Soulsborne games boast some of the most immaculate and immersive universes in gaming, with structures and visuals that are simply breathtaking.
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However, every fan of FromSoftware’s creations agrees thateach installment has at least one painful area to navigate, especially on later playthroughs.
From swamps to hell itself, the developer has forced upon us some terrifying adventures over the years, scaring away our desire to come back.
So, coming from someone who has gone through all the Soulsborne games multiple times with aspirins in hand, here arethe ten most annoying areas in Soulsborne games,ranked.
10Dreg Heap
Between Angels and Despair
Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City
Recommended Level
Overall,Dark Souls 3is a wonderfulconclusionto the trilogy. Thanks in large part to its DLCs, the series' latest game is superb, although it has sensitive missteps.
So, whenever I playThe Ringed City, I can’t help but feel the annoyance of going throughDreg Heapagain. With its angels firing lasers from the skies and many ambushes, it’s tedious to even walk around.
Yet, the worst part comes when you reach Earthen Peak’s remains, where everything is filled with poison.Getting to the boss becomes an irritating odyssey where running without being shot to death is practically impossible.
The first time is an iconic area because the concept forces you to think differently and explore to figure out how to kill the angels, but every time after, it’s a pain of colossal proportions.
9Consecrated Snowfield
An Unnecessary Zone
Elden Ring
Contrary to a common opinion amongElden Ringplayers,I don’t think the game has been artificially lengthened, except when I remember the Consecrated Snowfield’s existence.
Between never being able to see anything, facing tons of repeated enemies, and having a very low density of engaging activities, this is an area that feels unnecessary.
It’s important because it connects to Miquella’s Haligtree,but it doesn’t add anything to the experience beyond serving as a bridge to the secret area.
Consecrated Snowfield certainly has interesting items and encounters, but for an end-game level insideone of the best RPGs, it leaves a lot to be desired and feels like it was hastily thrown in.
8Black Gulch
The Less Inspired Poison Area
Dark Souls 2
Dark Souls 2is known for having some of the worst zones FromSoftware has ever made, and I think we can all agreeBlack Gulchis one of them.
While I believe it’s an interesting approach to a poison zone, I’m glad it’s so short to complete, as nothing it presents feels satisfying or rewarding.
Visibility is poor,the poison-spewing statues are nearly impassable, andthe level design is confusing. If it weren’t as short as it is, it would probably be a lot higher up on the list.
Barring the presence of Lucatiel of Mirrah and the incredible aesthetics, Black Gulch is the perfect zone to run to the boss and forget you ever went there.
7Farron Keep
A Challenge of Patience
Dark Souls 3
Continuing with the poison areas that can become a real challenge to your patience,Dark Souls 3’sFarron Keepis one of the most prominent.
Having the highest amount of poison per square inch of all Soulsborne areas, traversing it takes too much time, since you have to explore it fully to be able to advance toward the boss.
Theenemies' difficultyincreases considerably due to the impossibility of running and rolling freely, so you have to approach a careful play style that slows down the experience even more.
While I don’t like to go through the levels like a bullet, sinceI much prefer to explore incisively, being so limited in how to play is what I dislike most about Farron Keep.
6Lost Izalith
An Unfinished Corridor
Dark Souls
The feeling thatDark Soulsrushed its development for the game’s second half is unavoidable, and the biggest demonstration isLost Izalith.
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Being a long hallway with zero points of interest, repeated and oddly placed enemies, and industrial amounts of lava that aim to blind you,it feels like a very out-of-place area.
Considering how masterfully the level design is done before you reach it, it’s a significant crack in the experience, as if it belonged to a different title.
Besides, Lost Izalith’s boss is the most annoying in the game. Pair that with the absence of interesting things to do, andit’s by far the most disappointing area inDark Souls.
5Valley of Defilement
The Original Infamous Swamp
Demon’s Souls
FromSoftware’s fixation on creating swampy levels is world-famous, though not everyone knowsDemon’s Soulsstarted the trend withValley of Defilement.
To say it’s the most annoying poison area the developer has ever created wouldn’t be too far-fetched, as it feels like they learned from it and toned down the intensity for later installments.
While some rings and spells can ease your way through this brown hellhole, it’s awful from start to finish, with virtually nothing I like to remember about the experience it offers.
There’s no such thing as a memorable swamp in Soulsborne games, butValley of Defilement takes the cake as the most infamous of such an unfortunate breed.
4Forbidden Woods
Speedrun Test
Bloodborne
Bloodbornehas one of the most polished Soulsborne level designs, which would be downright perfect if it weren’t for theForbidden Woods.
Far from the usual neatness and elegance of its areas, this open space is filled with all the worst aspects the game has to offer, including its enemies and spatial layout.
Getting lost while being chased by amalgams of giant snakes is not pleasant in any sense, and unfortunately,being lost is the common state you find yourself in while traversing the zone.
Because of the annoying enemies, the unintuitive layout, and especially the long distances you have to travel if you don’t find the hidden shortcuts,Forbidden Woods is the only stain on an otherwise immaculate world.
3Shrine of Amana
Beautifully Frustrating
The first time I played throughDark Souls 2, I had a build where bows were essential. As such, my first experience withShrine of Amanawas a walk in the park, so I never understood all the hate it received.
However, in subsequent playthroughs, I decided to skip using ranged weapons, andthe general disdain for the area made perfect sense as I saw the sheer scale of its bad composition.
After falling off invisible edges, being chased by dozens of enemies while they shot magic at me from all sides, and having my movement slowed by the tremendous amount of water,I realized it was a never-ending nightmare.
It’s one of the most beautiful areas FromSoftware has ever created, but the artificiality of its difficulty is so high thatI find it difficult to enjoy it if I don’t have 999 arrows on my side.
2Tomb of the Giants
Empty and Unsatisfying
Like Lost Izalith,Tomb of the Giantsis the clearest indictment ofDark Soulslosing a lot of quality as the campaign progresses.
Although it may initially seem very interesting due to the change in atmosphere and pace,it’s a cheap trick to hide the fact that the area is practically empty.
The variety of enemies is limited, the level architecture is frustrating and confusing, and the runback to reach the area’s boss is one of the deadliest in Soulsborne history.
As with many similar areas, it’s striking for the first time. However, when the concept no longer feels novel but annoying, few areas feel as unsatisfying and overwhelming asTomb of the Giants.
1Frigid Outskirts
Unbearable Suffering
As I’ve said before, I loveDark Souls 2, and I can even see it assuperior toDark Souls 3, but few things in this life generate as much hatred in me asFrigid Outskirts.
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I’d say going through that area is the only time I’ve felt a genuine dislike for FromSoftware. It’s total nonsense from start to finish, even in its nature as a multiplayer site.
The length of the blinding blizzards, the tedious and unnoticed enemy attacks, the vast and confusing space, and the terrible repeatedbossesare enough to make itthe only area I’ve gone through once in my life.
I knowDark Souls 2has countless problems, but I’ve always tried to see the positive in it. However, that doesn’t include Frigid Outskirts,the worst-designed and most annoying area in all Soulsborne games.
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