Dark Souls is a game that will seem huge on your first playthrough. I remember that I got overwhelmed on my first playthrough at all the different areas there were to go.
The Souls series is famous for not giving players directions, and the first Dark Souls game is no exception. Of course, this also applies to both the original Dark Souls game and the Remastered edition.
In all this lack of hand-holding, you most likely are wondering where you’re supposed to go. There are a few different answers to this depending on where you are in the game and how experienced a player you are. Since you’re probably playing Dark Souls for the first time, I’ll just tell you the most optimal route to take.
To figure out where to go first, you must first determine where you currently are, and then I’ll tell you where you need to go from there.
There are some spoilers ahead for the first few areas of the game.
Getting to the Firelink Shrine
If you’ve literally just started the game, you’re probably still in the Undead Asylum. Here you’ll get a quick tutorial on how to play the game, and eventually face the Asylum Demon. You’ll pick up your first Estus Flask (which is a health potion) and get your first weapons, so once you’re done with the tutorial area you’re on your own.
Upon exiting the Undead Asylum, follow the path until you get to the edge of a cliff, which will trigger a cutscene. You’ll be carried away by a massive crow that’ll immediately take you to the Firelink Shrine.
Where to go from the Firelink Shrine
This is where the game really begins! I should note that this is simply the easiest way to go, but definitely not the only location order. The first time I played Dark Souls I went all over the map and didn’t even realize I did it out of order.
The first NPC you’ll meet in the Firelink Shrine is called the Crestfallen Warrior, and he tells you that you need to Ring the Two Bells of Awakening. The first bell is located in the Undead Church, and the Second is located in Blighttown.
Well, you now know the names of two places you need to go, but how the heck do you get there? Blightown is the harder area to do, so don’t worry about that one yet. The next area you’ll want to explore is the Undead Burg.
To get to the Undead Burg, find the area of the Firelink Shrine with the large staircase, and head to the top. There will be a few enemies on the way up, so be sure to take them out. At the top, you’ll find a sewer tunnel that leads to the Undead Burg.
Where to go from the Undead Burg
The Undead Burg is a rather small area, but it has several paths that many confuse a lot of players. The next place you want to go is to the Undead Parish.
The Undead Burg is divided into 2 sections, Upper Undead Burg and Lower Undead Burg. You can’t access the lower section until beating the Taurus Demon, but you don’t need to go here yet anyway.
The next thing you’ll come across is the Hellkite Wyvern. I personally just ran under him and rolled through the fire, but some people have a lot of trouble getting past him. There’s another way to get to the Parish, but running under the dragon was easy for me. If you’re having trouble getting past him, here’s a video that shows you how to easily do it.
The Undead Burg leads to quite a few important areas, but the main thing you need to do here is ring the first Bell of Awakening. The Bell is at the top of the church, which you’ll find close to the bonfire where you find Blacksmith Andre.
Head to the top of the church and run past the horde of enemies, and eventually, you’ll find the fog gate. Defeat the boss and ring the bell, and then you’re ready for the next area.
Where to go from the Undead Parish
The boss has been defeated and the bell has been rung, but where do you go next? I recommend heading to the Darkroot Garden to farm moss clumps, which will help you when you go to Blighttown. Moss clumps sure debuffs like poison, so get as many as you possibly can. The Darkroot Garden isn’t an essential area to the game, but it does have a minor boss and some shortcuts.
After you feel like you have enough moss clumps, the next area you need to head to is The Depths. To get there, you need to first access the lower Undead Burg using the basement key. The door to the lower Undead Burg is right near the bridge that the Hellkite Wyvern guards.
Make your way down to the end of this section and beat the boss, which will give you the Key to the Depths. This area is filled with rats and poisons, which is where those moss clumps will come in handy.
Where to go from the Depths
Once you get to this area, it’s pretty straightforward where to go. You need to go to Blighttown, which is where you’ll find the last Bell you need to ring. You’re on your own at this part.
Basically, you have to navigate to the boss of the area and defeat it, and then you can finally ring the bell. Ringing both bells will unlock a new area that leads to the rest of the game.
But you have to get through Blighttown first, which many consider to be one of the hardest areas of the game. I personally didn’t have trouble with it, but I wish you good luck in getting through it!