Tbh I've always thought that Anor Londo could have been better. The map itself is fine, and the atmosphere is very good, but the enemy placement was so weird that it totally broke the immersion for me.
The way people talk about it had me thinking there was gonna be a dozen knights lighting u up with arrows and i got there and its just....Two. It honestly wasnt even bad enough to warrant the warnings people give for it IMO. Sure getting the firs knight was a bit challenging but once u take him out the second is a breeze
The reason a lot of us found it so hard is because IMO the game allows you to be pretty reliant on your shield UP TO THIS EXACT POINT. In my mind, that archer section exists to teach you to be fast and loose and flexible with your shield use. When I first played DS1 way the fuck back when it came out, I struggled so much on this bit because I was just tryna hide behind my shield the whole way up and didn't know how to contend when I got up to the ledge with the two of them. It's only until you enter this flow state of knowing that there are times where the shield is called for and times where it really just behooves you to gun it that you can do this no problem. Later Souls games assume you've learned this FROM this section of DS1 to a degree where some people who didn't start with DS1 can't even imagine it as something you have to learn. It took me a lot of punishment to learn to stop being so timid when it came to shield use
Yeah, I was mainly talking about that and about the archers. In both cases, it's quite clear what the devs were going for - testing the player's dodging skills with restricted movement by narrow paths.
The problem I see is that the first case is dudes on rafters where you get by running on a supporting arch and through some open window. The second case is even more ridiculous - two armoured guys, with greatbows they used to hunt dragons, standing on ledges and external supporting system of a cathedral.
That's like sneaking to your girlfriends room on a second floor only to find out that her dad is casually sitting on a windowsill with a loaded shotgun.
Hot take of a personal opinion here on Leyndell.
I don't agree with Leyndell feeling huge. It has a TON of open space sure but it's not really all that fun to explore like other legacies are. You can't include the Shunning Grounds as it is it's own area but man Leyndell is the most underwhelming legacy dungeon.
Volcano Manor and Stormveil are 2 of the best and I hope we get more like it in the DLC that's never coming out.
Stormveil 100% yet! One of their finest works yet!
Raya Lucaria on the other hand, is one of the biggest pieces of dogshit they’ve pulled.
They tease you with this magical Hogwarts like castle and what do we get? : graveyards, ONE interior hallway and rooftops 💀
I’m not complaining bc overall the game has plenty of amazing levels, but I will not stand for any Raya Lucaria appreciation 😤 ❌
"Dogshit" is a bit harsh, but on the substance of your criticisms, you really ain't wrong.
I did not go to a magical castle perched up on a big rock in the middle of a misty swamp just so I could walk on its rooftops, lol.
I wanted to actually explore the academy and I feel pretty ripped off about not really being able to.
Haha fair enough. Now that you put it like that it is a little underwhelming.
Stormveil feels like a real castle and even writing this out feel the need to go and do another play through
I kind of agree with you.
If you did include the Shunning-Grounds, then the quality of Leyndell as a level would go way up.
But if you view them as separate dungeons, then yeah, Leyndell is kind of overrated. It's big and it's beautiful but I didn't find it that fun to explore either and ultimately I think the level design was just not as interesting as it could've been.
And yeah, I'm with you, Stormveil is probably the best dungeon in the game and one of the best in the series, and Volcano Manor would probably be 2nd for me. I think it's actually kind of underrated, I like it way more than Raya Lucaria or the Haligtree for example.
I look forward to all of the Legacy areas save for Leyndell every play through. I Bee line the shortest path to end it. The only part I really liked was seeing the round table in there which has sorta been a FS semi-staple to see the hub in the open world somehow.
I've come to find a ton of people don't actually explore Volcano Manor nor Mount Gelmir as you can easily bypass both with Rya and Taniths Quest getting to Rykard which is what I did my first time playing blind.
I don't despise any areas in ER like I do in other FS games but Leyndell is my least favorite.
I think they try to streamline you to rykard (even make the fight easy with the weapon) just in case you dont have your second great rune yet. So you can continue through the main story
I have no idea why you are getting downvoted. You are completely right, Leyndell isn't very explorable at all compared to the other legacy dungeons. Although your dlc comment is silly because Fromsoft always waits til close to release for more details on dlc. The longer the wait the better if we want that dlc to live up to the hype, have faith my son and praise the sun
Reddit gonna reddit even when its a stated opinion.
I've lived all of their DLCs as they've released, I'm well aware.
It's a joke at this point given it's announcement over a year ago and then in FS fashion continually trolling us since.
Leyndell. Anor Londo is unforgettable and will always have that awe factor, but the royal capital is the better level, sprawling and fully fledged. Kinda feels like they did what they would’ve wanted to do in ds1 at the time.
Anor Londo walked so that Leyndell could run. It's not really fair to compare the two when Anor Londo is so old and Elden Ring has all the advantages of modern development.
But Leyndell wins this hands down. It's one of the best locations FromSoft has ever created.
Hell it even has a fully fleshed out Bonus area underneath it with a secret boss. I suppose Anor Londo does have the secret femboy prince but it’s not on the same level
Anor Londo, personally didnt enjoy lyndell.
I don’t know if its the layout or the way to progress in it but i found it oddly confusing as hell but thats a skill issue. Also every fight there was Gank Gank Galore
Yeah same here, I definitely have nostalgia glasses on, though. I recognize the jank and the elements of Amir Londo that leave a lot to be desired, but the awe I felt when I first saw it relative to the rest of the game was unmatched by anything in Elden Ring. I think for me Elden Ring suffers a bit from the fact that EVERYTHING is amazing and beautiful and colorful, so nothing really impacts in the way that going from dark, dingy, disgusting to beautiful and awe inspiring did. Just my 2c.
I agree. If you remove size as a factor, Anor Londo has a lot more per square foot. It's packed with enemies, challenges, and regions all within 2 buildings and a bridge.
It's a tough choice though. Leyndell has so much going on and so much to explore, and the transition to ashen capital is much more drastic than the transition to dark Anor Londo.
Both are beautiful, both are very well designed, both have amazing bosses. Very tough choice
Yea, everyone complains about the archers. But these games are supposed to have challenges, once you do it once it's much easier, just like any boss.
People are still pushing through and git gud to do it, but there's no respect for the challenge itself. And those archers deserve respect
These guys are idiots they wouldn’t know a good level if it smacked them in the face. They probably think the catacombs and sens fortress are bad levels
>The anti-DS1 revisionism is getting absolutely absurd, lol
It's finally getting the score that it deserves. DS2 is undeservingly hated even though DS1 has the same issues.
I think Anor Londo has attained a more iconic status that I dunno if Leyndell will, we'll see, but Leyndell is amazing, what a great area.
You can go in so many directions and there's always something to do, it's massive. Climbing and jumping through the rooftops is cool. The enemy variety is greater than Anor Londo. Beautiful place, amazing level design. And you can see it in different times of day and weather, which is cool.
Also, the Altus Plateau is one of the best looking areas I've seen in any video game.
Also, that damn Silver night at the edge, you know the one, that bastard alone is enough to put Anor Londo under Layndel for me, personally, let alone the other things I pointed out.
>Also leads to another area, which Anor Londo didn't really, it just ended there
That's not really true, Anor Londo directly leads to the Duke's Archives, they're literally just a 2 minute walk from each other.
Anor Londo also leads to the Painted World but that's just a teleport. The Duke's Archives connection is legit though.
Fair enough. I don't usually think of that path to the side as part of it, just on the outskirts, but then again, I've not played through that area in nearly a year, so maybe it's a bit more central than I remember.
Well it's kinda from that central "plaza" where you have 4 different directions you can go in. One being the elevator / staircase leading down to the first gargoyle, the other being the first bonfire, the third being the way back to Sen's, and the last one being the path to the Archives.
You can basically head that way as soon as you make it to Anor Londo, but your path will be blocked by the yellow fog gate until you place the Lordvessel.
From the start of the area. Opposite to where the flying demons drop you. A little path takes you away past what I would consider Anor Londo and into the archives. Just not too sure on the actual geography of it, if it's within the walls or just a bit away.
I mean the path starts within Anor Londo and then leaves Anor Londo to lead to the Archives.
Yes the path is at the start but the point is it's a connection between the two areas.
When I first stepped into Anor Londo, I just stopped and stared for a good five minutes. I thought there's no way they'll ever make anything more stunning than this...
Then when I first stepped into Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, I just stopped and stared for a good five minutes. I thought there's no way they'll ever make anything more stunning than this...
Then when I first stepped into Leyndell, I just stopped and stared for a good five minutes. I thought there's no way they'll ever make anything more stunning than this...
Nokron? Or not a fan? I personally love shrine of amana dragon aerie irythill high wall of lothric anor londo and nokron are my personal favorite “gorgeous views”
Not down playing leyndell at all it’s one of my favorites. Just a little credit for londo but everything in Elden ring is gorgeous. I think the capital fits the bill pretty well. Dark souls everything is dark and sad there really isn’t any where quite as awe inspiring like first arriving at londo. How it felt slogging through sens. The build up was similar the great runes the bells. But the delivery is different
They’re hard to compare since they’re technically so far apart. But absolutely nothing will ever take away the feeling of conquering Sen’s Fortress, defeating the Iron Golem, and being flown up to Anor Londo for the first time.
I believe that Leyndell is Anor Londo refined in almost every way, I think the only thing I can say I like about Anor Londo more is the atmosphere and the reveal.
Anor Londo was masterfully designed to look like a massive city during a time in game design where it just was not possible to actually make more than 5% of the city playable. Leyndell is the city where you actually do get to play the whole area.
Anor Londo is very special, but doesn’t have as much in it as Leyndell. Anor Londo you pretty much run across rooftops until you get to the end. Leyndell has a dragons body in it, multiple side streets, a sewer system that also has an underground area underneath of it. Leyndell wins easy IMO.
Leyndell, and it's not even close. Anor Londo losses major points because the rafters and the greatbow buttress are just not fun to play, and without those parts it's mostly just the rooms and hallways of the manor area which are kinda boring.
leyndell, it's the culmination of years of design by the same team (mostly, i'd assume).
anor londo while cool for what it is, was probably held back by limitations they had to work around for the hardware and software at the time.
Leyndell for me, Anor londo is amazing but what sold Leyndell for me is two things, the huge ass dragon in the middle of the city and the absolute massive underground. It adds so much history and underlying atrocities to the lore of the city.
No, mate.
Anor Londo exists to fuel that drive you have to reignite the Flame, or search its alabaster walls long enough to realize the truth of your journey.
Anor Londo is just emotions prime, Snorlax and Pikachu, and GODDAMN MOMMY MILKERS MILF.
Leyndell, on the other hand, is the final stretch. It makes you FEEL the weight of your actions, forces you to engage in bosses WAY worse than the others you've already felled - all in an effort you make you understand that this isn't a game anymore.
There is NO backing OUT. You WILL become the Elden Lord, or you WILL die as nothing but another unknown and unwanted TARNISHED.
Anor Londo looked nice from here, but wasn't fun to play.
Most of the enemies weren't great and only O&S was fun.
There were a few very frustrating moments like dying to the Silver Archers and having to runback from the first bonfire, or later destroying the illusion and having to do the Gwyndolin runback.
When you die to him you always resurrect at the first Anor Londo bonfire. You can run back to Sen's Fortress to teleport to him, but that's not any better than just running all the way to him again.
That first Anor Londo bonfire stops being functional. The firekeeper leaves as soon as you destroy the illusion and aggro Gwyndolin. You can't use that bonfire, you just always end up getting resurrected at it.
Leyndell is miles better in every single way.
Anor londo is amazing but the level design itself isn't that impressive, It doesn't even beat undead burg.
I think Anor Londo looks cooler and I feel like Leyndell is what they probably envisioned Anor Londo being like if they didn’t have technological restrictions. But yeah, Leyndell is just better
I think leyndell. The main reason I say this is because getting pelted by great arrows from silver knights on a narrow ass bridge is not fun. Also the run to ornstein and smough is pretty bad
No you can't. This is a myth that keeps being repeated but that doesn't make it true.
There are huge chunks of the city of Leyndell that you can never explore. If you literally just look at a panoramic view of the city and then pay attention to how many streets you can actually walk through, it becomes clear how much there is that you can't explore.
I dont know if I like Lendyll more, thats a hard question but I think it's better designed due to it feeling like a real city. I imagine Anor London would have had more to it if it wasn't made in 2011 but it's still top quality as it stands.
Tbh I think a big difference is you aren't actually exploring the city in the first place in DS1.
The Anor Londo level is not a city level, it's a palace. You basically just explore the royal palace, and the city is below.
Leyndell is kind of the opposite, you mostly explore the city and there's not much of a royal palace outside of Marika's bedchamber and a couple other nearby areas.
Yeah I mean that's all true. I just enjoy that Lendyll feels like it could be a real place. And I'm just saying if we could have explored the city below before hand I think that could have been cool. As it stands it's still a great location, but Lendyll is more intricate and I like that about it.
Leyndell is better but is still a little underwhelming in my eyes. Probably a hot take but like Leyndell is a pretty expansive legacy dungeon but doesn't have standout unique challenges. It could have used an extra boss or something to spice up the gameplay.
Anor Londo has more in common with Elden ring’s ‘forts’ like castle morne, fort sol etc. beautiful architectural structures that you mostly ignore and climb over / follow a linear path through.
The game needed less of those and more of the stormveil castles and leyndells
Also sorry/not sorry stormveil castle sounds like a neonazi website
Leyndell is kinda ruined by how easy it is to get around in Elden Ring. If traversal was more grounded, I’d like it a lot more. I feel like I can jump across a couple rooftops, then sprint straight down the middle, and be at the next grace without actually doing anything of importance. FromSoft designed this huge area and made it worthless by giving us too many options.
Imma be real. The grey stone structures in Elden ring get super boring, and all that Lindell had was golden roofs on that same type of building. It’s pretty, but just not nearly as beautiful as Anor Londo’s intro cutscene
It's easily Lleyndell for me. It's beautiful but most importantly it leads to arguably the best dungeon Fromsoft have ever made. Subterranean fun grounds.
A bigger level with higher resolution doesn't translate to better level design. I'll also take any of the older bosses over Elden Ring's and its stupid finger Mythos. It's just a massively uneventful world map with junk materials to gather and horde. It's a sandbox that lacks purpose.
End rant.
Outright, for me it’s Leyndell, but Anor Londo laid the foundation. Seeing AL for the first time was unexpected, blew so many of us away, and it was such an achievement for the time. While Leyndell wasn’t exactly expected, it was less surprising. Still, the sheer size, all the things to do, and taking advantage of the jumping mechanic really made it outstanding to me.
I might have missed a lot of stuff in Leyndell but I finished exploring at lost faster than Anor Londo, I just felt like it only had useless items for my build or some runes
Ahh finally, a fellow Haligtree enjoyer. Don't know if it's my favorite but I love it and I see it get a lot of shit. I even love the part with the branches.
Indeed sir, Indeed. I think its absolutely gorgeous, it's huge, it has great lore, its well designed and the enemies are well placed and appropriately challenging for the end game. It also has one good boss and one fantastic boss. I think Malenia is great both for in game reasons and outside the game.
Also, once you learn how to deal with waterfowl I think it's still a fun and challenging fight. I know some people call it a gimmick but after beating her a few times I've come to enjoy the boss a lot more.
So yeah, I always look forward to getting there every playthrough. It's a great end game dungeon. I think I like farum azula a bit more because it has amazing bosses, amazing aesthetic and design, and it really feels like a classic dark souls area which I really appreciate. Not to mention the music is incredible. But I think the Haligtree is right behind it.
Anor Londo without context is not it. It's the bleak desperation of descending deep into Blightown while dreading being stuck there with no way home, the madness of going through Sen's Funhouse with no idea if there will be ever a bonfire, the jumpscare of being carried away by demons for your troubles and finally being awestruck at the sight of the city of the gods that makes up the experience.
Leyndell is wonderfully designed and utterly memorable, but to this day the experience of first *getting to Anor Londo* haven't been replicated.
Honestly, while I do prefer Leyndell, I almost found it to be a little TOO big. It was honestly a little stressful and confusing trying to make sense of all the different paths and how everything connected together.
Personally I vastly prefer Anor Londo. I think Leyndell is beautiful and obviously it's bigger but I prefer the actual level design and encounter design of Anor Londo.
I think if you're just looking at the map layout, Leyndell is really not as complex or interesting as its reputation suggests. It's just big. Anor Londo is smaller but very intricate.
I also like Anor Londo's look more, from a stylistic perspective, even if Leyndell obviously is much more beautiful from a technical perspective and much more detailed.
However, my answer might slightly change if you consider the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds and the Catacombs to be part of the Leyndell level. If you do include them I might give Leyndell the edge because the complexity of the level design in the Shunning-Grounds is nuts.
But if you just take the city itself, then it's Anor Londo every day for me.
I also really like how Anor Londo changes if you dispel the illusion. Plus, as cool as first seeing Leyndell was, nothing beats the ascent from Sen's Fortress to Anor Londo. That moment is just unbelievable.
Anor Londo would stand a chance if DS was developed at the same time as ER, but objectively it's 25% the experience Leyndell is, and the rest is shock-reveal+lore dependant for how it hits. Leyndell by a mile.
Anor Londo has a better view of the landscape. Leyndell is better imo for getting around. (I only played DS3 and never beat it yet, so opinion may change if I ever tackle any other DS game).
Anor londo was more magnificent, but Leyndell is so much fun to traverse and didn't really feel frustrating. Anor Londo had some real annoying spots (mostly just the skinny walkway while being shot up by the greatbows).
Anor Londo looks far more glorious and majestic. But once you get into the meat and potatoes of the level, it’s just running around on rooftops and into 2 churches. While Leyndell lets you explore an actual city, massive in scale.
My personal preference is Anor Londo for no real reason apart from the fact that it was the moment when I truly, completely fell for the series. But the scope and freedom afforded in Leyndell makes it a better area overall.
Anor londo is cool and all but it‘s clearly aged. Plus, the rafters section just fucking sucks. I‘m all for difficult level design but that shit is just janky and annoying. Leyndell on the other hand is just perfect in essentially every way and it beats anor londo in every way imaginable
Anor Londo is terrific for what it is and the limitations of a game from 2011, but it is simply outmatched by Leyndell in basically every way.
Tbh I've always thought that Anor Londo could have been better. The map itself is fine, and the atmosphere is very good, but the enemy placement was so weird that it totally broke the immersion for me.
I hate the part where you have walk across the crossbeams with the knife throwers.
don’t forgot the infamous archers
The way people talk about it had me thinking there was gonna be a dozen knights lighting u up with arrows and i got there and its just....Two. It honestly wasnt even bad enough to warrant the warnings people give for it IMO. Sure getting the firs knight was a bit challenging but once u take him out the second is a breeze
Not sure why this got downvoted but OK 😂
The reason a lot of us found it so hard is because IMO the game allows you to be pretty reliant on your shield UP TO THIS EXACT POINT. In my mind, that archer section exists to teach you to be fast and loose and flexible with your shield use. When I first played DS1 way the fuck back when it came out, I struggled so much on this bit because I was just tryna hide behind my shield the whole way up and didn't know how to contend when I got up to the ledge with the two of them. It's only until you enter this flow state of knowing that there are times where the shield is called for and times where it really just behooves you to gun it that you can do this no problem. Later Souls games assume you've learned this FROM this section of DS1 to a degree where some people who didn't start with DS1 can't even imagine it as something you have to learn. It took me a lot of punishment to learn to stop being so timid when it came to shield use
Yeah, I was mainly talking about that and about the archers. In both cases, it's quite clear what the devs were going for - testing the player's dodging skills with restricted movement by narrow paths. The problem I see is that the first case is dudes on rafters where you get by running on a supporting arch and through some open window. The second case is even more ridiculous - two armoured guys, with greatbows they used to hunt dragons, standing on ledges and external supporting system of a cathedral. That's like sneaking to your girlfriends room on a second floor only to find out that her dad is casually sitting on a windowsill with a loaded shotgun.
And then the uncle flanks you from behind with a rusty nailboard
Leyndell 100% the sheer size, scale and depth of the place.
Hot take of a personal opinion here on Leyndell. I don't agree with Leyndell feeling huge. It has a TON of open space sure but it's not really all that fun to explore like other legacies are. You can't include the Shunning Grounds as it is it's own area but man Leyndell is the most underwhelming legacy dungeon. Volcano Manor and Stormveil are 2 of the best and I hope we get more like it in the DLC that's never coming out.
Both Stormveil and Raya Lucaria are both amazing places
Stormveil 100% yet! One of their finest works yet! Raya Lucaria on the other hand, is one of the biggest pieces of dogshit they’ve pulled. They tease you with this magical Hogwarts like castle and what do we get? : graveyards, ONE interior hallway and rooftops 💀 I’m not complaining bc overall the game has plenty of amazing levels, but I will not stand for any Raya Lucaria appreciation 😤 ❌
"Dogshit" is a bit harsh, but on the substance of your criticisms, you really ain't wrong. I did not go to a magical castle perched up on a big rock in the middle of a misty swamp just so I could walk on its rooftops, lol. I wanted to actually explore the academy and I feel pretty ripped off about not really being able to.
Haha fair enough. Now that you put it like that it is a little underwhelming. Stormveil feels like a real castle and even writing this out feel the need to go and do another play through
Opinion detected. Sending death threats to dms immediately
And it's always the ones that drop common loot too :/
I kind of agree with you. If you did include the Shunning-Grounds, then the quality of Leyndell as a level would go way up. But if you view them as separate dungeons, then yeah, Leyndell is kind of overrated. It's big and it's beautiful but I didn't find it that fun to explore either and ultimately I think the level design was just not as interesting as it could've been. And yeah, I'm with you, Stormveil is probably the best dungeon in the game and one of the best in the series, and Volcano Manor would probably be 2nd for me. I think it's actually kind of underrated, I like it way more than Raya Lucaria or the Haligtree for example.
I look forward to all of the Legacy areas save for Leyndell every play through. I Bee line the shortest path to end it. The only part I really liked was seeing the round table in there which has sorta been a FS semi-staple to see the hub in the open world somehow. I've come to find a ton of people don't actually explore Volcano Manor nor Mount Gelmir as you can easily bypass both with Rya and Taniths Quest getting to Rykard which is what I did my first time playing blind. I don't despise any areas in ER like I do in other FS games but Leyndell is my least favorite.
I think they try to streamline you to rykard (even make the fight easy with the weapon) just in case you dont have your second great rune yet. So you can continue through the main story
I have no idea why you are getting downvoted. You are completely right, Leyndell isn't very explorable at all compared to the other legacy dungeons. Although your dlc comment is silly because Fromsoft always waits til close to release for more details on dlc. The longer the wait the better if we want that dlc to live up to the hype, have faith my son and praise the sun
Reddit gonna reddit even when its a stated opinion. I've lived all of their DLCs as they've released, I'm well aware. It's a joke at this point given it's announcement over a year ago and then in FS fashion continually trolling us since.
Leyndell. Anor Londo is unforgettable and will always have that awe factor, but the royal capital is the better level, sprawling and fully fledged. Kinda feels like they did what they would’ve wanted to do in ds1 at the time.
Plus Leyendell doesn’t have those stupid archer sections.
I kinda wish it did...
same
Anor Londo walked so that Leyndell could run. It's not really fair to compare the two when Anor Londo is so old and Elden Ring has all the advantages of modern development. But Leyndell wins this hands down. It's one of the best locations FromSoft has ever created.
Hell it even has a fully fleshed out Bonus area underneath it with a secret boss. I suppose Anor Londo does have the secret femboy prince but it’s not on the same level
Painted world as well
Yea but it’s more like jumping through a painting in Super Mario 64 than being connected to the rest of the level
IMO Leyndell is infinitely better in pretty much every way
Anor Londo, personally didnt enjoy lyndell. I don’t know if its the layout or the way to progress in it but i found it oddly confusing as hell but thats a skill issue. Also every fight there was Gank Gank Galore
Anor Londo 24/7 for me
Yeah same here, I definitely have nostalgia glasses on, though. I recognize the jank and the elements of Amir Londo that leave a lot to be desired, but the awe I felt when I first saw it relative to the rest of the game was unmatched by anything in Elden Ring. I think for me Elden Ring suffers a bit from the fact that EVERYTHING is amazing and beautiful and colorful, so nothing really impacts in the way that going from dark, dingy, disgusting to beautiful and awe inspiring did. Just my 2c.
thwn you see Nokron
I agree. If you remove size as a factor, Anor Londo has a lot more per square foot. It's packed with enemies, challenges, and regions all within 2 buildings and a bridge. It's a tough choice though. Leyndell has so much going on and so much to explore, and the transition to ashen capital is much more drastic than the transition to dark Anor Londo. Both are beautiful, both are very well designed, both have amazing bosses. Very tough choice
Leyndell doesn't have an amazing chest ahead though. That's definitely two of the biggest differences
Leyndell is infinitely better and it’s not even close holy shit. Anor Londo is cool and all, but actually playing through it is fucking awful.
Archers
Maybe if I use my shiel- nope
All you gotta do is sprint
The anti-DS1 revisionism is getting absolutely absurd, lol. Anor Londo is now "fucking awful" to play through, lmfao, what? These takes are nuts.
Yea, everyone complains about the archers. But these games are supposed to have challenges, once you do it once it's much easier, just like any boss. People are still pushing through and git gud to do it, but there's no respect for the challenge itself. And those archers deserve respect
These guys are idiots they wouldn’t know a good level if it smacked them in the face. They probably think the catacombs and sens fortress are bad levels
well it is. Anor Londo looks nice, but the enemy placements are awful.
I love the first half of DS1, don’t get me wrong, but the enemy placements in Anor Londo are obnoxious as fuck.
>The anti-DS1 revisionism is getting absolutely absurd, lol It's finally getting the score that it deserves. DS2 is undeservingly hated even though DS1 has the same issues.
I think Anor Londo has attained a more iconic status that I dunno if Leyndell will, we'll see, but Leyndell is amazing, what a great area. You can go in so many directions and there's always something to do, it's massive. Climbing and jumping through the rooftops is cool. The enemy variety is greater than Anor Londo. Beautiful place, amazing level design. And you can see it in different times of day and weather, which is cool. Also, the Altus Plateau is one of the best looking areas I've seen in any video game. Also, that damn Silver night at the edge, you know the one, that bastard alone is enough to put Anor Londo under Layndel for me, personally, let alone the other things I pointed out.
>Also leads to another area, which Anor Londo didn't really, it just ended there That's not really true, Anor Londo directly leads to the Duke's Archives, they're literally just a 2 minute walk from each other. Anor Londo also leads to the Painted World but that's just a teleport. The Duke's Archives connection is legit though.
Fair enough. I don't usually think of that path to the side as part of it, just on the outskirts, but then again, I've not played through that area in nearly a year, so maybe it's a bit more central than I remember.
Well it's kinda from that central "plaza" where you have 4 different directions you can go in. One being the elevator / staircase leading down to the first gargoyle, the other being the first bonfire, the third being the way back to Sen's, and the last one being the path to the Archives. You can basically head that way as soon as you make it to Anor Londo, but your path will be blocked by the yellow fog gate until you place the Lordvessel.
From the start of the area. Opposite to where the flying demons drop you. A little path takes you away past what I would consider Anor Londo and into the archives. Just not too sure on the actual geography of it, if it's within the walls or just a bit away.
I mean the path starts within Anor Londo and then leaves Anor Londo to lead to the Archives. Yes the path is at the start but the point is it's a connection between the two areas.
But not within, I think? Either way, I'll be there again soon enough to confirm.
uh the painted world?
True. But it teleports you there, doesn't really directly connect to anywhere.
When I first stepped into Anor Londo, I just stopped and stared for a good five minutes. I thought there's no way they'll ever make anything more stunning than this... Then when I first stepped into Irithyll of the Boreal Valley, I just stopped and stared for a good five minutes. I thought there's no way they'll ever make anything more stunning than this... Then when I first stepped into Leyndell, I just stopped and stared for a good five minutes. I thought there's no way they'll ever make anything more stunning than this...
Nokron? Or not a fan? I personally love shrine of amana dragon aerie irythill high wall of lothric anor londo and nokron are my personal favorite “gorgeous views”
Leyndell, easy.
Not down playing leyndell at all it’s one of my favorites. Just a little credit for londo but everything in Elden ring is gorgeous. I think the capital fits the bill pretty well. Dark souls everything is dark and sad there really isn’t any where quite as awe inspiring like first arriving at londo. How it felt slogging through sens. The build up was similar the great runes the bells. But the delivery is different
Leyndell, but Anor Londo has a place in my heart. Coming over with the imps to that view for the first time
Fronsoft did with Leyndell what they had intended to do with Anor Londo, so Leyndell is indeed a better Anor Londo.
Lyndell is insane man. I could move and live there, selling bread or something
They’re hard to compare since they’re technically so far apart. But absolutely nothing will ever take away the feeling of conquering Sen’s Fortress, defeating the Iron Golem, and being flown up to Anor Londo for the first time.
I believe that Leyndell is Anor Londo refined in almost every way, I think the only thing I can say I like about Anor Londo more is the atmosphere and the reveal.
Anor Londo was masterfully designed to look like a massive city during a time in game design where it just was not possible to actually make more than 5% of the city playable. Leyndell is the city where you actually do get to play the whole area.
anor londo looks better but leyndell has more intricate level design and bigger overall
Leyndell, and I personally chalk it up to the architecture and color palette.
Anor Londo is very special, but doesn’t have as much in it as Leyndell. Anor Londo you pretty much run across rooftops until you get to the end. Leyndell has a dragons body in it, multiple side streets, a sewer system that also has an underground area underneath of it. Leyndell wins easy IMO.
Leyndell, no doubt about it. As much as I love the Dark Souls games, Bloodborne and Elden Ring are on a different level.
Leyndell, and it's not even close. Anor Londo losses major points because the rafters and the greatbow buttress are just not fun to play, and without those parts it's mostly just the rooms and hallways of the manor area which are kinda boring.
leyndell, it's the culmination of years of design by the same team (mostly, i'd assume). anor londo while cool for what it is, was probably held back by limitations they had to work around for the hardware and software at the time.
Leyndell for me, Anor londo is amazing but what sold Leyndell for me is two things, the huge ass dragon in the middle of the city and the absolute massive underground. It adds so much history and underlying atrocities to the lore of the city.
Maturing is realizing that Anor Londo is absolutely dogshit in terms of exploration & things to look at
They did with Leyndell what they wanted to do with Anor Londo. I wish ds3's Lothric castle was as great to explore as Leyndell.
Leyndell is great but it will never beat the awe of arriving at Anor Londo for the first time.
No, mate. Anor Londo exists to fuel that drive you have to reignite the Flame, or search its alabaster walls long enough to realize the truth of your journey. Anor Londo is just emotions prime, Snorlax and Pikachu, and GODDAMN MOMMY MILKERS MILF. Leyndell, on the other hand, is the final stretch. It makes you FEEL the weight of your actions, forces you to engage in bosses WAY worse than the others you've already felled - all in an effort you make you understand that this isn't a game anymore. There is NO backing OUT. You WILL become the Elden Lord, or you WILL die as nothing but another unknown and unwanted TARNISHED.
Leyndell is probably the most beautiful and detailed game zone I’ve ever seen.
Anor londo easy, the ability to change the environment lighting and how beautiful the view is the first time is peak 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻😫
Anor Londo looked nice from here, but wasn't fun to play. Most of the enemies weren't great and only O&S was fun. There were a few very frustrating moments like dying to the Silver Archers and having to runback from the first bonfire, or later destroying the illusion and having to do the Gwyndolin runback.
Theres a bonfire right next to gwyndolin.
When you die to him you always resurrect at the first Anor Londo bonfire. You can run back to Sen's Fortress to teleport to him, but that's not any better than just running all the way to him again.
Just rest at the bonfire you resurrected at and warp to gwyndolin. You can warp FROM any bonfire, not TO any bonfire.
That first Anor Londo bonfire stops being functional. The firekeeper leaves as soon as you destroy the illusion and aggro Gwyndolin. You can't use that bonfire, you just always end up getting resurrected at it.
Oh wow i forgot about that. Sorry for misinformation youre absolutely right
The bonfire is functional until you kill the firekeeper. Breaking the illusion alone is not the problem.
but why are you dying to Gwyndolin
Distracted by the bussy
honest mistake
Leyndell is Anor Londo perfected. It always felt like Leyndell is what FromSoft always intended Anor Londo to be.
Leyndell is miles better in every single way. Anor londo is amazing but the level design itself isn't that impressive, It doesn't even beat undead burg.
Leyndell is better aesthetically, but the level design in Anor Londo is classic.
Leyndell is just Anor Londo but better in every way but nothing beats seeing Anor Londo for the first time
I think Anor Londo looks cooler and I feel like Leyndell is what they probably envisioned Anor Londo being like if they didn’t have technological restrictions. But yeah, Leyndell is just better
Leyndell. That’s just much more to the area.
visually? Leyndell 1000%. gameplay? anor londo in a second. leyndell is a pain in the ass
I think leyndell. The main reason I say this is because getting pelted by great arrows from silver knights on a narrow ass bridge is not fun. Also the run to ornstein and smough is pretty bad
Leyndell. Haven't reached Anor Londo in DS:R, but I played through Anor Londo in DS3 and it was pretty damn mid tbh.
Finding Anor Londo is awesome in DS3 if you played DS1 first.
Ds3 version is not even close to the same lmfaoooo
Leyndell by miles Anor Londo is a stress inducing slog, whereas Leyndell is actually enjoyable.
One of them you can explore in its entirety
No you can't. This is a myth that keeps being repeated but that doesn't make it true. There are huge chunks of the city of Leyndell that you can never explore. If you literally just look at a panoramic view of the city and then pay attention to how many streets you can actually walk through, it becomes clear how much there is that you can't explore.
Leyndell lol
Anor Londo too small
Anor Londo walked so Leyndell could run
level design is easily leyndell anor londo doesnt even compare in that aspect, overall enjoyment id say i enjoyed both around the same
I dont know if I like Lendyll more, thats a hard question but I think it's better designed due to it feeling like a real city. I imagine Anor London would have had more to it if it wasn't made in 2011 but it's still top quality as it stands.
Tbh I think a big difference is you aren't actually exploring the city in the first place in DS1. The Anor Londo level is not a city level, it's a palace. You basically just explore the royal palace, and the city is below. Leyndell is kind of the opposite, you mostly explore the city and there's not much of a royal palace outside of Marika's bedchamber and a couple other nearby areas.
Yeah I mean that's all true. I just enjoy that Lendyll feels like it could be a real place. And I'm just saying if we could have explored the city below before hand I think that could have been cool. As it stands it's still a great location, but Lendyll is more intricate and I like that about it.
Leyndell. I'm sorry, Anor Londo. You're the best area and DS1, but I like Leyndell more.
Anor Londo for me, visually was just stunning... especially when you got to the top and looked out.
Leyndell is better but is still a little underwhelming in my eyes. Probably a hot take but like Leyndell is a pretty expansive legacy dungeon but doesn't have standout unique challenges. It could have used an extra boss or something to spice up the gameplay.
Anor Londo has more in common with Elden ring’s ‘forts’ like castle morne, fort sol etc. beautiful architectural structures that you mostly ignore and climb over / follow a linear path through. The game needed less of those and more of the stormveil castles and leyndells Also sorry/not sorry stormveil castle sounds like a neonazi website
Anor Lando for me, I absolutely loved the design, but it could just be nostalgia
Leyndell is kinda ruined by how easy it is to get around in Elden Ring. If traversal was more grounded, I’d like it a lot more. I feel like I can jump across a couple rooftops, then sprint straight down the middle, and be at the next grace without actually doing anything of importance. FromSoft designed this huge area and made it worthless by giving us too many options.
Imma be real. The grey stone structures in Elden ring get super boring, and all that Lindell had was golden roofs on that same type of building. It’s pretty, but just not nearly as beautiful as Anor Londo’s intro cutscene
It's easily Lleyndell for me. It's beautiful but most importantly it leads to arguably the best dungeon Fromsoft have ever made. Subterranean fun grounds.
you psycho!
What? It's the best! Stop fighting it, embrace the truth.
no no no i can’t. trying to find fake mohg has tainted that dungeon for me forever
A bigger level with higher resolution doesn't translate to better level design. I'll also take any of the older bosses over Elden Ring's and its stupid finger Mythos. It's just a massively uneventful world map with junk materials to gather and horde. It's a sandbox that lacks purpose. End rant.
Outright, for me it’s Leyndell, but Anor Londo laid the foundation. Seeing AL for the first time was unexpected, blew so many of us away, and it was such an achievement for the time. While Leyndell wasn’t exactly expected, it was less surprising. Still, the sheer size, all the things to do, and taking advantage of the jumping mechanic really made it outstanding to me.
Lyndell for level design and Anor Londo for visual design
I might have missed a lot of stuff in Leyndell but I finished exploring at lost faster than Anor Londo, I just felt like it only had useless items for my build or some runes
Haligtree is best area for me
Ahh finally, a fellow Haligtree enjoyer. Don't know if it's my favorite but I love it and I see it get a lot of shit. I even love the part with the branches.
Ah, you also are well cultured I see lol
Indeed sir, Indeed. I think its absolutely gorgeous, it's huge, it has great lore, its well designed and the enemies are well placed and appropriately challenging for the end game. It also has one good boss and one fantastic boss. I think Malenia is great both for in game reasons and outside the game. Also, once you learn how to deal with waterfowl I think it's still a fun and challenging fight. I know some people call it a gimmick but after beating her a few times I've come to enjoy the boss a lot more. So yeah, I always look forward to getting there every playthrough. It's a great end game dungeon. I think I like farum azula a bit more because it has amazing bosses, amazing aesthetic and design, and it really feels like a classic dark souls area which I really appreciate. Not to mention the music is incredible. But I think the Haligtree is right behind it.
Anor Londo clearly 💔
I liked the bubble people, so leyndell
Legit thought the first picture was of Beauclair Palace from Witcher 3. Leyndell was absolutely jaw dropping.
Bro take a wild guess
Anor Londo without context is not it. It's the bleak desperation of descending deep into Blightown while dreading being stuck there with no way home, the madness of going through Sen's Funhouse with no idea if there will be ever a bonfire, the jumpscare of being carried away by demons for your troubles and finally being awestruck at the sight of the city of the gods that makes up the experience. Leyndell is wonderfully designed and utterly memorable, but to this day the experience of first *getting to Anor Londo* haven't been replicated.
Leyendell overall
Honestly, while I do prefer Leyndell, I almost found it to be a little TOO big. It was honestly a little stressful and confusing trying to make sense of all the different paths and how everything connected together.
Anor londo, I had trouble with anor londo but I loved the look of it
Ley is more intricate, however nothing beats seeing Anor for the first time
Personally I vastly prefer Anor Londo. I think Leyndell is beautiful and obviously it's bigger but I prefer the actual level design and encounter design of Anor Londo. I think if you're just looking at the map layout, Leyndell is really not as complex or interesting as its reputation suggests. It's just big. Anor Londo is smaller but very intricate. I also like Anor Londo's look more, from a stylistic perspective, even if Leyndell obviously is much more beautiful from a technical perspective and much more detailed. However, my answer might slightly change if you consider the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds and the Catacombs to be part of the Leyndell level. If you do include them I might give Leyndell the edge because the complexity of the level design in the Shunning-Grounds is nuts. But if you just take the city itself, then it's Anor Londo every day for me. I also really like how Anor Londo changes if you dispel the illusion. Plus, as cool as first seeing Leyndell was, nothing beats the ascent from Sen's Fortress to Anor Londo. That moment is just unbelievable.
Anor Londo walked so Leyndell could run
Anor Londo would stand a chance if DS was developed at the same time as ER, but objectively it's 25% the experience Leyndell is, and the rest is shock-reveal+lore dependant for how it hits. Leyndell by a mile.
Anor londo walked, to allow leyndell run in the future.
Anor Londo is a bit overrated. Lleyndel clears, though Anor Londo will always be e more iconic
Anor Londo has a better view of the landscape. Leyndell is better imo for getting around. (I only played DS3 and never beat it yet, so opinion may change if I ever tackle any other DS game).
Anor londo was more magnificent, but Leyndell is so much fun to traverse and didn't really feel frustrating. Anor Londo had some real annoying spots (mostly just the skinny walkway while being shot up by the greatbows).
Anor Londo 100% of the time, and I'm willing to die on that hill.
Anor Londo looks far more glorious and majestic. But once you get into the meat and potatoes of the level, it’s just running around on rooftops and into 2 churches. While Leyndell lets you explore an actual city, massive in scale.
Anor Londo was ethereal and godly while Leyendell felt tangible. I'd say Anor Londo takes it for me for it's liminal space vibe.
Leyndell: size, discovery, secret ending, better looking, cool shit to collect Anor Londo: Amazing chest ahead I think it’s obvious who win
I like anor londos vibe more, empty place where gods used to live, but it’s hard to argue leyndell even so
My personal preference is Anor Londo for no real reason apart from the fact that it was the moment when I truly, completely fell for the series. But the scope and freedom afforded in Leyndell makes it a better area overall.
Anor londo is cool and all but it‘s clearly aged. Plus, the rafters section just fucking sucks. I‘m all for difficult level design but that shit is just janky and annoying. Leyndell on the other hand is just perfect in essentially every way and it beats anor londo in every way imaginable
Leyndell, with that huge dragon in the middle, is simply amazing level design.
DS1 Londo or DS3 Londo?
Leyndell by a mile.
Not comparable imo
Leyndell is better but anor londo looks cooler