Talk:Ash Lake/@comment-25652021-20150105022209

This place is beautiful in its serenity and emptiness, the way it tells us more than most lands in Dark Souls without uttering a word. And yet, from a designer's perspective, it seems incredibly out of place. It is (to my recollection) the only environment in Dark Souls outside of boss fights to possess a soundtrack, as well as a vast array of textures and models not used elsewhere in the game. There was a lot of effort put into creating the Ash Lake as well as the Great Hollow, yet the player can complete the main game from beginning to end without stepping foot in either.

I'm aware that this game was rushed near the end of the development cycle, with Lost Izalith standing as glaring evidence. I can't help but feel that there were plans for this place, plans that just couldn't be fit in.