Summary
A gamer took the major settings of Japanese developerFromSoftware’s many popular Soulsborne titles and turned them into a single massive landmass a la Pangea. The fan project was shared online, where it received both praise and criticism from fellow fans.
Founded in 1986,FromSoftwareinitially developed business applications before it moved on to creating video games. The studio now has an impressive list of original titles and properties under its belt, including the belovedDark Soulsgames, as well as the recently resurgedArmored Coreseries. Fans often praise the technical aspects of FromSoftware’s games, but they also laud the narratives and settings the Japanese company has crafted for each of its works. One gamer, a Reddit user named ShadowRaikou, has combined the memorable locales of some of FromSoftware’s most popular titles into one gigantic map.
In a post on the Elden Ring subreddit, ShadowRaikou shared their non-canon landmass that featured Ashina, Boletaria, Lordran, Drangleic, Lothric, The Lands Between, and Yharnam, which are the primary settings ofSekiro: Shadows Die Twice,Demon’s Souls,Dark Souls,Dark Souls 2,Dark Souls 3,Elden Ring, andBloodborne, respectively. The abovementioned works areFromSoftware’s iconic and popular Soulsborne games, considered by some as being among the best and most influential titles of all time.
ShadowRaikou, who created the large map for a client, told community members thatElden Ring’s The Lands Between took the longest time to make. While The Lands Between is estimated to be around 79 square kilometers, or 30.5 square miles, in size, there are actually manygames that have bigger worlds thanElden Ring. These include Rockstar Games’Grand Theft Auto 5, CD Projekt Red’sThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom, among many others.
Many were impressed by ShadowRaikou’s map, with one user even saying that they first thought the creation was a map forCrusaders Kings 3, a grand strategy game known for its large, intricate maps. ShadowRaikou’s work also received some criticism for its perceived faults. One community member, for instance, pointed out the theory that Drangleic, Lordran, and Lothric could have all been founded on the same tract of land. Another Reddit user said ShadowRaikou should have taken into account the regions' climates when choosing their positions on the map. Some of themost beautiful locations in Soulsborne gamesare often heavily affected by weather, like Irithyll of The Boreal Valley inDark Souls 3.
FromSoftware’s nextanticipated release isElden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. The expansion could be the largestFromSoftware’s ever made, and it is expected to add even more areas to the already vast world of The Lands Between.
From Software
Based in Japan, FromSoftware is a development company best known for the Souls series and Armored Core franchise. Other popular games from From Software include Elden Ring, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and the King’s Field series.
