A player who first experienced Elden Ring recently switched to Dark Souls: Remastered, believing that the latter's interconnected (linear) world delivers more exploration surprises. Although the title is older, Lordran's structure, looping routes, and layered spaces changed his perspective on open-world design.
This player purchased the Nintendo Switch version of Dark Souls: Remastered two weeks ago, making it the second FromSoftware game he played after Elden Ring. From the character creation stage onward, the menu design, music, armor clanking sounds, and the weighty feel of rolling left a strong impression on him.
The key difference in the sense of exploration between the two titles lies in when fast travel becomes available. In Dark Souls, teleportation is only unlocked midway through the journey after obtaining the Lordvessel, meaning players must memorize area locations and their interconnecting routes during the first half, deepening their understanding of the entire world through continuous traversal on foot.
Firelink Shrine is not merely a hub for fast travel, but a nexus connecting multiple paths. When players discover an elevator or open a door in unfamiliar areas, they often unexpectedly return to places they passed through hours earlier. Since the world's boundaries cannot be predicted in advance, every descent underground or ascent to higher ground may reveal new spatial relationships.
This vertical structure also adds pressure to exploration. Venturing into Blighttown means dealing with poison swamps and insufficient antidotes; after completing battles, if the key to New Londo Ruins has not been found, players must retrace their steps upward. The cycle of arduous penetration, discovering shortcuts, and returning to familiar locations constitutes the complete exploration experience.
In contrast, Elden Ring clearly offers a vast open world from the very beginning, with the map scale itself no longer a secret. This player believes that the Lands Between therefore struggle to replicate Lordran's effect of constantly subverting spatial expectations. Nevertheless, Stormveil Castle, Leyndell, Royal Capital, and Shadow Keep in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree continue similar designs through their dense pathways and vertical connections.