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[super-famicom]

One of the great things in the Soulsborne games are the various shortcuts that connect different areas to each other. Oftentimes they lead back to previous bonfires or lanterns, making future runs through an area much easier. What are some of the best ones in your opinion?

My vote goes to the Forbidden Woods poison cave leading back to Iosefka's Clinic (the very start of the game!) Lore wise, this has some amazing implications for fake Iosefka and what's going on in Yharnam.

Another one I like is in Dark Souls. Simply opening the front door of the main hall in Anor Londo allows you to bypass the side path with the archers. When I opened that door the first time I was super relieved.

Edit: No Dark Souls 3 spoilers please! I know someone you are playingthe Japanese version or on the Xbox One now, but the ray of us are still waiting for the western release!

 

[Timeaisis]

Forbidden Woods: The Thread. Just the whole area is so damn well designed. One of the best designed areas ever, really.

 

[freenudemacusers]

Demons souls, 4-1. Rolling trick to jump the far tower wall and skip 80% of the map. Even better as a black phantom cuz you could gods wrath people off the cliff as they enter the last fog gate. 🙌🏻

 

[super-famicom]

Demons souls, 4-1. Rolling trick to jump the far tower wall and skip 80% of the map. Even better as a black phantom cuz you cooks gods wrath people off the cliff as they enter the last fog gate. 🙌🏻

This is a good one. I used to fear those golden skeletons so much.

 

[Corpekata]

It's hard to beat most of the ones that lead back into Firelink Shrine. It was always an enormous relief and given that half the game has no fast travel compared to the rest of the series, unlocking each one was an enormous boost to saving time as well as being able to visit the various resources you had unlocked.

 

[PeregrinSe7en]

Forbidden Woods: The Thread. Just the whole area is so damn well designed. One of the best designed areas ever, really.

first post wins it

i agree. the way it interconnects to the beginning of the game and other areas is great game design

 

[HK-47]

Clearly the ladder shortcut in Undead Burg.

 

[Lingitiz]

Everything leading back to Firelink Shrine in Dark Souls 1 was an incredible feeling. Coming back there had a lot of value since you couldn't fast travel early in the game.

 

[sappyday]

My favorite in each game

Bloodborne - Central Yarnham gate that leads to Cleric Beast/Sewers/FG
Dark Souls - Firelink Shrine elevator that leads to Undead Parish Church
Dark Souls 2 - Can't remember
Demon's Souls - 3-2 when the big heart falls into the pit leaving the stairs to the boss open.

 

[punkmaggit]

I absolutely ADORE 1-1 on Demon's Souls. The level is designed so that you unlock a straight shot to the boss from the beginning of the stage! Not to mention the god-tier atmosphere.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

The shortcut from the church area to the firelink shrine with the elevator was amazing for me.

 

[Bumbletron]

Edit: No Dark Souls 3 spoilers please! I know someone you are playingthe Japanese version or on the Xbox One now, but the ray of us are still waiting for the western release!

I clicked on this thread to see the discussion inside, then realized that every post in any souls thread is a potential spoiler for three (especially since there are always those that don't read the full OP). I've avoided everything - even the trailers, so I had best avoid this thread. I'll be back in three weeks. But until then, for all I know, every single one of you mothers are Patches.

 

[super-famicom]

I clicked on this thread to see the discussion inside, then realized that every post in any souls thread is a potential spoiler for three (especially since there are always those that don't read the full OP). I've avoided everything - even the trailers, so I had best avoid this thread. I'll be back in three weeks. But until then, for all I know, every single one of you mothers are Patches.

Ah, I hadn't thought that some posters usually don't read the OP. Can a mod add (No DS3 spoilers) to the title?

 

[The Xtortionist]

Demon's - The first shortcut in 1-1 - the point where the player should say "Ohhhh, so this is how the game works!". Also, the 2-1 shortcut, since it unlocks Blacksmith Ed at the same time.

Dark 1 - Ladder from dragon bridge to Undead Burg bonfire, Undead Parish to Firelink, Blighttown to Valley of Drakes, Sen's Fortress cage elevator.

Dark 2 - uhhhh...the...ummm...Huntsman's Copse tree kick thing...?

Bloodborne - Forbidden Woods to Iosefka's Clinic obviously, but I also love the first shortcut in Hunter's Nightmare, since it subverts the player's expectation of where those doors lead to.

 

[Mozz-eyes]

Elevator from firelink shrine to the church in dark Souls 1 is the best by far.

 

[mrmickfran]

The one in Valley of Drakes that allows me to skip Blighttown.

 

[mindsale]

Dark Souls 2 did these shortcuts and new access points extremely poorly, so definitely nothing from that game.

 

[FF Seraphim]

The one in Valley of Drakes that allows me to skip Blighttown.

Was going to type this: Always played with the Master Key gift just so I could skip blighttown after finding out what the hell that key did. Of course my first play through I went through Btown... Never again I say!

 

[NightShift]

The one that connected the forbidden woods to Iosefka's clinic blew my fucking mind.

 

[Orochinagis]

Dark Souls 1, mostly every zone. except the catacombs, I hate you catacombs

 

[super-famicom]

Dark Souls 1, mostly every zone. except the catacombs, I hate you catacombs

Jumping to ledges and falling down certain spots lets you skip the catacombs and head straight to Pinwheel. You don't have to flip the bridge over at all.

 

[Mets9]

The undead burg skip in DS, although it's not a completely legit one

 

[Fhtagn]

Was going to type this: Always played with the Master Key gift just so I could skip blighttown after finding out what the hell that key did. Of course my first play through I went through Btown... Never again I say!

But Upper Blighttown is the best area of any souls game!

 

[mrmickfran]

Jumping to ledges and falling down certain spots lets you skip the catacombs and head straight to Pinwheel. You don't have to flip the bridge over at all.

I just looked this up. Holy hell, this'll make NG+ SO much more manageable.

 

[psylah]

I love this skip, it's tough to get right but really satisfying when you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTsq8HlMTCA

 

[Orniletter]

Forbidden Woods: The Thread. Just the whole area is so damn well designed. One of the best designed areas ever, really.

The forbidden woods are my least favourite area in all Souls games.
It's designed confusingly, everything looks the same, the enemies are annoying (the op snake villagers, yikes) and to top it off, the area boss is DS2 sentinels 2.0.
I really don't like it.

My favourite is probably Boletaria 1-1 in DeS. It might not be the best, but it had the biggest impact on me.

The one in Valley of Drakes that allows me to skip Blighttown.

Why would you skip the best area in the game ?

 

[Transistor]

Defeating Darkbeast Paarl in Bloodborne only to find out his gate leads to Old Yarnham blew my fucking mind.

I love this skip, it's tough to get right but really satisfying when you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTsq8HlMTCA

This one was the first time I ever saw how amazingly interconnected Dark Souls was.

 

[Rymuth]

+1 vote Firelink shrine shortcut. I love that damn thing so much.

 

[Pookmunki]

Climbing into a tree trunk in the world's garbage dump, descending branches and avoiding hostile mushroom people and then emerging olat the bottom to an underground lake, complete with a hydra and friendly dragon is pretty impossible to beat.

So yeah, Blighttown to Ash Lake for me.

 

[ElFly]

Kicking that fucking staircase down in undead burg, from the bridge where the wyvern is, felt badass.

Of course, the lake (not the ash one) connecting to the front door of new londo is cool too.

And the giant shortcut with the thief key to blighttown.

 

[Abstrusity]

Climbing into a tree trunk in the world's garbage dump, descending branches and avoiding hostile mushroom people and then emerging olat the bottom to an underground lake, complete with a hydra and friendly dragon is pretty impossible to beat.

So yeah, Blighttown to Ash Lake for me.

Yes. So many King's Field feels with Seath and Guyra.

 

[dan2026]

Why would you skip the best area in the game ?

I love feeling every one of those 5 frames as I get poisoned from off screen.

 

[Transistor]

I love feeling every one of those 5 frames as I get poisoned from off screen.

First of all, it wasn't poison, it was toxic, which was much worse. Second of all, once you get to the bonfire, it's super easy.

 

[Itchy//Tasty]

It's already been mentioned, but skipping a large part of Blighttown through the Valley of Drakes was a big moment for me. Forbidden Woods one was jaw-dropping also.

 

[Lumination]

Getting on the elevator before the gargoyles and ending up back in Firelink.

I had the dumbest grin on my face when I realized where I was. I knew I was in for something special, and this was after I already beat Demons.

 

[Mman235]

The whole Valley of the Drakes connecting area if you have the master key and go there straight away; it basically lets you break the first half of Dark Souls wide open when you know what you're doing, and get most of the interesting items without killing a single boss.

 

[Maybesew]

Clearly the ladder shortcut in Undead Burg.

Came to say this. At the point in my souls career when I unlocked this, I could never experience relief and joy as I did when I kicked that ladder down and saw I was back at the Bon fire.

 

[Maybesew]

I love this skip, it's tough to get right but really satisfying when you do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTsq8HlMTCA

Never seen it down that way. There's an easier way to do it by jumping and rolling from an earlier spot in undead burg. Seen it on twitch speed runs before

 

[EvilKatarn]

The whole Valley of the Drakes connecting area if you have the master key and go there straight away; it basically lets you break the first half of Dark Souls wide open when you know what you're doing, and get most of the interesting items without killing a single boss.

Yup. The Master Key is insane because you can be at Andre or Quelaag in about three minutes after arriving at Firelink Shrine.

 

[SiegfriedFM]

There are very few proper shortcuts in DS2 vanilla, instead you unlock more convenient bonfires. Although all the haters should give the DLC a go, there's tons of useful shortcuts there. Linking back to the first bonfire in Shulva was great, and I like how the elevator shaft in Brume Tower branches like crazy once you activate it. And Eleum Loyce basically needs to be completed twice, with new options opening up all along the way but always looping back.

The shortcut through Old Yharnam was a godsend in Bloodborne though.

 

[Zombegoast]

I didn't even knew the Depth was a place and recalled seeing the Gaping Dragon in a trailer and wondered why people said Blighttown was hard.

 

[Confused Cheeseburger]

first post wins it

i agree. the way it interconnects to the beginning of the game and other areas is great game design

I was gonna say Woods too. From the shortcuts to the clinic to the one leading to the shadow boss battle. It made me go,"yes, this is the realization of a 3d super metroid" in terms of environmental level design.

 

[daveo42]

Forbidden Woods: The Thread. Just the whole area is so damn well designed. One of the best designed areas ever, really.

Same. The way that place interconnects together and with other areas is magnificent and legit blew me away the first time through that area.

 

[John Kowalski]

I'd say the elevator from Firelink to the church, because it's also a shortcut to somewhere else that's like the best secret ever in a Souls game.

 

[super-famicom]

I just looked this up. Holy hell, this'll make NG+ SO much more manageable.

That shortcut also lets you get the Great Scythe at the very beginning of the game. Then skipping Blightown with the Master Key lets you head straight to Quelagg and Ceaseless Discharge, who guards the Gold Hemmed Black Set.

The Geat Scythe + that armor set= Grim Reaper. Imagining the look on people's faces when they summon me for the gargoyles and see the Grim Reaper appear in their game was always fun.

 

[mrjohill]

I liked the elevator that led to the cathedral in dark souls

 

[Euron]

Can't decide between Cathedral Elevator to Firelink or Valley of Drakes

 

[pantsmith]

4-1, in Demon's Souls.

It's a brutal slog your first time through, and as you slowly pick up alternate paths you realize you weren't even that far from the boss at spawn.

I love the number of shortcuts there, and even the optional "mini boss" in that middle court yard that you can ignore or slay at any time to open up the path hes blocking. Very sandboxy.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Forbidden Woods: The Thread. Just the whole area is so damn well designed. One of the best designed areas ever, really.

Agreed! What an incredible area.

Spoiler

Exiting the cave and ending up back in the clinic

was an unforgettable gaming moment for me.

 

[Schryver]

Climbing into a tree trunk in the world's garbage dump, descending branches and avoiding hostile mushroom people and then emerging olat the bottom to an underground lake, complete with a hydra and friendly dragon is pretty impossible to beat.

So yeah, Blighttown to Ash Lake for me.

Lol. I stared Demon's last night and was just reminiscing about Dark Souls and how I went down to ash lake before I realized there wouldn't be an easy way out (no warp yet). Then I had to go back later when I learned about the insane sword down there