Ranking the Best Areas of Dark Souls! [Part 2]

[@BillySYT]

And so, we come to my Top 10 areas of Dark Souls 1! Was your favourite area in this Top 10? Let me know down below, and be sure to sub for more content each and every week~!

[@FSVR54]

Painted World is my favorite area. Darkroot Garden is among my most hated lol

[@OGAutismonaut]

Darkroot garden is for sure underrated, getting lost and wandering into the butterfly arena at level 6 is definitely not something I’ll forget lol

[@BillySYT]

The implication that you got through the Parish at Lvl 6 is pretty iconic though.

[@draculactica]

hearing the mario 64 sound effect when showing the painted world portal gave me a good laugh. i imagine the first stage objective would be something like "Bully the Half-Breed"

[@BillySYT]

Okay, this made me laugh, good job

[@johndevlin9225]

My first time in the depths, I got cursed, but instead of going back and getting a purging stone like a normal person, I just kept going down. I only removed the curse after I’d gone all the way down, killed Quaelaag, rung the second bell, and climbed out of Blighttown. Honestly that might be my fondest memory from the game.

[@BillySYT]

That's the sort of experience that just stays with you, holy crap.

[@InnominateYT]

Darkroot Garden is actually my favorite area in the game as well! great aesthetic, awesome enemy variety, lots of neat exploration and each part of the level feels very distinctive without sacrificing the sort of "lost in the woods" feel it has

[@danidonaldson2584]

“Sorry, I’m gay” I felt that in my soul

[@BillySYT]

Just had to make sure people knew before they stumbled into one of my "frutier" edits

[@danidonaldson2584]

@@BillySYT Well, with that being said, I vibe with your videos so hard

[@Blandy8521]

I remember in my first playthrough I somehow ended up getting into blighttown from the Valley of Drakes only to end up climbing up to depths because I decided to climb up the scaffolding. So to summarise in my first run I somehow got in through the backdoor only to get to front door and then had to fight my way back down

[@BillySYT]

Right, because you wouldn't be able to get into the Depths since Gaping Dragon has the key. I just love that the game is designed so you can actually do that. Makes for a great story.

[@Nibelheim1989]

I completely agree about the Depths. Underrated.

[@kingoppsanti5830]

Love this game. I beat it over 20 times just to max out my character.

[@BillySYT]

I don't think I have the focus to max out my character without using the soul dupe glitch, but I could replay Dark Souls on a new character as many times as I want.

[@kingoppsanti5830]

@@BillySYT maxing out your character means nothing lol you can still get killed by one shot!

[@Jort007]

I actually agree with almost your entire top 10, and especially your takes on The Depths and Darkroot Garden!

[@WillowDoesStuf]

10:20 "I'm so sorry, I'm gay"

[@Eden_Arcane]

How did I not realize till now that I wasn't subbed? Also, love the segment on Ash Lake

[@BillySYT]

Thanks for the sub, and yeah, Ash Lake just hits different. Such a special location.

[@decal4707]

The Lordran Ninja Warrior arena OBLITERATED me on my first playthrough, where I relied on a Balder Side Sword and light armor to get me through because I wanted to roleplay as Westley (from The Princess Bride). I think I was level 45 when I went in, and I was almost level 60 when I finally made it to Anal Rodeo 😭

[@BillySYT]

Not the Lordran Ninja Warrior and Anal Rodeo pleeeease 😭😭😭

[@mattstevenson1334]

I remember my first Anal Rodeo. ..wait, whut?

[@Mango_mahogany]

On my first playthrough I entered the depths with a blackknight sword +2 and drained my estus a couple rooms before coming across the soul of a brave knight slime trap , and the horror i felt watching my health go down to one shot range was compounded by the fact i did barely any damage to the slime, as I had been one shoting everything else

[@sazzi9]

Amazing game, amazing video. Your content is so underrated!

[@BillySYT]

Gracias, glad people are enjoying these countdowns ^^

[@georgeprchal3924]

Let's be real, Anor Londo and Undead Burg/Parish and Sen's Fortress (The Top at least) are the only places you'd want to live.

[@papapineapple]

I've been playing through the Soulsborne games for my first time, now getting to the middle of Eldin Ring. Things I'd like to say about DS1 areas: - 100% agree about the Depths/Gaping Dragon being very underrated, they're such cool places that honestly dont take too much to explore. - I thought the Crest of Artorias door/Forest Hunters/Sif were part of Darkroot Basin, so i was surprised you put the Basin so low and the Garden so high, nice to know that now. - I agree with Anor Londo to an extent, about you feeling there should be more to it and you felt as if you didnt click with it as much as others did. (That being said its still probably my #1)

[@satsu0]

You're not alone. Darkroot Garden and Sif's arena are my favorites areas in the game

[@jucalebre7540]

I love Ash Lake so much

[@Laezar1]

I agree with anor londo feeling a bit hollow (pun intended), I honestly like it a lot less than undead burg. I also wholeheartedly agree that darkroot garden is great design. I think anor londo is one of those areas that get a lot of points for style and darkroot garden loses a lot of points with people cause it's very subdued as an area, it doesn't feel like an important area and it isn't really, and yet it's very important to have in the game.

[@decal4707]

That “hollow” feeling is exactly why I like Anor Londo! Seeing from the perspective of an outsider the story of TENS OF THOUSANDS of citizens abandoning their city along with all of their gods, and the sinking feeling you get when you pierce the veil and realize that the entire city’s vibrancy is an illusion created by Gwyndolin, the only remaining god in Anor Londo, very much hammers home the fact that the end times are near. Anor Londo gave me chills the first time I saw it, but now that I’ve learned more about the lore, it only unsettles me. I wholeheartedly agree with Darkroot being a goated area, though, it’s the best

[@Laezar1]

@@decal4707 I mean, yeah, in term of presentation it's great, and I agree in a way, it's style over substance but that fits the theme. I still feel like the area didn't get the same level of care as other early game areas when it comes to pure level design and the amazing presentation often make people overlook that. I think the ringed city from DS3 achieves a similar concept as anor londo but much better and without sacrificing level design quality

[@TehBakerye]

I'd put the painting world all the way down in the 26th spot because I went there before killing ornstein and smough on my first playthrough

[@BillySYT]

I don't even think I found Painted World on my first playthrough, since that meant I had to be smart enough to figure out how to get back to Asylum. Props to you for sticking it out lol

[@TehBakerye]

@@BillySYT The power of not wanting to fight O&S for the 500th time and youtube

[@LeylandFoizey]

I'm thankful I explore, because I couldn't IMAGINE my first run at Iron Golem warping back to ANDRE!! I would have hollowed.

[@BillySYT]

My first playthrough warping back to Andre when I died on my first playthrough & having my friend be like "Oh, you didn't get the Sens balcony bonfire?"

[@LeylandFoizey]

@@BillySYT 😆 "the WHAAAAT!?"

[@Blandy8521]

Thankfully I found the key to unlock the cage shortcut so I didn't have to run through all of Sen's House of Fun

[@AidanCrisp]

I’m a weird New Londo lover but I agree with most of this list

[@OneMoneyCat]

"The Way of the Warrior of Lordran" I understood that reference.

[@BillySYT]

If you understood that reference, there's a series on my channel from last year that might actually interest you 👀

[@mindseyemusicreview]

I completely disagree with some of your least favorite areas but dammit I respect your opinion. Thanks for the good analysis and the dope voice 👌 Subbed

[@mattheadley2945]

Have to admit Sens Fortress is my fav, although maybe not the first time I played it! It's just so clever and satisfying, there's always a few corners I forget to explore. The Burg is great choice too, definitely agree . Bottom have to say, sorry Blighttown

[@alexmoore4423]

NGL, Putting Firelink Shrine at 6 is INSANE!

[@BillySYT]

In the sense that you'd have it higher or lower? If I didn't keep it out of the Top 5 due to level layout, I might have put it at 4th?

[@zacharyhuhn8366]

Crystal caves is the best area. Has some of the best enemies in the game, great atmosphere, and I love the invisible platforms. I wish they didn’t have messages on them though. And, it isn’t a bad runback because you will never have to run back to the boss. (I mean, I’m the worst dark souls player ever and I beat Seath first try.)

[@shidanslair]

17:10 If you wanted more from Anor Londo, I can't imagine your disappointed when visiting Anor Londo in Dark Souls 3, for me that was probably the worst fan service part of DS3.

[@jamesmangiameli8337]

Greetings! A very cool list, and your points are made very intelligently! I only have a few disagreements here and there in my own rankings. + is for if id rank it higher than you do; - for if lower. -Crystal Caves: this is my least favorite area in the game. Hate it. -dukes archives. This is more subjective. I would probably call it "the best level that i hate." It is a cool concept and well defined. I just have a terrible sense of direction and progression, especially when things look alike. If I'm on the second floor and looking across, i can't distinguish between where I've been, where i can go next, where i can't get to until i flip something, and what is inaccessible altogether. These combined make this path of the endgame my least favorite. (I refuse to give a "+" to demon/lost izalith, because they don't deserve it). -Sen's fortress. This level doesn't get more fun to me with successive playthroughs, unlike Blighttown. I hate the platforming. I hate how easily lost i get. I hate the blades. And it also glitches in two ways that violate the "tough but fair" that DS strives for. First, sometimes a lightning flinger can spawn, but not render, across the bridge. That means they can target me but can't be hit. (I thought the lightning was a trap, not an enemy, at first.) Second, the titanite demons at the bottom can clip through walls when attacking. I loathe this area. -kiln of the first flame. It's gorgeous. Atmospheric. Important to lore. Great twist about killing Gwyn. But after about the fifth (of 20) runbacks, i wish it was shorter. -darkroot garden. Not that i dislike it. I think it is awesome! It just isn't #1 for me. I love your reasoning though! +Undead Parish: i fall into the mainstream opinion. Your points are still well made though! +New Londo. This is my favorite of the endgame paths. I love how atmospheric it is. It might be top 3 for me. Interesringly, i actually think it is more fun before being drained. +depths. Another in my top 3. So atmosopheric and creepy! Sometimes i deliberatelt fall down into a hole into basilisk territory. Just for the adrenaline spike. Agree with your decision to split undead burg out. Agreed on blighttown. It is an area i appreciate more in each playthrough. I dread it, but the right kind of dread. My heart is in my throat each time i descend those walkways, and i love every moment of it! Similar to the walkways in Anor Londo, and if im being VERY generous, similar to Tomb of the Giants. Contrasted with Crystal Caves. Which i hate, and don't feel the "good" dread. Thanks for making such an intelligent and interesring list!

[@alexandreleao6689]

firelink no 1 for me

[@callummanley2881]

Darkroot over anor londo is crazy but fe

[@BillySYT]

I like nature lol

[@jasonbradbury3484]

One of the best sights in the game is right but didn't you just say you were gay? I'm conflicted by you Billy 😂

[@BillySYT]

My bf is bisexual, so I had to appeal to him xD

[@armanii4005]

As a Darkroot Garden enjoyer this probably the first video I’ve seen that also has it ranked as the best area 💯🥲 nothing but respect to you bro

[@BillySYT]

I'm glad to see that there are other people with the objectively best take for the best area out there!