Board Thread:Dark Souls II/@comment-9527834-20140319021218/@comment-24249492-20140408032244

Firelink > Majula (haven't played Demon Souls :

Firelink was this safe haven from the rest of the world. It always felt secure, even though there were enemies a few hundred feet away. Majula, on the other hand, just didn't have that sense of security. It felt too open, too sunny. I was always afraid of falling off the cliff in Majula. In Firelink, a place not designed for a safe haven, slowly built up in numbers, as if fate brought all these people here. Majula was more, uh, obvious to become a safehaven. Firelink was more of a place you kept walking back to and saying "Welcome Home." Majula you kept teleporting back to and saying "Ugh, 2 more loading screens just for my 1 level up."

Majula also felt more secluded from the game. In Firelink, you knew you were playing Dark Souls, and actually had to plan out where you wanted to go, (since teleports weren't accessible early on) which brought me closer to the game in my opinion. In Majula, you could teleport anywhere as soon as possible, so when I wanted to go to the Heide's Tower of Flame from Forest of Fallen Giants I teleported straight there, like Majula never existed. When I wanted to go from New Londo to Darkroot Basin, you have to run past all the ghosts and actually be glad for Firelink for a place to relax before your next trip.

I'm thinking too deep into this. Woops