What's the most impressive map you've ever played?

I read back through the thread and saw it's Dark Souls.
I need to play it now! 😲
You never played the OG Dark Souls? Dude go do that, it's the best map design of any souls game.

Second half of the game has a few weaker areas but still, the world is amazingly interconnected. They've never been able to pull it of again... well maybe Bloodborne gets close, but still, Dark Souls is the king of From's level design.
 
On a single level basis, I think I might give it to Castle Strangerock from Xanadu Next. It's a traditional labyrinth built with looping shortcuts, but what really makes it impressive is its size and scope. So many stairwells and passageways layer over each other to and fro different floors in the castle. The game gives you a map, but it's a very diagetic one - that is, it's a 'real' map the player character would have that just shows a sketched, bird's eye view of the structure. Ineffective as a do-it-all map from modern games but just enough to help you piece together where everything is in the castle once you've been through the same corridor the sixth time. Fantastic time. --- Good game, btw. It's proto, isometric Dark Souls!

If we're talking world maps like in old JRPGs, then there's just no question. The absolute king is Final Fantasy V. The 'why' is one of those things that can't be discussed without spoiling one of the best twists in the game. I love that the final world map is just a smushed together version of the prior two maps. I'm sure the devs just worked backwards from the final version of the map when designing the first two, and the general form of world maps just being something that players don't dwell on on is a simple enough veil to hide the trick, but w/e, man. Exploring the combined world, with all the doors unlocked so to speak, is so exciting!
 
You never played the OG Dark Souls? Dude go do that, it's the best map design of any souls game.

Second half of the game has a few weaker areas but still, the world is amazingly interconnected. They've never been able to pull it of again... well maybe Bloodborne gets close, but still, Dark Souls is the king of From's level design.
I really think that giving players the ability to teleport right from the beginning is what ruined the level design. They don't need to create clever shortcuts and such anymore, and even if you do find a shortcut, it really doesn't feel the same, it's not rewarding, it just feels useless.
Remember that elevator from the church that brought you back to firelink shrine? You never get that feeling again in later games.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom