I too am with Owen on this. Not only was the giant map continuous, minus Anor Londo, Archives, Painting, and the Past, but they also hid things throughout the entire world. Like, someone of The Moonlight from Demon's Souls... You hear about how he's a knight of legend, and he went to the swamp... And all you find is his sword in a huge mess of slugs. Something similar happens in Dark Souls, the legend of Tarkus. However, you actually /see/ him bash his way through to Anor Londo. Canonically, the only other knight to ever ring both bells and pass into Anor Londo. Only to find his path blocked by having to balance around on tiny little beams high atop the chapel. And so, in his heavy armor, he fell, and died, huddled into a corner. If it wasn't for Tarkus, that window wouldn't have been smashed, either. So sad...