Summary
There are many things separating theDark Soulstrilogy and its relatives from the rest of the action RPG genre, but one thing Soulslikes have in common with more traditional fantasy games isthe presence of dungeons. These imposing structures offer tricks, traps, and treasures for intrepid players, and most come with a boss fight at the very end.
While the boss fights themselves tend to be the most memorable part of the Soulslike formula, the dungeons these games present can be no less special for fans. Here are ten ofthe best dungeons the Soulslike genre has to offer.
ThelegendaryAnor Londo, the capital of Gwyn’s failing empire, serves as the player’s main goal throughout the first half ofDark Souls.Any player who made it that far will surely remember their triumphant arrival, borne in the claws of strange demons, as the gorgeous, sun-soaked spires of the iconic city appear before them.
The spires of Anor Londo are home to some of the most extreme challenges the game has to offer. Particularly notorious is the flying buttress challenge, where players must scale the walls of the central cathedral while imposing armored knights fire massive arrows at them. Players who make it past this challenge can discover the legendary armor of Havel the Rock, take on the iconic Ornstein and Smough, and possibly even discover the dark secret of the entire city.
The sinister and massiveCathedral of the Deeplurks near the Road of Sacrifices. As the name suggests, it is intricately connected with the Deep, a corruption of the grim Abyss that has been encroaching on the trilogy since before the very first game. This corruption is reflected all too well in the maggot men patrolling the grounds, the twisted and monstrous clergymen, and the fetid bog that has stagnated at the bottom of the Cathedral itself.
In exploring the Cathedral, players will have to venture through hallways, chapels, and even the very rafters of the church. The scale of this place of worship is impossible to avoid, and while theboss fight against the Deacons of the Deepis rather easy by Soulslike standards, their fighting style is still evocative of the eldritch force puppeteering this once-noble congregation.
The infamousHaligtreeis a secret dungeon far to the north of the rest ofElden Ring’smap. It was created by Miquella in a failed attempt to replicate the grace of the Erdtree, and now, despite its sickly nature, it still provides shelter and comfort for Miquella’s followers and soldiers. Elphael, the fortress structure reinforcing the base of the tree, is full of dangerous adherents and powerful Erdtree Avatars.
This massive dungeon winds from the uppermost branches of the legendary tree down deep into its roots, where players can find none other than the legendary Malenia. Miquella’s beloved sister is wasting away from the Scarlet Rot, but she’s still strong enough to present one of the toughest boss fights in the game, or any Soulslike for that matter.
When it comes to Soulslike DLC,Dark Souls 2has some of the most impressive level designs on the market. TheCrown of the Old Iron Kingexpansion takes place more or less entirely insideBrume Tower, an immense ruined tower full to the brim with massive machinery. Players must manipulate lifts, pulleys, levers, and gears in order to navigate this mechanical fortress.
In order to make it all the way to the bottom of Brume Tower, players must bring this intricate machinery back to life, and navigate some of the hardest enemy encounters in the game in the process. TheOld Iron Kingexpansion requires tactics, reflexes, and clever thinking to progress, and it’s all capped off with the Fume Knight,one ofDark Souls 2’s hardest bosses.
6Sen’s Fortress (Dark Souls)
A Serpentine Slaughterhouse
Sen’s Fortressis often compared to the infamous Blighttown in terms of difficulty, and for good reason. Not only is this dungeon crawling with snake men, who can knock players off ledges with a well-placed lightning bolt, but it’s also full of tricks and traps hidden around every corner. Swinging blades, spike pits, dart traps, and a massive rolling boulder mechanism are all lying in wait to slaughter unwary adventurers. To make matters worse, the fortress is also home tothe game’s very first mimic.
Sen’s Fortress may be brutal, but the upshot of this brutality is that it forces players to think carefully as they traverse the dungeon’s darkened halls. This dungeon requires a keen mind and sharp reflexes, and players who take it seriously are rewarded with one of the most compelling challenges in the game.
5Drangleic Castle (Dark Souls 2)
The Center Of A Shattered Kingdom
As the name implies,Drangleic Castleis the seat of power for the nation of Drangleic, a seat which King Vendrick abandoned as the Hollowing curse consumed his people. While the player must pursue him and experience the war that destroyed his kingdom before they can return and sit on the throne, their first visit to Drangleic Castle will likely remain a memorable one.
This castle is full of imposing stone enemies and creatures. Killing a foe near a stone golem will cause it to absorb the foe’s souls and activate, opening doors throughout the kingdom. Tricks like these line the halls of Drangleic Castle, and players will have to be very careful about where they kill an enemy and which door they open.
Once players have discovered the true nature of the horror that has gripped Yharnam, they must transcend the reality they know to confront the nightmare directly. This brings them to the Nightmare of Mensis, and toMergo’s Loft, a massive, twisted structure that defies reality. This building is full of abominations and twisted humans, driven mad by their proximity to the elder beings responsible for the nightmare. Chief among these is Micolash, leader of the school of Mensis and host of the nightmare, a madman who leads the hunter on a merry chase through the twisted halls of his fevered dream.
The player must ascend the entirety of this sinister structure to reach the lunarium at its peak. There, the infant Great One, Mergo, slumbers invisibly in its crib, watched over by a phantasmal wet nurse. This unseeable eldritch being could be the final boss depending on players' choices, and facing this elder god at the top of a decaying nightmare isa very fitting endto the hunter’s trials.
3Catacombs Of Carthus (Dark Souls 3)
Digging Through The Dead
Skeletons are a truly ubiquitous enemy in theDark Soulstrilogy. These iconic fantasy foes have a penchant for surprising acrobatics and spontaneous resurrection that makes them something of a charming nuisance for many players.The Catacombs of CarthusinDark Souls 3is perhaps the quintessential skeleton dungeon for fans of the undead.
These dark burial halls are full of skeletons, armed with a wide array of weaponry, spells, and startling leaps. One of the most memorable features of this dungeon is the massive ball of skeletons which constantly rumbles through the catacomb halls, crushing anyone and anything in its path. Guided by sinister skeleton mages, these balls will orient themselves to run down players, and they make for a truly unforgettable encounter.
Shadow Keepis a hard landmark to miss, dominating the landscape of the Realm of Shadow just as much as the Scadutree itself. The act of braving this massive citadel more than lives up to the anticipation that builds as players see it looming large on the horizon. Shadow Keep grants access to several major locations on the map, making playersreturn to this grim fortress again and againif they want to thoroughly explore the DLC.
Arguably the most memorable part of Shadow Keep is the Specimen Chamber. This large and labyrinthine hall reduces some of the game’s most remarkable creatures to taxidermied corpses, carelessly strewn about and suspended from the ceiling. This cold and analytical take reflects the dispassionate outlook of the keep’s lord, Messmer, a bitter and morose figure responsible for some of the worst atrocities in the game.
1Research Hall (Bloodborne: The Old Hunters DLC)
The Truth About The Healing Church
Bloodborne’sOld HuntersDLCdeconstructs some of the most important figures and factions in Yharnam, trapping them in a twisted nightmare realm where their flaws and faults are laid bare. TheResearch Hallrepresents the greatest crimes of the Healing Church, trapping innocent victims and subjecting them to horrific experiments to achieve a closer link to the divine.
The dungeon itself is a towering complex of endless experiment chambers, accessed by a massive, shifting spiral staircase. In order to progress, players must reach the very top of the facility and ascend to the rafters, where they can access an immense mechanism and lift the staircase up, completely changing the layout of the dungeon. Once this is done, players can access the Living Failures, then take on the infamous Lady Maria.
