Over the course of the last decade or so, FromSoftware has delivered an array of iconic gaming locations, fromDark Souls' majestic Anor Londo toSekiro’s Ashina Castle. Theseiconic FromSoftware locationsnot only impressed fans with their stunning environmental design and art direction but with their level design as well, often being home to a set of unique enemies, a handful of bosses, and a wealth of secrets. Now,Elden Ringhas more than its fair share of iconic locales.
Packing a punch right out of the gate,Elden Ring’s Limgrave gives fans a perfect introduction to the type of open-world experience they’re in for, with plenty of tough bosses, hidden dungeons, and multiple routes to explore. Stormveil Castle, Nokron, Crumbling Farum Azula, and Leyndell also join Limgrave as some of the most iconic locales in FromSoftware history, and the recently releasedElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreehas another handful of areas that belong on that list, including one area that seems to borrow a few key elements fromDark Souls' New Londo Ruins.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s Shadow Keep Takes the Best Parts of Dark Souls' New Londo Ruins
Technically accessible from the moment players first get to Firelink Shrine,Dark Souls' New Londo Ruinsis best tackled around the halfway mark due to its intimidating enemies and maze-like level design. From a visual design standpoint, New Londo Ruins is one ofDark Souls' most intriguing areas. In an attempt to hold the growing Abyss at bay,Dark Souls' godly rulers decided to flood the town of New Londo, killing the citizens that lived there and transforming them into vengeful ghostly spirits.
By the time players arrive in New Londo Ruins, only a handful of buildings are left standing, and they’re all overrun with these spirits. Players need to carefully platform their way through this crumbling flooded city, avoiding every ghost along the way. They’ll eventually find a mechanism that drains the town of its water, an act that opens up new areas, spawns new enemies, and allows the player to progress.
In theory,Dark Souls' New Londo Ruins is an interesting variation on the game’s other labyrinthine areas, encouraging players to explore the area thoroughly. But in practice, New Londo quickly becomes one ofDark Souls' most frustrating locations, with players only being able to hit the town’s ghostly enemies after using a rare Transient Curse item. Plus, thanks toDark Souls' somewhat dated movement mechanics, platforming across the flooded city is no easy task.
The Shadow Keep’s Church District Feels Like an Evolution of New Londo Ruins
There are quite a few areas inElden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree that feel like evolutions of past FromSoftware areas, and the DLC’s Shadow Keep is certainly one, with its Church District seemingly taking quite a bit of inspiration fromDark Souls' New Londo Ruins. Upon first arriving in theShadow Keep’s Church District, players will immediately notice that the area is flooded with water and that only a few rooftops can be seen poking out of the surface.
Players are required to carefully platform their way across these rooftops, just as they did years ago in New Londo, though here it feels drastically better due toElden Ring’s dedicated jump mechanic.
After a little while, players will find a mechanism that drains the water from the area, which again, like New Londo, opens some new routes, spawns some new enemies, and uncovers some new items. A key improvement here, however, is that the Shadow Keep’s enemies are much less annoying to fight thanNew Londo’s ghosts, with players at least being able to hit them without needing to use a special item first.
