Fans know that the story in most FromSoftware games is difficult to imagine. While an opening and closing cutscene ends every FromSoftware action RPG, that's about all the direct storytelling there is. To learn anything meaningful about the game's characters, world, or overarching narrative, players need to sift through item descriptions, dialogue, and environmental details to piece together FromSoftware's story. This is especially true for Dark souls trilogy.
For now Elden Ring and Bloodborne it's a self-contained adventure Dark souls the trilogy has an extra layer of goofiness and all of its entries are technically connected. It took years for fans to find concrete connections between the two Dark souls 1, 2and 3history. That being said, some connections are a little more obvious than others, e.g Dark souls 3self-referencing places.
Anor Londo is a direct recreation of Dark Souls 3
By far the most obvious reference to the first game in the trilogy is Dark souls 3Honor of London. Unlike some other places in the Dark souls 3 which seem to pay homage to the first entry in the series, Anor Londo is an almost exact copy of its original version and even bears the same name. While the approach to the castle is a little different Dark souls 3the castle itself is almost identical, with its long staircase and menacing appearance looming over the player. Instead of the beloved boss duo of Smaug and Ornstein, Dark souls 3The castle halls are home to Aldrich, the Devourer of Gods, who has seemingly swallowed Dark souls 1Gwyndolyn's Dark Sun.
Other Dark Souls 3 locations that seem to reference DS1
Firelink Shrine
For now Dark souls 3 has its own version of Firelink Shrine, the first iteration of the game can be found in the DS3“Ringed City” DLC. After going down the hole to face the Demon Prince, players will notice a familiar stone structure behind them next to a bonfire. This stone doorway and wall is meant to mimic the passage leading to Framt in the first version of the Firelink Shrine game. After defeating the Demon Prince, players will be able to notice more similarities, such as the circular central part, some surrounding stone walls, and the well.
The painted world of Ariandel
Another clear reference to the first Dark souls can be found in Dark souls 3Ashes of Ariandel DLC. In this DLC, players are headed to the Painted World of Ariandel, which is a fairly overt reference to DS1The Painted World of Ariamis, an optional area found in Anor Londo. Although the layouts of Painted Worlds are quite different, they both share the same long wooden bridge, and Priscilla's Crusader boss arena can be found in DS3The painted world of Ariandel.
Smoldering lake
Delving into the territory of speculation, Dark souls 3Smoldering Lake is believed to refer to Dark souls 1The Lost Isolith. Some of the most accurate references appear in the area of the Demon Ruins of Lake Smoudlering, where you can find the petrified demons Capra and Taurus scattered on the ground. A petrified spider can also be found next to Quelana's pyromancy tome, implying that this dead spider is her.
Furnace of the First Flame
Final location in Dark souls 3 shares the same name as the final location in the trilogy's first entry. Although the locations look quite different, their in-game objectives and lore are the same, and players need to defeat a powerful boss to either continue the Age of Fire or let it die.
