The shunning grounds have the best and worst parts of elden ring. Big area with many interesting paths to explore, good lore, and a bunch of enemies that do way too much damage. If the lobsters and imps didn’t do your whole health bar in one combo it’d probably be more enjoyed by the community

When I was roaming around one day in the Weeping Peninsula, I came across a tower. So, naturally, I slaughtered all of the enemies and made my way to the very top of it. I was greeted with a chest. Little did I know, that chest would take me to one of the greatest locations in all of gaming. And there it stood: the almighty Erdtree. I peered down below, seeing the sprawling city that was so close yet so far away. My ears were blessed with the beautiful song that hummed throughout the area. My eyes were graced by the golden rays; my mouth was all the way down on the floor. It was the greatest video game experience I’ve ever had. Leyndell is by far my number one.

Yeah, I figured Leyndell would be number one, and it just makes total sense, it's fucking insane how much stuff there's in that area and how well everything is connected

Like you, Leyndell strikes me as FromSoft finally getting to realize what they wanted to do with Anor Londo. Instead of just getting a few rooftops and the grand cathedral, we finally get a scaled up city, where you still (generally) enter from the high walls looking down upon the streets below, but this time you actually get to go down and run through those streets yourself. Also, I think the 4 Belfries spoiling Farum Azula is actually pretty genius, particularly because of how the map works. If you warp early on in the game and check the map while you're there, you find yourself just completely off in a section of the world you didn't even know existed. Nothing is marked over there, and nothing will be marked there until you finally find the actual proper zone. If you don't know it exists when you go into the game, the warp gives you a distant look at this storm- and dragon-ridden land literally torn apart and suspended in time and space, something so alien from everything else you've seen in the game up to that point. You don't know how to get there, you don't know when or even if you will go there eventually, but now you know there's something hidden out in the seas far to the northeast of where you've spent all of your time.

I absolutely hated Subterranean shunning grounds on first play through. But on my most recent replay I absolutely loved it. I never really like the sewer areas in souls games but that one just hit for me. Once you fully understand the level design it all just clicks

I wish that after defeating malekith, instead of the game making just teleporting to the capital of ash, it made you go through the sewers. I feel that area is more balanced for the endgame, and it would really help the games pacing. I’m sure fromsoft can figure out a way to make work.

I just love how every list has Leyndell at the top. There's no other way.

I love how well you sneak in drag race references 😂😂😂 But seriously, you’ve got great scripting, a really tongue-in-cheek and self-aware sense of humor, and lively voiceover. Keep on making videos - I think your channel will go far :D

Leyndell and Volcano Manor are my favourite areas, too. Stormveil was and is a bit to complex and vertical for me. I've never found an efficient way through the castle without walking upon some paths several times because of the verticality and some "no-way-back-passages". That's the same problem with Raya Lucaria at the roof tops, which you have to go more than once. And I don't like the no way back situation upon the chandelier finding the second magical key and, if you dropping to the ground and realizing that you're at the start of the area, you'll have to teleport to your newest grace or walk through the entire level because you don't want the enemies to respawn.

I recently discovered your channel and really enjoy your breakdowns of not only the areas but all of the boss fights, I hope to see more awesome content. As for this video specifically, I will say that Elden Ring on a whole is a special game for me as it was the game that got me into the Souls series, because after I beat Elden Ring, I went back and played the entire catalog and I have been hooked ever since. Now for my favorite area? Oh man, that's a tough one, I think for me, I have to go by that "wow" factor upon entering an area for the first time and although many areas were capable of absolutely blowing me away. I still think the moment I descended into the Siofra River Well for the first time in Limgrave and thinking I was just going into another catacomb or something and it turned out to be this huge other world just underground was absolutely stunning. Which then led to my favorite questline, which is Ranni's. That's what Fromsoft nails with their games such as going to Anor Lando for the first time or entering Yharnam, they kill with environmental story telling.

On the contrary, I feel like like getting a glimpse of Farum Azula when accessing the portal makes it better because it teases a cool-looking place that you want to go to but can't find. So when you finally find it, it feels really exciting. (Sorry for leaving a bunch of comments like this, I've been watching bit by bit).

One part of Stormveil that you missed, and probably would have been worth mentioning for the epic visual storytelling, is how the castle bears the scars of looking like it was hit by a giant squid, with slashes on the walls and other spots where it was pierced. The rest of the castle is kept up incredibly well, especially considering the rot from what's said to be Godwyn's corpse. But the battle damage from that squid/octopus? It implies that despite what you see in game, there's still bigger things out there.

Another gem from my favorite up and coming content creator. Hope your holiday has been everything you wanted it to be

20:03 - I feel the Four Belfries work as a kind of teaser for later areas. Every one of those waygates takes you to a dead-end area that you can't access through any other way. It's like you just go there, see what you can find eventually to keep you interested, and then you leave. I admit, it is kinda cheap. But Farum Azula looked so cool from that waygate area that I don't mind haha

How to avoid the magic rain at Caria Manor: stick to the cliff edge on the right. It will never hit you. Generally, "stick to the cliff edge" is my strategy in many areas when I'm just trying to get to places.

I mostly agree with your lists but for me Raya Lucaria is such a disappointment that its actually my least favorite area in the game. It's such a giant waste of potential and is so dull compared to have incredible all the other legacy dungeons are

Raya Lucaria is my favourite area bar none based entirely on the aesthetic, who doesnt love a magiv school of inescapable eldritch horror? Its the same reason Byrgenwerth and the grand archives always sit at the top of my list

The hailgtree and Nokron eternal city are my favorite areas in the entire game. The haligtree has excellent level design

I wish I could experience seeing Lyndell for the first time again.

Great content Billy! Especially on vacation too. Keep up the great work dude 👍

Great vid, love how much detail you go into :D Big agree about the Belfy teleporter to Farum Azula, so lame u.u Stormveil miiight by my pick for first, tho it's deff a very close contest near the top.

Leyndell is the greatest place I've been in any game, ever

Love your narration style, keep it up!!!

my top 5 would be 1. Leyndell 2. Stormveil 3. Volcano Manor 4. Elphael 1st half 5. Hogwarts

Stormveil Castle is From Soft flexing every bone and muscle

In my second playthrough (100 %: i have got every item from limgrave, liurnia without moonlight altar and caelid without dragonburrow and i started altus platea recently) i discovered so much more hidden area (like you i discovered the rooftop area of Royal Academy and it blew my mind) that made the game so much more exiting (even little things like new catacombs are sometimes exiting). And my first playthrough took me already 150 hours. I hope they will build upon this in the DLC and give us more enemy variety as this is my biggest issue with the game. But non the less i cant wait

Your video reminds me how stunning - even arguably unmatched by other games - many Elden Ring areas are 🥰

After I explored Moghwyn Palace exclusively on low level characters, running around like a headless chicken, it was so satisfying to come back to it somewhat properly leveled and with a little Dung-Eater buddy who can bully the Bloodwheels.

i truly DESPISE the subterranean shunning grounds , this area gave me a headache with the lobsters alone

I find it funny of you look at the giant fingercreepers it looks like their flipping you off😅

"Nothing can compete with the five main legacy dungeons..." While talking about a legacy dungeon

Shunning grounds is the most underrated and over hated area in the game

buen video

Damn it this city

I never really felt Layndell. It looks absolutely stunning but I just don't enjoy playing through it that much. Still easy top 5 tho

Do the boss ranking on Code Vein

Let’s be honest: did ANYONE actually explore the gardens in Elphael? I feel like it’s universal: we all reach this point of a legacy dungeon that has dragged on far too long, see a bunch of annoying enemy types in an area with the highest damage scaling and difficulty in the game, and decided: nah. I’m in the endgame, I have everything I need, my weapon is fully upgraded; I ain’t doing this. Elphael overstays its welcome. It is technically the second half of miquella’s Haligtree, which is a long dungeon in itself. The first third of Elphael is beautiful, deep, and full of content. The second third is bland, forgettable, and full of rot. The third portion is just… why am I even still here? I’ve spent 100 hours on the game, thought I was going on a detour for one legacy dungeon and instead it feels like I’ve been through 5. I legitimately think the first 1/3 of Elphael would’ve been more than enough and it would’ve ranked very highly in my eyes. In fact, that’s the only part I remembered until I watched this video. The one saving grace in all of this is that the dungeon takes so long that you forget about the elevator you see at the very beginning, so when you reach the bottom and go up the elevator, it’s such a shock. You’re thinking “this is the elevator I saw last week when I started this dungeon!”

Im Billy S bro Lets do a boss weapon ranking

You said almost nothing good about most of Mohgwyn's Palace - why is it number seven? That being said, I agree with basically all of your other opinions, so consider me subscribed!

Cómo que "en serio, joder"? I didn't expect that lol

TUNIC also destroys its best area after a world state change lol

I personally think Leyndell is outclassed by other cities in the series, such as Central Yharnam, Eleum Loyce and Shulva. And The Shunning Grounds are my favorite Elden Ring area. It's not entirely original, but I liked how many paths there were to explore and, most importantly, the fact that there were good shortcuts and great bonfire placement. Most legacy areas in Elden Ring disappointed me, but The Shunning Grounds were surprisingly excellent

I really think that Siofra Aqueduct should've been included with Nokron. They're pretty much identical aesthetically, and are right next to each other, only separated by the Ancestral Woods which you did - rightfully - include. And I DEFINITELY think that the Branches and Elphael should've been one dungeon: Miquella's Haligtree. I mean, all the other legacy dungeons have two bosses; I don't see why the Haligtree had to be separated in two because of a naming scheme and a boss halfway through.

I almost thought you are gonna forget to mention your boyfriend in this video, but rest assured you didnt.

Lyendell is so overrated, imo it’s actually too big and the atmosphere isn’t that interesting. I much prefer stormveil castle so much better

People please I preach to you out of love belive on the lord jesus christ and trust in him for you salvation and not in yourself christ came to die for our sin we have all sinned and deserve hell but god is so merciful and jesus died on the cross to take our punishment so that who ever belive on him will not perish but have eternal life john 3:16 romans 10:9 if we confess with our mouth jesus is lord and belive in our heart that god rose him from the dead we will be saved we can not earn salvation it is the free gift from god❤❤,,,....