How Elden Ring uses architecture to freak you out

[@polygon]

If you like this, check out my much-longer video about all the principles architecture and video games have in common: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ml7bdX6met-gfZo

[@SSJ_EWGF]

Architecture is such an underrated topic in game world design, considering that it isn't just possible to guide the player through your environment on where you would like for them to go (BOTW and TOTK for example), but to also inform them of the history of the continent they are in and to invoke feelings of awe, dread horror and even melancholy nostalgia. The fact that Elden Ring does all of these things and more is so impressive to me and it's easily the best part of the game

[@fioblah]

how did that dragon get there. thank you again simone for asking the questions everyone else is too scared to

[@maskedmenreiki]

That's Granssax, who led the raid on Leyndel back when the Golden Order and the dragons were at war with one another!

[@Sizzlesubs]

The answer to the question how a dragon gets anywhere is it usually flew there and either died or is sleeping

[@Michael_Lindell]

Why don't architects like meta narratives? They break the fourth wall.

[@pinklemoonaid]

Stormveil castle really cemented the AWESOMENESS of Elden Ring’s architecture. It does such an amazing job of setting the atmosphere.

[@polygon]

It's sooooo good, I remember the first time I realized I was supposed to traverse the rooftops and just feeling blown away. - Simone

[@zenithquasar9623]

It just blew me away!

[@OrangeNash]

Stormveil castle could almost be a game in it's own right. Brilliant level design, as well as the architecture.

[@wadespencer3623]

@@polygon That's a classic Fromsoft trick. Love getting into Anor Londo's buildings by climbing along their buttresses and clinging to the tiny sill OUTSIDE of windows.

[@darkmoon1892]

Pat: Use your runes! 😡 Simone: haha number go up 😇

[@polygon]

i will Never learn

[@s.hiessl149]

every time i see the word “architecture” in a polygon title i literally stop whatever i’m doing immediately to watch it. huge props to simone and everyone working on these, the videos are really good and interesting!

[@polygon]

thank you so much!!!

[@basic_chain]

I was surprised how well Fromsoft pulled off the 'expansion' side of architecture, since like you said their bread and butter has always been compressed spaces. I think the game really shines once you reach the Eternal City underground and you experience both types of architecture back and forth.

[@polygon]

UUUGGHHHH it's so cool

[@hollandscottthomas]

Oh my GODS that elevator ride reveal of the underground!!

[@elenarishel6311]

Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall are very good analogies when it comes to architectural terror. The first time I rode a train, I had to change trains in NYC. On my way to my destination, I ended up in Penn Station, and I never had to go above ground. It was all corridors and shops and dim lighting in the evening, more functional than appealing. On my way back I got off at Moynihan Hall, which was shown in the video, full of bright skylights and massive spaces. I was completely convinced I had gotten off at the wrong stop and was lost in NYC, hours away from home, but the buildings are right across the street from each other.

[@rionsanura]

YES!! ARCHITECTURE!! i am always thrilled to see a simone architecture-centric exploration. you've cracked it. post the video right before stream so you can tell everyone in stream to go watch it.

[@polygon]

I need to do more!!

[@rionsanura]

use your runes please simone

[@rionsanura]

@@polygon yes please!!!!!

[@nachiketkalbhande4425]

It's amazing how memorable every area is in a game that is this massive.

[@stephlrideout]

This is my favourite video series, as an architect. There's so much crossover between architecture and game dev, despite the wildly different skill sets.

[@lukasspielmann108]

Also, I would like to add that the game world of elden ring is much more vibrant than in the dark souls series. There, everything is super bleak all the time, everything is run down to the brink of collapse. The world itself is barely clinging to life, which is a major plot point. Meanwhile, in elden ring, the open world part is teeming with life, you have squirrels, sheep, wolves, turtles, you have little forests and lakes and so on. There's still ruins, but they are on average much more grandiose than in dark souls, usually through sheer size. There's something... uplifting about them, whereas in dark souls everything was weighing down on you. I really wish I could have experienced the lands between at their prime, whereas I never had that desire in the souls series - with the possible exception of anor Londo. All of this combined makes it much more pleasant to just exist in the lands between than in lordran, on top of the improvements to pacing discussed in the video.

[@saulitix]

Don't let Pat trick you: keep those runes, you might need them later

[@polygon]

dangit

[@AmyDentata]

Most of Elden Ring's overworld map felt like a "bigature" made for a movie, or a very expensive tabletop wargame map, and I mean that in the best way possible

[@takemetoyonk]

3:09 such a well executed bit, youuuu

[@lahunica2726]

Architecture plays a big role in Miyazaki's games, whether it be art wise, level design wise, thematically wise, atmopherically wise. By just looking at the architecture you can learn a lot from these games.

[@grahamwalker2168]

what I really like here is that your humour compliments your points rather than just being shoe horned in as it's 20 seconds since the last joke which is jarring. you're also funny which helps the humour too.

[@EJ_Crough]

a great example of this in architecture is a lesser known Frank Lloyd Wright house, Kentuck Knob, which is, oddly enough, pretty close to Falling Water.

[@polygon]

ooh, neat!

[@Cleverconveyence]

I was gonna say, Taliesin West is what I thought of

[@EJ_Crough]

For sure, I always heard of compression and release with reference to FLW in school@@Cleverconveyence

[@neurosin]

Every time you do a video about architectural language in games, you warm my jaded environment artist heart!

[@boozebeard9501]

In regards to giant video game map reaction you expressed at the start, it's also pretty cool how they expand the world map as you explore more areas. It both makes the start of the game seem less intimidating and also later on was a constant source of shock and awe to discover that the world was actually EVEN bigger; every time I was like, surely this is the last zone?

[@Darleer]

If Polygon gave you money to do a series of deep dive into architecture in games, I'd be very pleased. Heterotopias zine series is one of my favourite game-related read

[@aamr7434]

the short (and extremely necessary) tangent into hostile architectural choices + the "but I digress" reminded me of every passive aggressive elementary school teacher i have ever known

[@Mordalon]

I'm actually getting my Masters in Library Science and was just recently reading some articles about publicly available spaces like Libraries and the article you bring up concerning this station in NY came up.

[@AllisonDeVoe]

Architecture? Must be Simone!

[@polygon]

dat me

[@spiridiums]

I'm over 300 hours in on my FIRST character, and only on NG+ because I'm enjoying the exploration that much! Sure I'm helping a few friends play their way through, but the rewarding exploration of these open spaces and the excitement of (eventually) surviving a dungeon make it hard for me to put this game down.

[@lukasspielmann108]

You really put into words what I've noticed but couldn't formulate properly. I really need to be in the right state for touching any of the dark souls games, I need energy and concentration and that creates a sort of mental barrier when I run low on those. The dark souls games are work. Incredibly rewarding work, but work nonetheless. I don't have the same barrier with elden ring, I can open that up whenever, because if some stuff is too intense, I can always leave and explore and still make progress in the game. You can really set the pace yourself, which makes it so much better overall. High-intensity soulslike combat pairs beautifully with the contrasting low-intensity exploration.

[@an0idiot0of0use]

This is such a great topic to make a video on, thank you! The amount of detail that Fromsoft puts into their games in terms of architecture, map design, and environmental storytelling is one of the main reasons why I'm absolutely bonkers for the Souls games and Elden Ring. During my current playthrough of ER I'm taking my time to really analyze every part of the world as I progress - Trying to pay attention to enemy/item locations and see if I can make a connection as to WHY it was placed there, looking at the geography to make sense of what exactly happened the thousands of years prior to the game's setting, paying heavy attention to all NPC dialogue and carefully reading item descriptions in order to piece together lore and context clues about which area the game is leading me to next, etc. Needless to say, I'm a nerd and I really like this game. 😅

[@Civilian08]

This is one of the ways in which Breath of the Wild really failed. When people talk about the game's lack of dungeons, they're talking about this. Even the small areas are huge. Everything needs to accommodate big physics objects, so nothing feels intimate and designed for humans.

[@billmack1]

I love this game so much. The fact that you can spend countless hours playing and exploring and enjoying the game without even progressing the story isn't talked about enough. I wish people wouldn't focus so much on the difficulty. I honestly believe Elden Ring is the first game for everyone.

[@AC_Church]

Simone, if you haven't seen Tarnished Archeologist's vids check them out, they do these insane deep dives on Elden Ring lore through architecture and tiny details strewn about, i think you will enjoy

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

1:11 "what is this? Buttah?" - Michael Ballaband Jordan

[@Densuii]

Yay, another video on architecture! These are my favorites!

[@StandardGaming]

1:09 - if it's P.T. I'm stopping to scroll because I can't handle the anxiety of turning that spooky corner again

[@jakecano5469]

Ah, my favourite love story: Simone and architecture

[@andrewwanderson6325]

As an architect myself, and one who spends time teaching to young adults...have to say... These videos are pure joy. They really help communicate an overlap of two of the things I love most, and are great examples to get kids excited. Thanks!

[@BrunoValads]

I could hear Simone talking about architecture in games for the rest of my life

[@00Clank]

"So what if I ran into a giant lobster? I can just flee!" >Here we see the Giant Crayfish, rearing up and cackling at the idea that the Tarnished could ever get far enough away or move fast enough to avoid being Liurnian Sniper'd

[@poornapatel409]

when is the spycraft documentary coming out???

[@masonplayz2820]

i love these short videos because i can watch theme without stopping in the middle or getting bored

[@NikELbErGErBergel]

Anytime simone talks architecture i tune in. best series on this channel

[@Narifamen]

I really feel like Simone and OSP's Blue would get along well.

[@bitrotter]

IT IS like Penn Station!!! I bark-laughed when Simone said that. So true.

[@polygon]

I meant to go to Penn Station and shoot some b-roll for this and then I was like... what if I simply, did not

[@bitrotter]

@@polygon this is the correct decision. Also: Javits has similar vibes. It has a very game-y feel to it. I will be fording its many halls tomorrow at NYCCC.

[@stevnye45]

@@polygon I’m watching this while in the NJ Transit pit at Penn Station. No B-Roll is worth spending time in this misery factory.

[@Wezzeth]

Lead us not into Penn Station

[@asteiner274]

Crazy how a game this huge makes you feel trapped and afraid so often!

[@cashcorum]

simone talking about brilliant video game architecture? man i didnt know we were granting wishes today

[@wellspokenrambler]

Thought you were gonna talk about the Leyndell Catacombs, in terms of architecture freaking you out

[@polygon]

i hATE IT THERE

[@muttipi]

i love videos about in game architecture from the perspective of people who actually live there

[@Dsonsee]

Interesting way of putting it. There are so many sides to game design that one doesn't see at first as the player, even though we experience them

[@ZiggyStyley]

Non-auto generated CCs are a godsend THANKYOU

[@harryp6915]

Thank you for teaching us about compression and expansion. It's something I've always felt and intuited in games, but never been able to identify or articlute. This vid slaps.

[@bobbaggins403]

a new Simone vid for the architecture playlist ❤

[@neilmanansala399]

0:11 - Here ya go, fellas

[@bervirus]

Elden Ring's world is an art.

[@SeantommyE]

Nice video! Surprised there was no mention of how this compares in Elden Ring vs any other game with an overworld and dungeons. Games with this basic structure have been around for decades, and it's certainly a neat angle to approach that design from, I just found myself wishing the video went into more detail on *how* this concept was used :)

[@Mr.BigMic]

0:11 That's what she said

[@shaqtaku]

Good luck fleeing from lobster without getting sniped

[@morestereo]

simone!! you bring up such interesting points and describe things that i’ve definitely felt but never even considered to articulate. it’s just.. idk, really cool? 😅 and the pacing of locations varying in size and form keeps the game from being completely and utterly overwhelming 😅

[@ashhutch8192]

Love the video. Love the music here too, what is it though, can anyone ID please?

[@M.A.R.S.]

The smaller areas force you to focus because a clear path is ahead

[@noirczar5280]

Blight town is a nightmare of compression and expansion.

[@moonbasket]

Gotta save those consumables for the end credits. They can't possibly be useful before that.

[@greenyxd7298]

I too shall end conversations with "anyway" and walk away

[@macavity7716]

i haven't played any fromsoft games, but this video did such a great job breaking down the concepts that it made me realize the specifics of what DIDN'T work for me in other massive open world games that didn't use these tools as effectively [cough]dragonageinqusition[cough]

[@KimSokolArt]

Maybe this is why I adored Elden Ring, when I normally bounce off of open world games (including greats like BotW and Witcher 3) - despite having so much Stuff, exploration never felt rewarding in the same way.

[@ekg793]

I love your video essays, Simone!!

[@01biboy]

FINALLY THIS SERIES IS BACK

[@Ancusohm]

I love your videos. Thanks for doing such excellent work!

[@j.c.5528]

It's always a good day when Simone talks architecture.

[@theghosty99]

I am begging everyone to watch the videos by The Tarnished Archaeologist about how this game tells you the story of the Lands Between through subtle details in its architecture. It will make you appreciate ER even more if you are interested in the lore at all.

[@logansvideos95]

a new simone architecture video hell YES

[@mackmpls]

I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Simone is a treasure.

[@needlethatsings4454]

architecture bros we are so fucking back

[@serpentartist1348]

God I love these videos on architecture so much

[@akechijubeimitsuhide]

Once you kill 1 remembrance boss, money is not an issue anymore.

[@PatrickZysk]

1:20 Wide Simone *is* real and *can* teach you about architecture

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Environmental storytelling at its finest.

[@jonosono]

Classic Simone! 4:54 Miss your laugh! Hope you are doing well!

[@CompanionDude]

We are so far in the future of content, that a sweet gal with a "1 mio channel", explains in multiple videos the connections and highlights of architecture in videogames, while having slighty greencscreen flashes. I love it.

[@TheMarkoSeke]

All these areas you list as examples are called "legacy dungeons", and they're essentially areas akin to the ones in previous souls games, except they have an open world surrounding them.

[@BilliBeeDedeDawnJrIII]

Leveling up in a Fromsoft game is really just lowering the difficulty. So being underleveled is like playing on hard mode

[@channel019]

The section at the end Simone has a different shirt on: did Pat make her record that ending so people knew he was telling her to use her runes? 😂

[@tomasdelcampo2]

I suggest watching the gameology video on elden ring architecture

[@svenbtb]

Yessss more Simone Architecture content!

[@johannesb3522]

Not a fan of the cartoonish edits that have popped up in some of the latest videos (especially since they seem a bit forced) but I found the topic itself to be interesting and the presentation was entertaining and thoughtful as always.

[@cinnamon_shakes]

idk man personally i feel like architecture could feature more unexplained dragons

[@Buzz_Killington]

Must be a Tarnished Archeology fan!

[@Luciana-1818]

love me some simone architecture talk!

[@thefollowingisatest4579]

I see Simone talking about architecture and I click.

[@zombieham904]

This is a great video, thankyou for making and sharing it :)

[@matthewgilson9834]

GO OFF about hostile architecture Simone!!!

[@SignumInterriti]

I so relate to the rune thing! I have soooo many runes, there would be some levels in there, but what if I NEED THEM?

[@fraxisle]

my fav anime, SdR: Attack on Penn Station

[@ChrisPriceforhumanrights]

Am I too under-leveled to go through Penn Station?

[@rachelthecool2880]

Pat gill, well known voice of reason

[@yourFriendPan]

give us more simone videos please

[@gadex3947]

0:11 That's what she said ;)

[@jonathanwilson7949]

This is all really cool. And I’m glad to see it happening in games. But I feel like I’d be obsessively opening every five seconds instead of actually playing the game 😅

[@taylor3950]

I wish Elden Ring’s color palette weren’t so oppressive, it’s the only thing keeping me from playing it

[@elk3407]

What? Sure, it's oppressive in some areas, but honestly, most of the time it's beautiful in a desolate and almost sacred wilderness way. More than any other open world game, I stopped to take in the beautiful view

[@gpvelev]

I was expecting to hear the words “level design” a lot in this video, yet I never did. Isn’t the topic here exactly in the field of level design - pacing and flow within spaces?

[@LS-jj4sy]

See but I thought Elden Ring's map wasn't big enough