294]

Nah man they just turned on discord light mode

[@XRandomXShinigamiX]

Haha yes 😅

[@diegobrando2959]

Really goes to show how simple thing like lighting have such a big impact on the level design

[@SIGNOR-G]

Even your normal forest outside the village can get pretty creepy at night

[@anordinaryfaraamknight7370]

@@SIGNOR-G And that's why I'm sad that we didn't get the a good, atmosphere lighting in DS2 like in E3 Demo.

[@SIGNOR-G]

@@anordinaryfaraamknight7370 i doubt the final result would have been THAT better. The game was criticized also for other things. It would have improved the early game though.

[@86Fallowcp]

@@SIGNOR-G eh, DS2 had a lightinh system planned that was ditched because the consoles couldn't handle it, alongside much of the texture work

[@Ethan-ib5hk]

@@SIGNOR-G if ds2 fixed the clunky gameplay and redid some of the areas it would be good imo.

[@adradox]

Without proper lighting DS1 looks like weird steam asset flip kind of game.

[@TheCivildecay]

All games look like shit without a lighting system

[@adradox]

@@TheCivildecay Depends on a lighting system.

[@meyes5671]

@@TheCivildecay not to be that guy but theres games that dont even have lighting systems

[@SonofTiamat]

It looks like old school Tomb Raider

[@genericgorilla]

Why would you waste effort giving proper textures and bump mapping to walls the player won't be able to see? You can see the same patchwork approach on the walls of earthen peak, except the lighting engine got switched and it looks awful

[@chucksto]

This just in: Local witch stops time and reveals just how little abyss there actually are. All blame for cleaning goes to Artorias.

[@leonardwimbelton8920]

God, my sides

[@ghoulish6125]

"Yup, looks like there's a clog, further up the pipe, near Oolicile."

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

Let poor Artorias rest in peace...

[@davidhong1934]

@@ghoulish6125 New Londo water park, now open!

[@MagicScrab]

i dont know whats creepier. the lack of atmosphere, the music, or the way your player dashes

[@deepfriedpotato9668]

I have a feeling you would enjoy 2001 A Space Odyssey

[@crestfallenwarrior5719]

The Music is from The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time. From the Shadow Temple. If...If you want to know, of course.

[@Tanuki_Sama]

​@@crestfallenwarrior5719 it is? I was thinking it sounded like that

[@scantyer]

@@crestfallenwarrior5719 it's not from OOT. It's from TP, more specifically the arbriter grounds

[@crestfallenwarrior5719]

@@scantyer whaaat? Really? My Bad, i was very Sure. :(((

[@eliteclasswarrior94]

The textures are a tribute to king's field 4

[@theobserver8429]

You joking or real

[@eliteclasswarrior94]

@@theobserver8429 nah just kidding. Of course there was no need to use hd textures on something submerged in the dark.

[@pouncelygrin6699]

@@eliteclasswarrior94 xD

[@DaRoachDoggJrr]

Real talk though, kf4 is an amazing game.

[@eliteclasswarrior94]

@@DaRoachDoggJrr Oh yes it is!

[@shauryachauhan784]

Don’t stop doing videos like this. They’re really interesting

[@ticklemytesla2683]

Especially that part at the end with the zoom out

[@matguimond92]

there is literally only one area like this in Dark Souls lol. The only other place left to do is The Gutter and The Black Gulch.... This content creator will dry up in a few years if she can't milk Eldin Ring properly.

[@Bathezid]

Trust me, I don't think Zullie will be running out of "content" when they have been doing far more for the community over the years than you know. I doubt you could even imagine it.

[@ticklemytesla2683]

@@Bathezid agreed

[@96goka]

Crestfallen already did this specific one

[@facundotorres175]

Dusk really needs to find the bathroom

[@mark0183]

She overdose on mushroom 🍄

[@KrookedKookie]

@@mark0183 Side effect of OP mushroom lol.

[@silvercandra4275]

@Luis Martinez Dusk of Oolacile. An NPC in the game. They are wearing her dress and crown in these videos

[@ukguy]

@@mark0183 She ate Elizabeth's mushroom lol

[@manvslife271]

There is a certain creepiness to seeing things you were clearly not meant to see

[@SIGNOR-G]

*INSIGHT GAINED*

[@suwote]

That's why Out-of-bounds is the most terrific thing that can happen in any game

[@rascalvo]

I watched lance mcdonald video about the town outside the P.T. house. There's nothing there, and still is unbelievably unnerving to watch the empty place fully knowing that we weren't supposed be there... And it feels like the game knows it too

[@SkillfulCurve]

@@suwote I did one in call of duty modern warfare 2 and I explored the enitre city near Prypyat or something like that and was awesome and fucking scary. They recycled the entire map from modern warfare 1 so all buildings ecc...were solid and you could go very far before falling in ro the void

[@mrhomosensual8717]

@@suwote subnautica used it to their advantage too

[@vanderkarl3927]

It's good to see Dusk confronting the traumas of her past. Being able to see the toxic environment she was put in from an objective perspective must feel satisfying!

[@KrookedKookie]

Yes the primeval man was oppressing her so hard.

[@muslimcrusader5987]

😂😂😂

[@muslimcrusader5987]

I imagine this was Dusk trying to confront the Dark initially, before Manus absorbed her.

[@rashiro7262]

So this is how the Abyss looks like for Alvina

[@skytherk.5359]

This place is not so damb terrifying anymore... but Manus still is never the less

[@suwote]

I thing it became much more terrifying with light

[@dennisthiha4339]

@@suwote the drops are creepy and scary as heck

[@weaselbeee]

@@suwote yeah fsr being able to see everything is just really creepy and unnerving

[@mkv2718]

damb? 🤨

[@lehelisbored]

Am I the only one who always thought that Manus looks a bit goofy with his over-the-top anime monster look and his big out of place gorilla hand? And I know this sounds edgy, like a "watch out, we have a badass over here" type thing, but seriously.

[@sabotower1792]

This version of Manus almost creeps me out more. He looks strangely fluorescent, like those lizards that spend their entire lives in darkness, and I really think it suits him well

[@khajiitimanus7432]

Why, thank you! It is definitely a good look....

[@muslimcrusader5987]

@@khajiitimanus7432 I’m sure in Namira’s realm there are Dark version of Khajiits. Khajiits with Dark soul…

[@harrabiwassim]

"this version"? do you mean with the light? or is there another Manus in a later game that I am not aware of?

[@fallatiuso]

Damn, just look at Manus's grave there at the end, it looks really ceremonial/ritualistic with those structures; even the ground looks like it has a pattern on it. He must have been a really important/esteemed to the people who buried him.

[@Aetius_of_Astora]

Considering he was basically the first of humanity he was probably a pretty important figure in society. Must've been quite the shock when he died.

[@khajiitimanus7432]

I definitely like the vibe - it's a bit easier to place as some sort of Shadow of the Colossus reminiscent atmosphere.

[@michaelmannix1604]

Not many people notice this, but at the center of the arena is a humanity-shaped imprint. I assume it was Manus's "resting place" before he went [cough] berserk.

[@trielt1]

@@michaelmannix1604 The whole thing looks like a cemetery. He was probably buried in a place of prestige, and others were buried around him. Then the people of Oolacile came, defiled his grave and turned him into a monster.

[@deadoneeyetheunkillable3591]

@@trielt1 The abyss turned him into a monster, not the people of Oolacile.

[@TheBoarKing1]

It never occurred to me that his arena was his grave site

[@femthingevelyn]

that's literally the first thing you learn? we dug up an ancient human and now everything went to hell, go to his grave and kill him

[@ericvail7724]

@@femthingevelyn I always kind of assumed his grave was the one with the bonfire? A grave within a cell. It would make a bit of sense. He was locked away inside the cell, unable to truly die. One day he went mad, and he managed to break through the wall, turning the surrounding area into the chasm of the abyss

[@lapelcelery42]

@@femthingevelyn Where do you hear that?

[@femthingevelyn]

@@lapelcelery42 after you beat the chimera boss when you talk to Elizabeth, she tells you what the problem is and what to do to stop it

[@Mutericator]

Fun fact: if you line up Oolacile with Darkroot Garden, the entire area to the right and back from where you fight Manus (if you're facing away from the entrance, as though you've just walked in) is part of the Four Kings boss arena. The FK area is actually partially up from the floor shown off at 4:28 or so, but it does overlap. The Abyss is still there, in the same spot.

[@muslimcrusader5987]

That’s really cool.

[@exbelion3543]

Are you also planning to light up tomb of giants or dark chasm of old?

[@AaronCorr]

Yes please

[@prettycrumby]

this.

[@exbelion3543]

@@slavprince137 well, I guess Dark Chasm of old is the only one left

[@syed_99]

Here's the Crest video if anyone's curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2qTmZeXnah6aZI

[@AshnSilvercorp]

@@slavprince137 I watched it, and I guess what makes it less impactful than this is that it was using base lighting. This kinda used full lighting, like, no shadows or darkness period. Perfect flat global illumination. It felt more haunting and out of place.

[@nimeshajayatunge4007]

Damn this is really cool, I agree with that other commenter let's see Tomb of the Giants lit up

[@chosenundead5009]

Nice

[@alastor8091]

I'm too scared.

[@NowReadThis]

Too true

[@emperortgp2424]

seriously this is such a simple idea for a video but somehow no one thought of this before

[@KrookedKookie]

Crest has done a video about that as well as a bunch of other dark souls stuff.

[@mikhail_roberts]

Shows you what an essential part of level design lighting is. The level layout is just OK, really. Obscuring pathways and enemies with the lighting basically makes this level.

[@pious83]

I'm surprised that Manus looks even better with more lighting.

[@TheBronf]

im my randomizers i done i had manus spawned at the crystal cave entrance. terrifying as hell when you see him dashing towards ya XD

[@khajiitimanus7432]

Shadows are merely starker and deeper the more light is present. I'm pretty dang photogenic, eh?

[@StabStabStabStabby]

Dark souls has an incredible amount of detail in some respects, especially when you consider it's a ps3 era game and a lot of detail originally would never have been seen by the intended audience.

[@TheBronf]

@@StabStabStabStabby hell even a lot of buildings that were far away had full rendering. makes you think on how the hell they were able to make that game run

[@stairmasternem]

I like how you can see the lighting techniques they used on Manus for his intro.

[@exbelion3543]

Basically a mix between Valley of Drakes, Lost Izalith without lava and Tomb of Giants

[@ilikeanimeverymuch]

Actually valley of drakes is connected to dark root garden and according to lore it was previously Oolacile :P

[@nathanjora7627]

Lost Izalith ? How so ?

[@zxcvbnmasdfghjkl3377]

@@nathanjora7627 Massive caverns with repeating textures, although tomb of giants fits that description just fine

[@jacobgriffin3579]

I always start out DS1 with the intention to finish it, but just thinking about huge maze/trap areas like Tomb of the Giants just make me not want to play it.

[@giantenemycrab1192]

@@jacobgriffin3579 you’re missing out then. While those areas can be tedious if unprepared they fit the atmosphere and world and are still really good.

[@richroberts7512]

Objectively, I know there's no point to Zullie grabbing all the items. But dammit. I still want them to!

[@glauconvieira7930]

Not killing the lizard made me nervous

[@ericvail7724]

Not saving sif irked me a bit. I know it’s pointless for this, but still

[@bungiecrimes7247]

the fact they didn't play the entire game in this video really grinded my gears.

[@peytonpalmerini7501]

It's crazy how something so simple and even a little bit low quality looking can be changed by the lighting choices of the environment. Development speed of this area was probably quite fast, which might be why manus is such a complex boss.

[@Rafaeleao2]

Wow the ceiling on that area with Sif has some ADVANCED DARKNESS.

[@khajiitimanus7432]

Now the real Abyss begins.

[@Wormerizzator]

Zullie, I have a question: in DS2, in the Dark Chasm of Old under Drangleic's Castle, in the final part after the fog, just before you drop, there's a little crack in the columns in front of the player from which it's possible to see the Darklurker watching you. So, I was wondering: if it were possible to get to him... what would happen?

[@lunarluxe9832]

bump

[@TheAbyssLurks]

Check out Elajjaz darklurker dungeon skip video, if I understood what you said correctly it's exactly what you are looking for!

[@dunkleham]

"Wait, it's just cave?" "Always has been"

[@aaziuskrauze]

Looks like some Kings Field location

[@amberhernandez]

I'm reminded of an old quote: "Using darkness lets you pull all sorts of tricks and cut corners in your game, but take care to ensure that when people do light it up, that it doesn't look cheap and boring."

[@khajiitimanus7432]

Huh... interesting!

[@lemontop881]

Wow, it's a PS2 Shadow of the Colossus terrain generated with the Unity engine looking map. Peak King's Field.

[@user-rd4hr6si7e]

I'v got same vibes too! But for me this more looks like Tomb Raider or Croc 2 from ps1

[@khajiitimanus7432]

I was trying to place the vibe somewhere.... Definitely a Shadow of the Colossus vibe, now that I think about it.

[@johnboy1851]

Brain: Okay time for bed.. KZbin: Yo you wanna see this area without any DARK!? Brain: Okay one more video.

[@LautrecOfCarim]

I always just assumed those pits were entirely filled with red phantom chained prisoners, given how many of those show up once you get gravelorded. Heh...

[@khajiitimanus7432]

That's fair.

[@MugenDino5555]

I'm getting lots of Brightstone Cove Tseldora vibes because of all those repeated textures

[@khajiitimanus7432]

Hmm... I can definitely see the resemblance.

[@robinlydian4452]

Huge appreciation for these videos, 50% for the fascinating continuing exploration into these games, and 50% for all the TP music. Please keep it up! Love it

[@JohnDWJ]

That's really neat. Nice touch having Dusk be the one to explore it.

[@comradecatbug5289]

Zullie always dresses as Dusk in Dark Souls 1

[@JohnDWJ]

@@comradecatbug5289 Oh! Teach me to pay attention. Lol. I thought she was always in witch form.

[@comradecatbug5289]

@@JohnDWJ She is, in Dark Souls 2 and 3. Dark Souls 1 doesn't have Zullie's set, so she goes Dusk instead.

[@JohnDWJ]

@@comradecatbug5289 Hmm. Interesting. In the later part of DS1 there is the witch Beatrice's set across from the back door into Blighttown. In the Valley of the Drakes. That's not far from the witches set in the other games. I'm not complaining of course, Dusk is lovely.

[@roshan6999]

I'm glad they went with that level of darkness. Place when it's lit up literally looks like a non cubical version of a minecraft map

[@CPU9incarnate]

No need to put effort into something the players won't see. Plus I'm sure performance was a concern, all those ghosts are computationally expensive.

[@xebraashe5854]

The place where you fight Manus really is just a Zelda boss platform, like literally Bongo Bongo type stuff. Amazing, perfect choice in music too, almost inside the well as a child in OOT but just that extra bit of creepy to give you abyss feeling

[@vkey6828]

Who would have guessed that a Zelda OST of all things would fit so well with the creepy atmosphere of Dark Souls

[@j0anbug]

Zelda + Berserk= Dark Souls tbh

[@God-gz2zr]

Actually seeing how the structures look is crazy, like how his arena is shaped. After this long and I'm still learning things

[@argo8407]

Looks like a hidden part of the Great Hollow

[@gianlucacarbone4775]

The Abyss : “be illuminate” Manus: I refuse

[@Ventachor]

3:25 Well, it looks like Midna evolved. *cough*

[@AmazingChest]

This was a very interesting watch, feels like you just peeled back the curtain and revealed the wizard hiding behind it!

[@WELLbethere]

"Every fleeing man must be caught. Every secret must be unearthed." I salute you zullie, truly a seeker of truth

[@TheZmanGaming]

The Twilight Princess music in these last couple vids and the timing especially of switching between music has been an absolute treat. Bravo good sir 🎩

[@jahuhahu]

Manus seems so much smaller, but still looks like cleric beast.

[@areyousureaboutthat8124]

When you turn on your phone at 3am

[@BiggerBricks]

I love the music for this section. It's like horror-infused Super Mario 64 music that you would hear in a desert-themed level.

[@jukkamegido6409]

Its the music for Arbiters Grounds in Tloz Twilight Princess, a desert dungeon, so you're totally right.

[@BiggerBricks]

@@jukkamegido6409 :O I never played Twilight Princess OR this DLC so I had no idea. Thank you!

[@DC-lh9ed]

Excellent music choice 👌🏽 Arbiter’s Grounds from Twilight Princess was such a wonderfully creepy dungeon

[@Cellod98]

Leaving without saving sif shows you’ve truly gone hollow after all these years

[@nice.5267]

That boss arena reminds me of the arena for the final boss in Mario 64

[@Wolfos1996]

Damn, now I wanna play twilight princess again xD

[@jacklamb1155]

These vids are super interesting. I also love the inclusion of zelda soundtracks. Adds the extra appreciation!

[@anarchyrebel499]

Thank you for visiting doge, he is a very loyal and respectful doge. When farming I always stop to boop the snoot.

[@devinguy]

cursed images, blessed insight

[@jeremyparsons2944]

I can't see Manus without hearing Ordinary Day in my head

[@eliemaury5887]

It's suprising that the atmosphere of this cave make me feel like when i was 8 and searching Giratina in Pokemon plt in it's upside down world, probably in great part 'cause of the strange sounds and the ost. Also, thx for your work Zullie, i'm always loving it !!!

[@matthewmcfarland3102]

Love the music choice! Arbiter's Grounds theme from Twilight Princess is so eerie and it works really well here.

[@justjass7481]

Somehow that made this place even more misterious for me

[@Robthetank001]

Always wondered if there was a lore reason why Manus' Abyss and the New Londo Abyss look different aka these spooky caves vs the literal void

[@hcl9667]

More time had passed between the time New Londo's rulers fell to the Abyss and the chosen undead's arrival than between the exhumation of Pygmy's tomb and the chosen undead's arrival.

[@michaelmannix1604]

Then Untended Graves and Wolnir's Abyss in DS3. Tbh, I imagine New Londo's was designed with the Four Kings' fight already in mind, and they knew it wouldn't work without a void.

[@Knightshadess]

It's actually strangely scary. I'm not sure what about it is causing it but it gives off creepy vibes even without all the darkness. Props to the dev team for making an area that looks scary even in broad daylight.

[@XRandomXShinigamiX]

Once again proves how much love and effort was put into this one game, so many interesting things about this world of Lordran!💗

[@vergeofapathy]

This somehow makes the area seem much bigger _and_ much smaller than it feels like when playing the game, and that's freaking me out. 😱

[@AaronCorr]

You didn't save Sif you monster

[@DJAlphaOmega]

Truly love seeing all this content from you!

[@rolandoftheeld]

I've always wanted to see this! This is awesome, thanks so much for posting it!

[@tazaycharla3426]

It's amazing how many corners they got away with cutting while still having such great atmosphere, it's so smart

[@jawar5673]

Not sure if it's just the way it's shot, but the boss arena looks a lot smaller when it's lit up.

[@AlsoMeowskivich]

been interesting seeing all these videos of yours showing off all the little things we've all been wondering or never even thought about with dark souls.

[@petermower5708]

I really like this slightly longer style of video that spends a couple more minutes showing an interesting aspect of the game from a few angles. Keep it up Zullie!

[@buyas1016]

Can you do how the abyss in New Londo and the abyss in the past are connected? I've seen a video of it but only on a map viewer. Is it possible to do it?

[@khajiitimanus7432]

I believe I've also seen that video.

[@buyas1016]

@@khajiitimanus7432 I've seen them were each are located but not fully rendered. I am wondering if it's possible to load both maps at the same time to see the connectivity of the abyss of the past to the present

[@antonshoptaw8463]

You monster! You didn't save Sif!

[@hellkek2768]

I love the variety and randomness of your content

[@TheMarauderOfficial]

The rock arrangement in Manus’ area is gorgeous

[@MrRedberet]

I always found the Chasm of the Abyss to be the scariest place in Dark Souls, as someone who's afraid of the dark and due to the place's unsettling atmosphere. But after watching this, maybe it's not so bad... like idk, this place with the flat lighting just looks more unsettling to me.

[@theta_clips]

"Dark Souls 2 has bad textu-" 0:08

[@remingtongagnard4442]

Absolutely beautiful and so interesting!! Love seeing stuff like this

[@eldelnacho]

It's amazing how good lighting can make a huge difference in a videogame.

[@GunRunner106]

now do ' Tomb of the Giants' next~

[@BenDrDoom]

For some reason this reminds me of the lighting in dark souls 2.

[@corbinwhite576]

Thank you for making these really cool videos! It's really neat seeing how much work the devs put into an area shrouded in darkness.

[@corbinwhite576]

Also, Manus is still scary as hell with the lights on!

[@balaam_7087]

This is exactly the kind of video I love. I know it isn’t dark souls, but I’d kill to see the entire Vault of Glass from Destiny 1 get the same treatment. Been trying to find a video for years that shows it, but no luck:/

[@connorcorn7309]

The Abyss is actually Dark Souls 2? Woah

[@h4rdboiled695]

Tomb of the giants pleeeease

[@dookan8104]

Really reinforces the idea that Manus' arena/grave is still way high above the actual Abyss, even though it's the lowest point of the Chasm.

[@Atoedaso]

Jesus Christ I've been waiting 7 years for someone to do this. Love you!!!!!!

[@chumi269]

Really clever by from software developers. They modeled everything with the same texture and used a really cool shader (I suppose)

[@GallantBlade475]

Yeah, the eerie, murky lighting really does make this area, apparently.

[@michaelalem1349]

oh lord this is creepy

[@711ramen]

You consistently have the best background music.

[@thraftofcaanan281]

One of my favorite levels just from atmosphere, I remember when this dlc first came out, I wasn't expecting it to be so short but so good and have such an impact on me

[@Alucia0]

I actually find this more creepy than the dark version. It has that sort of uncanny valley type effect. It's also Interesting to know that the darkness effect when Manus shows up is actually part of him and not the enviroment as well.

[@toodles3492]

That's really neat seeing where the devs cheaped out because they didnt need so much detail. Also way too weird

[@Kinguification]

These are amazing videos!

[@snapp0]

Thank you zullie, very cool 😎 it's amazing how much lighting can affect an environments presentation.

[@scring713]

I see where Dark Souls 2 got its inspiration.

[@wKarge]

It looks like the handiwork of a unpaid intern with no prior experience and made just an hour before the DLC released.

[@starchythepotato2877]

nah man only the background walls you never see are filler textures everything u see normally is fine

[@xavierpaquin]

The music is always top-notch in these...

[@vitrais1797]

I got frustrated over playing DSR, but you clearly made my day. Thank you, this is perfect!