This channel deserves so many more eyeballs. I know it has been many years since these games have been in the gamer zeitgeist, but as someone who is finally taking on DS2, this video is so much more helpful than any other DS2 content I’ve seen. So many guides are seemingly specific for original DS2 or SOTFS and almost never specify which. And additionally, so many guides assume you know the various paths by heart. Thank you for all of the care you put into these videos and excited to see what’s next
Heading over from the subreddit! Man, that's awesome stuff. Already loved the previous maps (and others as well). This video is hilarious. Keep it up, dude! Thanks for the efforts!
This is genuinely really cool. I love Dark Souls 2 and I draw fantasy maps, but they're always larger in scale than something like a Dark Souls setting where the locales are the interesting thing instead of geography and landforms, so I could never conceive of how to do my own map for DS2 properly. So watching this was eye-opening as well as really cool. Thank you! I'm going to check out the rest of your channel now. You do some amazing work.
They had so many different ways they could have tweaked it in Scholar after they'd heard the feedback, even options that wouldnt require any extra development. If it just faded to black or they added a single line of lore to an item somewhere that this was somehow a magic elevator or something ("Mytha forged it from iron gifted by her true love", yadda yadda, or "the iron remembers where it came from"... deepest lore), it would be far from the strangest area transition in the franchise.
Or used huge raven to transfer you from Earthen Peak to the peak of a huge mountain, where the Iron Keep apparently located. It was so easy and would explain everything.
i dont even need to see it to know its the best guide, and I just finished the game... man I really needed this guide earlier XD. thank you very much for doing these, can't imagine how time consuming it can be.
Jesus I miss this game. My best friend and I were so excited to see anything Dark Souls on TV. They ran advertisements on regular cable and we were like "oh my god its real!"
This is such a great video, it's the best way to figure out which content you've missed during a playthrough, and where to find it, and it is very visually appealing as opposed to just bland gameplay clips.
These illustrations actually help so much. I was running around like a headless chicken in the forest fortress and this is exactly what I needed. Subbed please make more of these.
Classic Tomb Raider and Dark Souls are some of my all-time favorite series, and I truly believe most of that is due to how much I love navigating intelligent map design. I really hope you keep this project going, these videos are some of the coolest shit I've seen on RUclips.
Really glad you point out how DS2 has even more variety in paths open to you from the start of the game than DS1. The world may be less interconnected but SoulsBourne games since DS2 have all trended towards being more linear, at least until Elden Ring. As for the Earthen Peak elevator, it frustrates me that if the devs had just gone for a dumb "fade to black" transition instead of a physical elevator the fans would all just assume some weird magic had happened and be okay with it. They'd even probably invent lore to make it fit. But by having a physical elevator this somehow totally breaks suspension of disbelief, like "if i can see the gears turning, that means there's no magic happening behind the scenes". This from the franchise where paintings can contain a world, falling asleep looking at a Dragon Eiree can teleport you there, random DLC shrines can teleport you to far-off lands, and really wanting a pendant can allow you to reach through time and space. None of these were established lore when they each happened for the first time, they were just last-ditch ways for the developers to transition between areas that didnt fit and players were happy to go "deepest lore" and move on.
Amazing maps and videos! Are you planning on doing Dark Souls 3. I'm nearly finished with that game and your videos are always delightful to watch afterwards!
@@VGCartography Amazing! I would be really interested to see your process of the drawing part. Are you using a grid? What does your notes look like to transpose the world of a game so well?
@@jslavoie01 you are in luck: www.patreon.com/posts/making-of-dark-109709210 (this is a free blog) at the end is a link to my drive folder with the DS3 map too. spoiler alert!
Well, im here 1 year after. I finished ds2, ds3, sekiro and elden ring right after i saw the first video (dark souls 1), this type of video is incredible, please, make ds3 too, in my next playthrough of these games i for sure will see these videos again, love from brazil ❤
Does anyone else think that Lucatiel is one of the best overall NPCs in the whole series? She is so appropriately helpful and tragic at the same time. I really feel for her.
9:35 That waist high ruble we cannot possibly pass, is to me a joke that most people did not get. Perhaps they should have made it ankle high. Or 50cm wide...because you cannot walk sideways. You are too broad shouldered, mate.
I had to search this because i just beaten the spiden And the roten boss And Now iam Fighting that DLC Dragon that breaks your weapons , looks like i skiped a little bit 😂
And I found it more enjoyable, since I am a fan of the King’s Field series and DS2 really feels like it was inspired by Shadow Tower and KF4:The Ancient City, even more than DS1 ever did tbh.
I really hope your channel takes off man. This stuff is so great.
really appreciate it!
Dark Souls 2's map was indeed a bit messy, but some areas are absolute eye candy.
Shrine of Amana
Undead Crypt (lit up)
Brume Tower
Shulva Sanctum City
The Old Chaos
Heide’s Tower of Flame
Undead Purgatory (from distance)
Dragon Aerie
..plenty of phenomenal individual locations, aesthetic-wise :)
The area were developed with great care, it's just when it came time to put everything together that they dropped the ball.
The game feels like exploring all those cities and kingdoms we read about in Dark Souls 1 items. It's pretty cool.
This channel deserves so many more eyeballs. I know it has been many years since these games have been in the gamer zeitgeist, but as someone who is finally taking on DS2, this video is so much more helpful than any other DS2 content I’ve seen.
So many guides are seemingly specific for original DS2 or SOTFS and almost never specify which. And additionally, so many guides assume you know the various paths by heart.
Thank you for all of the care you put into these videos and excited to see what’s next
thanks, that means a lot!
This is phenomenal content. It's only a matter of time before this channel blows up
the elevator to iron keep part lol Awesome work!
Heading over from the subreddit! Man, that's awesome stuff. Already loved the previous maps (and others as well). This video is hilarious. Keep it up, dude! Thanks for the efforts!
you're an absolute legend man, I've been eyeballing your maps for a while and had no idea you made videos as well!
You're weird
@@ramrodbldm9876 i think you meant to comment on a pro-trump video
This is genuinely really cool. I love Dark Souls 2 and I draw fantasy maps, but they're always larger in scale than something like a Dark Souls setting where the locales are the interesting thing instead of geography and landforms, so I could never conceive of how to do my own map for DS2 properly. So watching this was eye-opening as well as really cool. Thank you! I'm going to check out the rest of your channel now. You do some amazing work.
thanks much!
Holy shit youre underrated, honestly the amount of effort you have put into this is phenomenal l, 10/10!
thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I still don't understand why they just didn't flip elevator direction that leads to Iron Keep, especially in SoTFS.
They had so many different ways they could have tweaked it in Scholar after they'd heard the feedback, even options that wouldnt require any extra development. If it just faded to black or they added a single line of lore to an item somewhere that this was somehow a magic elevator or something ("Mytha forged it from iron gifted by her true love", yadda yadda, or "the iron remembers where it came from"... deepest lore), it would be far from the strangest area transition in the franchise.
@MikeHesk742 what they should have done is just had the destination as the immediate backdrop for the area
Or used huge raven to transfer you from Earthen Peak to the peak of a huge mountain, where the Iron Keep apparently located. It was so easy and would explain everything.
its been years since i played but i got to reminisce every area as you went through them and it brought back so many good memories
Bring the nostalgia. While playing you don't realize the whole size of everything. Great video.
This game is way bigger than I remember.
I thought the level up lady said: Bear seek seek lest
This is great stuff. I love the attention to detail but without unnecessary factoids that distract from the main point.
i dont even need to see it to know its the best guide, and I just finished the game... man I really needed this guide earlier XD. thank you very much for doing these, can't imagine how time consuming it can be.
thanks! it takes time but I also like studying my favorite games so closely for a bit
Jesus I miss this game. My best friend and I were so excited to see anything Dark Souls on TV. They ran advertisements on regular cable and we were like "oh my god its real!"
This is such a great video, it's the best way to figure out which content you've missed during a playthrough, and where to find it, and it is very visually appealing as opposed to just bland gameplay clips.
This video deserves both a like and comment! Ive been working at beating all the souls games and i continuously get lost in ds2, thank you for this
These illustrations actually help so much. I was running around like a headless chicken in the forest fortress and this is exactly what I needed. Subbed please make more of these.
Classic Tomb Raider and Dark Souls are some of my all-time favorite series, and I truly believe most of that is due to how much I love navigating intelligent map design.
I really hope you keep this project going, these videos are some of the coolest shit I've seen on RUclips.
thanks for that!
man i love to come back after i reach a "idk where tf to go moment" and get a glimpse for whats next.
Bless your kind soul. I always had struggled with understanding the areas in ds2
This is brilliant, entertaining and so well made. I love the illustrations and commentary. Thank you for your work, man!
thanks for the kind words!
Excellent illustrations!
So glad I've found your channel! Brilliant 👏
Really glad you point out how DS2 has even more variety in paths open to you from the start of the game than DS1. The world may be less interconnected but SoulsBourne games since DS2 have all trended towards being more linear, at least until Elden Ring.
As for the Earthen Peak elevator, it frustrates me that if the devs had just gone for a dumb "fade to black" transition instead of a physical elevator the fans would all just assume some weird magic had happened and be okay with it. They'd even probably invent lore to make it fit. But by having a physical elevator this somehow totally breaks suspension of disbelief, like "if i can see the gears turning, that means there's no magic happening behind the scenes". This from the franchise where paintings can contain a world, falling asleep looking at a Dragon Eiree can teleport you there, random DLC shrines can teleport you to far-off lands, and really wanting a pendant can allow you to reach through time and space. None of these were established lore when they each happened for the first time, they were just last-ditch ways for the developers to transition between areas that didnt fit and players were happy to go "deepest lore" and move on.
yeah I think my reaction was a half-second "huh." then stopped thinking about it
Dude this owns. Thank you for the effort this took. I surely appreciate it.
who gave Cale a RUclips channel
This must have been a ton of work. I saw your vid on DS1 a while back and only know i learn about this one. As i'm playing DS2. Thanks for your work!
10:52 what's that about the spiderwebs not being sticky? Is it an in joke in the community, or have you just never tried jumping while on them?
just that you can walk on them freely
Some suggestion, maybe you should put a little video on the corner showing the area while explaining
Your map videos are amazing! Great help for first journeys!
This is awesome stuff love the world layout of DS1 and 2
Fine, I’ll pick the game back up again 😂
making this project increased my appreciation for DS2 a lot!
4:15 My colorblind self always thought the Guardian Dragons were green lol, how funny!
Right down the road!
Best Souls 2
Man, you should have way more likes and followers!! These are just ✅💯
thanks much!
This is so good! I'd love to see this for Bloodborne :)
in the works!
8:22 😂 Every souls fan is shaking their head
So dang confusing. Just standing outside harvest valley and wondering where the elevator goes.😅
Keep up the awesome work. Your videos are phenomenal!
thanks for checking them out!
This is so helpful!
I wish this game came with a link to your video!
Surprised to see so few views on such an amazing video
Amazing maps and videos! Are you planning on doing Dark Souls 3. I'm nearly finished with that game and your videos are always delightful to watch afterwards!
thanks! just finished drawing ds3 and working on video now!
@@VGCartography Amazing! I would be really interested to see your process of the drawing part. Are you using a grid? What does your notes look like to transpose the world of a game so well?
@@jslavoie01 you are in luck: www.patreon.com/posts/making-of-dark-109709210 (this is a free blog) at the end is a link to my drive folder with the DS3 map too. spoiler alert!
Well, im here 1 year after. I finished ds2, ds3, sekiro and elden ring right after i saw the first video (dark souls 1), this type of video is incredible, please, make ds3 too, in my next playthrough of these games i for sure will see these videos again, love from brazil ❤
that's awesome! DS3 will happen 👍
@@VGCartography NICEEEE 🫶🏽
awesome video man.
thanks much!
Does anyone else think that Lucatiel is one of the best overall NPCs in the whole series? She is so appropriately helpful and tragic at the same time. I really feel for her.
Love the video format!
The last giant is not optional... You need the key he drops to progress to the battlements to fight pursuer and reach lost bastille.
Such a cool video. Might be my sign for another play though lol
Oooh, this is soooo good - well done! 😄
Lovely stuff once again. I won't forget to subscribe now so I won't miss DS3 :)
god DAMN this is quality content
9:35 That waist high ruble we cannot possibly pass, is to me a joke that most people did not get. Perhaps they should have made it ankle high. Or 50cm wide...because you cannot walk sideways. You are too broad shouldered, mate.
Ah yes "Barer seek seek lest" - the ancient words
amazing work! you make em, i watch em. 😊
You got shit luck in Yt exposure man. These ds map series are great
This was an amazing video
Will you do one for DS3? Loving this content :)
yep, working on drawing it currently!
amazing video! would love to see ds3!!!
Love this
Beatiful Work.
You have no idea how much i love you man
This is really pretty but a lot of the smaller details are a bit out of order. There may be some non-SotFS info mixed in.
1st stop: Heide, dodge the enemies, dodge cheese the boss = a great start.
A few tips and tricks in the mix of things betwixt? Oh man I'm on board
Best map design out of DS1,2,3 -> thats why i love it.
This is sooooo good
I'm currently in the iron keep on my first run, and why god am I not even half way through :D
Can you do ds3❤
that's the plan, but I'm slow.
Take your time! Good things are worth waiting for!
I had to search this because i just beaten the spiden And the roten boss And Now iam Fighting that DLC Dragon that breaks your weapons , looks like i skiped a little bit 😂
Wow ds2 is much bigger then the first one ha
And I found it more enjoyable, since I am a fan of the King’s Field series and DS2 really feels like it was inspired by Shadow Tower and KF4:The Ancient City, even more than DS1 ever did tbh.
Phenomenal!
yaaay no way was just watching the ds1 one...i got lucky today
I've been waiting for you to watch it so I could post this one!
Are you telling me a sinner made that rice?
Great video
Dar souls 3 map please!
comment for support
ds2 map > ds3 map
0:18 bars
Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, Demon Souls too please!
best!
Haiti's tower of flame
Waiting on the TR4 and TR5 still
seek seek lest
Uponst 😂
God Scholar of the First Sin was such a shitshow. The original is the true way!
Blatantly incorrect and you can look up a 1 to 1 comparison to prove that unequivocally
@@michaelcarroll5801 But that's just like, your opinion, man
@@Tracker947 good movie
8:20 lmao 10/10 delivery
3:40 you need to kill the last giant to open the door that leads to the pursuer
It's pronounced DRAN-LAY-ICK. Don't play video games without sound.
DRAN-LAY-ICK my balls