Before the age of internet forums and guides, players could find themselves stuck in a section of a game for weeks. With their only source of information being a dodgy kid in the playground who once said that their brother-in-law's mate could play as Link in Mario Kart 64. Tough puzzles like entering Jabu Jabu's Belly in Ocarina of Time would often force gamers to stop playing back then, as they had no way of knowing how to proceed.
Thankfully, this isn't an issue today. Reams of information are just a few clicks away, meaning hidden sections in games aren't too hidden anymore. Despite this availability of information, many people choose not to look at it, instead opting to challenge themselves and play the game how it was intended.
Some games test the patience of these determined players, and Dark Souls is definitely one of them.
10 Seath The Scaleless' Boss Room
Seath The Scaleless is one of Dark Souls' key bosses, who players must kill to reach Gwyn and finish the game. Getting to Seath is no walk in the park though.
Reaching Seath's boss room requires that players channel their inner Indiana Jones and cross invisible bridges. Players will need to hope that fellow online players are being generous, as without their messages players will only have a few droplets of snow to guide their way.
9 Crystal Caves
Reaching the Crystal Caves' invisible bridges is even tougher than the bridges themselves. To reach them players must traverse The Duke's Archives.
Not only do players have to pull off a prison escape, but they also have to traverse a maze of Hogwarts-like moving staircases and elevators. Experienced players will know the route like the back of their hand, but traversing it for the first time can be a nightmare.
8 The Anor Londo Staircase Tower
Anor Londo is undoubtedly the most impressive location in the first Dark Souls game. Players are treated to a stunning view of the area as they enter, and see that it is filled with tons of large, spacious buildings that they will hope to explore.
Free-roaming exploration is the last thing that they'll be doing though. To proceed past an early dead-end, players will need to spot a window with a small crack in it. They will then need to take a risky path over a narrow ramp, before traversing some even tighter rafters that don't appear to be big enough for the player to stand on.
7 Dark Anor Londo
If this list was simply titled "10 toughest areas to reach" then Dark Anor Londo wouldn't be anywhere near it. To access the area players simply need to fire an arrow at Gwynevere, which is easily done as she takes up most of the screen.
The difficulty comes in knowing to fire an arrow at her. Friendly NPCs can be attacked and killed in Dark Souls, so players will be cautious about not harming Gwynevere. Even if players work out through the game's lore that the Gwynevere before them is an illusion, firing an arrow at her is still counterintuitive.
6 Chaos Witch Quelaag Boss Room
Chaos Witch Quelaag's boss room is situated near the bottom of Blightown. Blightown isn't just infamous for its difficulty and frame rate issues. The dark, poisonous area is also one of the toughest areas to traverse without a guide, especially considering how early in the game it is.
Reaching Quelaag is particularly difficult if players didn't start the game with the Master Key, as they will have to traverse the Depths.
5 Gravelord Nito Boss Room
Gravelord Nito resides in the Tomb of the Giants. Tomb of the Giants is a tough area from the second you enter it as it's pitch black. Players need to use a light-providing item like the skull lantern, otherwise, they'll probably be stuck in the Tomb for hours.
To make matters worse, if the player meets an NPC named Patches, he will kick them off a ledge. This will divert them significantly as they drop into an area off-course and filled with tough enemies.
4 Four Kings Boss Room
After finally traversing New Londo Ruins, players will reach a fog gate. Unfortunately, the boss isn't simply waiting behind the fog. They are instead greeted by a giant, dark hole in the middle of surrounding staircases. Dropping through the hole will result in a swift death, making most players assume that the hole is just a mean trick from the developers.
The hole is indeed where the player needs to drop through, but they need to be wearing the Covenant of Artorias ring to survive the fall and reach the boss. In true Dark Souls fashion, the ring isn't just conveniently sat nearby. To obtain the ring, players must defeat Great Grey Wolf Sif.
Sif is in a completely different area to the Four Kings and tricky to reach. Players either need to find a well-hidden ladder behind an optional boss or pay 20,000 souls to a blacksmith in Undead Parish for the Crest of Artorias, which will open a door in Darkroot Garden.
3 Returning To The Northern Undead Asylum
A large, deteriorating asylum where the player was once locked away to await the end of time doesn't seem like the type of place they would want to return to. However, it is possible to return to the Northern Undead Asylum.
To do so, players first need to hop off a moving elevator to a discrete platform in Firelink Shrine. They will then need to make a few tricky rolls to reach a crow's nest. Players then have to crawl into a ball, wait for around thirty seconds, then enjoy the ride as a crow takes them back to the Asylum. Anyone who worked this out themselves deserves an honorary degree.
2 Painted World Of Ariamis
Returning to the Northern Undead Asylum isn't just for a trip down memory lane. The asylum has a key item, the Peculiar Doll. After finding the doll, players must return to Anor Londo and examine a large painting. Doing so will take them to the Painted World of Ariamis. The only clue available to players is in the Peculiar Doll's item description which reads:
"There was once an abomination who had no place in this world. She clutched this doll tightly, and eventually was drawn into a cold and lonely painted world."
1 The DLC
In most games, after purchasing DLC players will simply have a new option available on the game's menu. That's far too straightforward for Dark Souls though.
To access the game's DLC, players first need to place the Lordvessel with the assistance of either Frampt or Kaathe and kill the Hydra in Darkroot Basin. Then, they must kill a nearby Golden Golem which will free the former princess of Oolacile. Players will then have to travel the Duke's Archives, an entirely different area, and kill a Crystal Golem there who will drop a pendant. Finally, players need to return to Darkroom Basin where the DLC's portal will now be.
Anyone who claims to have worked this out without a guide should either be never trusted again or recognized as intellectually superior to other humans.