So far to me, the level design in Dark Souls stands out as some of the most unique and aesthetically awesome I've seen in ages. Thing is, I'm not sure it ended up that way on purpose; much of the layout seems as if From Software sketched and laid out everything spatially as much as their crazy brains would allow, but in a very modular fashion. Every room, platform, and hallway piece by piece seperately, then stitched them all together into one long insane universe, then designed the actual architecture and geography of the world to justify the pre-existing layout. The end result feels like something that's just shy of anything in reality, with barely any symmetry or focus, chaotic with just enough resemblance to the way people would actually design buildings. This adds immensely to the feel of the game, because not only am I always slightly uneasy, but I've never even thought of needing a map because everything's been burned into my subconscious as I see it.

It's very reminiscent of what I've always imagined the city of R'lyeh to look like: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R'lyeh

Non-Euclidean geometry in games. Whaddya guys think...great or super-great? Any other examples of stuff like this?

So far to me, the level design in Dark Souls stands out as some of the most unique and aesthetically awesome I've seen in ages. Thing is, I'm not sure it ended up that way on purpose; much of the layout seems as if From Software sketched and laid out everything spatially as much as their crazy brains would allow, but in a very modular fashion. Every room, platform, and hallway piece by piece seperately, then stitched them all together into one long insane universe, then designed the actual architecture and geography of the world to justify the pre-existing layout. The end result feels like something that's just shy of anything in reality, with barely any symmetry or focus, chaotic with just enough resemblance to the way people would actually design buildings. This adds immensely to the feel of the game, because not only am I always slightly uneasy, but I've never even thought of needing a map because everything's been burned into my subconscious as I see it.

It's very reminiscent of what I've always imagined the city of R'lyeh to look like: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R'lyeh

Non-Euclidean geometry in games. Whaddya guys think...great or super-great? Any other examples of stuff like this?

There are places that might be interesting as concepts but are such awful things to play that they almost made me put down the game. Tomb of the Giants, Blighttown, and Crystal Cave being the worst offenders.

I just love that it's one big world and you can see the other areas of the game in the background of the area that you're in. So fucking cool.

I agree but so far the ONLY area I don't like aesthetically is Anor Lando.  It looks too clean and simple.
What I have seen so far reminds me of videos of early stages of 3D modelling before they insert all the detail.

@musclerider said:

There are places that might be interesting as concepts but are such awful things to play that they almost made me put down the game. Tomb of the Giants, Blighttown, and Crystal Cave being the worst offenders.

I didn't mind Blighttown that much, and I've only been in the first 50 feet of Tomb of the Giants so I can't fully judge it yet, but yeah. FUCK the Crystal Cave. Such horse-shit, whoever designed that and thought it was good design should be punched in the mouth then fired.

Crystal caves is bull but you can look up the right path to beat it real easy. I didnt have nuch of a prob with the tomb.

The art direction is great. I don't think the level design is amazing at all, but it works for what the gameplay is. Since obviously I'm not supposed to be solving puzzles, jumping off the walls, and platforming.

I easy moded crystal cave by being summoned as a white phantom multiple times and memorizing the route we took.  Also, walking slow and steady, you can pretty much make out the paths through both the player left text and the snow flakes.  That said, the curved path to the blue titanite slab had me falling off it the first time.
 
Tomb of giants on the other hand is some excruciating nightmare the first time, and when you bring either the cast light spell or a sunlight maggot the second time, its trivialized.  All the enemies still have reduced vision but you suddenly can lock onto them much further away.

It reminds me very much of Jak and Daxter, another linear open-world game where you can see where you've been and where you're heading to. Both are other-worldly and fantastical and have great art direction, and I love both.

I enjoy the art and level design alot. It is one of the reasons i have almost invested over 92hours into 1 playthrough. Farming, exploring, going back a TON to finish all npc quest lines. It is something i wish more games would have.

I've really been enjoying the level design as well. There are some which were hell at first, but I suppose that just makes them more memorable.

Ash Lake is the best, so epic.