10 Most Annoying Areas In Soulsborne Games, Ranked

Soulsborne games boast some of the most immaculate and immersive universes in gaming, with structures and visuals that are simply breathtaking.

However, every fan of FromSoftware’s creations agrees that each 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 are the ten most annoying areas in Soulsborne games, ranked.

10 Dreg Heap

Between Angels and Despair

Overall, Dark Souls 3 is a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy. Thanks in large part to its DLCs, the series’ latest game is superb, although it has sensitive missteps.

So, whenever I play The Ringed City, I can’t help but feel the annoyance of going through Dreg Heap again. 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.

9 Consecrated Snowfield

An Unnecessary Zone

Contrary to a common opinion among Elden Ring players, 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 inside one of the best RPGs, it leaves a lot to be desired and feels like it was hastily thrown in.

8 Black Gulch

The Less Inspired Poison Area

Dark Souls 2 is known for having some of the worst zones FromSoftware has ever made, and I think we can all agree Black Gulch is 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, and the 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.

7 Farron Keep

A Challenge of Patience

Continuing with the poison areas that can become a real challenge to your patience, Dark Souls 3‘s Farron Keep is 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.

The enemies’ difficulty increases 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, since I much prefer to explore incisively, being so limited in how to play is what I dislike most about Farron Keep.

6 Lost Izalith

An Unfinished Corridor

The feeling that Dark Souls rushed its development for the game’s second half is unavoidable, and the biggest demonstration is Lost Izalith.

Related

10 Most Annoying Boss Runs In Soulsborne Games

Sometimes, the boss battle isn’t the thing we dread most

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, and it’s by far the most disappointing area in Dark Souls.

5 Valley of Defilement

The Original Infamous Swamp

FromSoftware’s fixation on creating swampy levels is world-famous, though not everyone knows Demon’s Souls started the trend with Valley 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, but Valley of Defilement takes the cake as the most infamous of such an unfortunate breed.

4 Forbidden Woods

Speedrun Test

Bloodborne has one of the most polished Soulsborne level designs, which would be downright perfect if it weren’t for the Forbidden 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.

3 Shrine of Amana

Beautifully Frustrating

The first time I played through Dark Souls 2, I had a build where bows were essential. As such, my first experience with Shrine of Amana was 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, and the 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 that I find it difficult to enjoy it if I don’t have 999 arrows on my side.

2 Tomb of the Giants

Empty and Unsatisfying

Like Lost Izalith, Tomb of the Giants is the clearest indictment of Dark Souls losing 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 as Tomb of the Giants.

1 Frigid Outskirts

Unbearable Suffering

As I’ve said before, I love Dark Souls 2, and I can even see it as superior to Dark Souls 3, but few things in this life generate as much hatred in me as Frigid Outskirts.

Related

Every Soulsborne Co-op Experience, Ranked

FromSoftware’s games have provided some of the most memorable cooperative experiences in gaming.

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 repeated bosses are enough to make it the only area I’ve gone through once in my life.

I know Dark Souls 2 has 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.

Next

10 Easiest Soulsborne Bosses, Ranked

FromSoftware games go from challenging to downright condescending with these absurdly simple fights.