Soulsborne games are some of the most challenging games ever made, with frustrating difficulty boss battles and small margins for error. With a general sense of bleakness present in the majority of the games, there is often little time for players to take a breath and truly take in their surroundings.
In many of the Soulsborne games and their depressing worlds and lore, there are locations of immense beauty, often portrayed through a gothic or medieval architectural design or gravitation towards earthly and natural environments like beaches and water.
8 Lothric Castle (Dark Souls 3)
Lothric Castle is a key area in Dark Souls 3 that players will find themselves making their way through at various points throughout the narrative of the game. The castle itself is a wonder to navigate, with enormous ramparts that present gorgeous landscapes and panoramic views, and at the castle's peak lies a test of great strength, the Twin Princes, Lothric, and Lorian.
Players will feel a sense of unease as they explore Lothric Castle's long halls and vast corridors, forcing themselves to fight through dangerous enemy knights that can catch them off guard with vicious and unpredictable attacks. The castle is a marvel that remains in a highly commendable state, serving as the last bastion in a dying world.
7 Miquella's Haligtree (Elden Ring)
With an area that leads to one of the toughest boss fights in all of Soulsborne, Miquella's Haligtree can be initially confusing to navigate. This Elden Ring location starts at the peak of the tree, and forces players to make a descent, players can easily fall off the tree's thick branches, or be knocked off by one of its many aggressive creatures, which can make traversing down the tree frustrating and difficult, even with the ability to jump and roll.
The Haligtree itself is a spectacle, a huge, towering landmark that makes the player feel minuscule in comparison. The battle with Malenia at the base of the tree makes the arduous journey down almost seem worthwhile, providing players have the strength and willpower to take her down.
6 Fountainhead Palace (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice)
After a pretty tough boss fights with the True Monk and its three phases, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice players are welcomed to the beautiful, partially submerged Fountainhead Palace. Progressing through this area feels very rewarding, swinging from gorgeous Sakura trees into old abandoned ruins as players make their way toward the palace itself.
With a large lake that houses the Great Colored Carp and a palace of royal opulence, Fountainhead has an array of smaller areas for Sekiro to explore, with plenty of challenging enemies and obstacles to take on along the way.
5 Forsaken Cainhurst Castle (Bloodborne)
Forsaken Cainhurst Castle is an architectural wonder in Bloodborne, housed at the peak of a snowy mountain, a shadow of its once-former glory. The once glorious Vilebloods were slaughtered in its corridors, leaving behind the spirits and apparitions that continue to roam the castle.
Players feel everlasting despair as they roam, feeling a sense of dread as they traverse through a place that once held power and thrived. It is a place where beauty and horror intertwine, encouraging players to take a step inside and unravel the enigmas that lie within.
4 Anor Londo (Dark Souls)
There are few places in Soulsborne as iconic as Anor Londo. This location is so iconic it appeared in both Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3. Anor Londo is a flawless replication of an intricate and majestic design of immense detail. Anor Londo also harbors an iconic boss battle that is not-so-easy, the powerful duo of Ornstein and Smough. It is here that players feel a dramatic spike in difficulty from the previous areas in the game, having to prove their might in a battle that can be extremely frustrating.
The location presents itself under a dimly lit sun, an illusion fabricated by Gwyndolin to restore the Age Of Fire under the guise of the beloved princess Gwynevere. Deciding to kill Gwyndolin after obtaining the Darkmoon Seance Ring will lift the illusion for good, eliminating the false sense of sunlight and shrouding the city of Anor Londo in eternal and hopeless darkness.
3 Majula (Dark Souls 2)
Few can remember the serenity Majula captures with its picturesque views. Seated on the edge of a sheer cliff face and its crashing waves, players stepping into Majula for the first time will be able to experience a beauty quite unlike any of the other starting hub areas in any Soulsborne games.
As players will return to Majula frequently to level up, it becomes a place they can get well accustomed to, free from the lengthy dangers that lurk in every other part of the world. With a delicate, chiming theme, players can feel almost at home as they explore the tranquility of Majula.
2 Leyndell (Elden Ring)
Arriving in Leyndell for the first time is a memory that ranks pretty high in the vast and wonderful world of Elden Ring. Leyndell is as glorious as it is beautiful, with winding alleyways and perfectly designed architecture that gives the city the feeling of royalness that it effortlessly portrays.
With the hulking Erdtree present beside the base of Leyndell, players entering the legendary city for the first time can witness its beauty up close, and finally see the Erdtree in all its glory. Leyndell features an ever-present color of golden-yellow, found among many buildings in the city, leading players to further grasp the idea that this was once a prosperous, wealthy city that flourished.
1 Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley (Dark Souls 3)
After beating Wolnir, players move along to a universally beloved area, Irithyll Of The Boreal Valley. Arriving here is a spectacle that can stop players dead in their tracks for the very first time, and they will even find themselves looking up in awe on further playthroughs.
The incredibly grand, gothic architecture immediately provides the city with a high level of status, and what makes the arrival to Irithyll poignant, is the juxtaposition with the entire previous area, The Catacombs of Carthus. Players successfully escaping the catacombs can feel relieved to finally be free of the underground hell zone and its skeletal enemies, welcome to take in the beauty that is Irithyll. The location itself is a dangerous one, filled with Pontiff Knights that can easily overwhelm the player. It is a fitting location for one of the hardest boss fights in the entire game, and players will relish in Irithyll's beauty as they ascend through its streets to face him.