osmosisch Posted July 29, 2015 You guys have already named most of my favourites, except Quake 1 deathmatch on the Welcome to Quake map (the level select one). I spent so much time on that map with friends at LAN parties trying out stuff like the Killer Quake Pack... memories. Also, the Many level of System Shock 2. The abrupt shift from clean to organic mess was well done and jarring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tberton Posted July 29, 2015 Chrono Trigger's battle system is really something that needs to be revisited. It was pretty fun already, but if it leaned into the combo stuff, elemental magic and especially positioning, it would be truly great. Basically, my ideal JRPG is a mashup of Chrono Trigger refined and Skies of Arcadia refined. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmuerte Posted July 29, 2015 ugh... Facing Worlds. Really overrated. Bluff Eversmoking, now that was a level. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BusbyBerkeley Posted July 29, 2015 Dota (2) - The Lord's Pitch Yoshi's Island - Raven boss fight, Touch Fuzzy Get Dizzy. Portal - that part where glados lowers you into the furnace and you escape. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Problem Machine Posted July 29, 2015 Chrono Trigger's battle system is really something that needs to be revisited. It was pretty fun already, but if it leaned into the combo stuff, elemental magic and especially positioning, it would be truly great. Have you played Transistor? A lot of the combat in that reminded me of CT's positional attack stuff Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jennegatron Posted July 29, 2015 Mine isn't a level, instead it's a boss fight in WoW. The 4 ponies (horsemen) fight in Naxxramas. (I never played it when in eastern plaguelands,only in WotLK) It is such a gratifying experience completing this fight, especially as a healer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tberton Posted July 29, 2015 Have you played Transistor? A lot of the combat in that reminded me of CT's positional attack stuff Transistor literally has my favourite RPG battle and upgrade system ever. I hadn't thought about the Chrono Trigger connection, but you're right, it makes a lot of sense. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ninety-Three Posted July 29, 2015 The first water level in Amnesia: The Dark Descent was perfectly put together, it created so many amazing horror moments for me. I could write a small essay on that level. I love Farbor in Creeper World 3. Image reference: Most of that game is about pushing to gain ground against a fairly constant enemy aggression, but Farbor puts you on relatively safe islands under discreet time pressure, then allows you to interact with that clock by shooting down the respawning miners. It's also the only level in the base campaign that allows/rewards early aggression: Rather than setting up a base, you can land command centers on the main island and take out an ore processor before they get their defenses online. It's like the level has its own metagame of clock management. Portal: Chamber 16/Advanced Chamber 16 (Chamber 16 is the one with all the turrets, the Advanced version puts them all in mesh cages to make them indestructible). I find it incredibly elegant that both Basic 16 and Advanced 16 play well and feel natural, rather than one feeling like a shitty demake/challenge mode of the other. This is one of my favorites not because it's the most fun, but because I admire the design so much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
feelthedarkness Posted July 29, 2015 Mine isn't a level, instead it's a boss fight in WoW. The 4 ponies (horsemen) fight in Naxxramas. (I never played it when in eastern plaguelands,only in WotLK) It is such a gratifying experience completing this fight, especially as a healer. This is cool, and I'm going to pick up this ball and run with it. 2 WoW things: 1) The first time we downed (vanilla) Rag as a guild, which was built from semi-private punx and gamer pals, and the culmination of all that early WoW magic and painful learning. 2) The opening of AQ40. This was my single favorite WoW thing through Wrath. Our server was the only PvP server in the top 10, and we were #2 by SECONDS, and that was only because people were slamming the server to PVP at the gate opening, where the #1 server didn't have to deal with that bizness. There was a temporary truce between the biggest guilds to not PVP when everyone realized we could win it, but this was pre-arena, so there was a group of hardcore world PVPers who took the stance "we don't want you guys getting better gear and becoming harder to kill" and they made it there mission to cause as much friction as possible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SecretAsianMan Posted July 29, 2015 Call of Duty - Carentan Carentan is a great level but my personal favorite was always Stalingrad. It's the moment that war stopped being glamorous for me, which is a pretty heavy realization for a kid. One of my favorite "levels" is a mission in Freespace 2, Into the Lion's Den. The first few seconds of the actual mission scared the crap out of me and to this day remains one of the most memorable gaming moments I've ever had. The rest of the mission is pretty cool too, but explaining why would require too much detail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brendon Chung Posted July 30, 2015 I love Q2DM1. I love its verticality. I love its interconnectedness. I personally like how spartan it is - no teleporters, no death pits, no environmental dangers, no traps, and the only moving parts are a couple elevators. I dunno, there's something pure? or humble? about stripping the map down to just pure layout work. In a way it reminds me of how they say the best third person cameras are the ones that just kinda disappear and become invisible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ratamero Posted July 30, 2015 Does Rubacava count as a level? Anyway, Rubacava. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akidu Posted July 30, 2015 Halo CE - Silent Cartographer. Kotor korriban and mannan stick out as some old favourites. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tberton Posted July 30, 2015 The trial on Mannan in KOTOR blew my mind when I was 15. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deadpan Posted July 30, 2015 One of my favorite "levels" is a mission in Freespace 2, Into the Lion's Den. The first few seconds of the actual mission scared the crap out of me and to this day remains one of the most memorable gaming moments I've ever had. The rest of the mission is pretty cool too, but explaining why would require too much detail. Dang, I love that game and its huge ships. Maybe one of the missions where you fight one of these giant things is more memorable for me overall, but they definitely threw you for a loop in that one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shu_13 Posted July 30, 2015 Since the Phantom Train from FF6 is taken, i'd probably say Shadow Moses from MGS4. Brought back so many memories... and Rex vs Ray Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badfinger Posted July 30, 2015 Mine isn't a level, instead it's a boss fight in WoW. The 4 ponies (horsemen) fight in Naxxramas. (I never played it when in eastern plaguelands,only in WotLK) It is such a gratifying experience completing this fight, especially as a healer. Oh my goodness, the original sacrifice event in Vanilla WoW Zul'Farrak. It was so hard. It was incredibly overtuned for 5 people of almost any level. We (people in my guild, of my level and a little bit ahead of me) spent literal days attempting to complete that event. It was so memorable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WillC Posted July 30, 2015 My favorite is probably the casino level from Sonic 2. My brother had a Sega Genesis when I was growing up and I remember playing Sonic 2 constantly. I'd always get stuck on that level, but it was so interesting to look at and the music was so good that I didn't care. Plus, it was really well-designed; challenging, but not unreasonably so. Real, real good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BobbyBesar Posted July 30, 2015 Chrono Trigger's battle system is really something that needs to be revisited. It was pretty fun already, but if it leaned into the combo stuff, elemental magic and especially positioning, it would be truly great. The PS2 Grandia games did a bit with positioning and AoE attacks within a standard JRPG battle system. But they're pretty by-the-numbers JRPGs beyond that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Salacious Snake Posted July 30, 2015 You guys have already named most of my favourites, except Quake 1 deathmatch on the Welcome to Quake map (the level select one). I spent so much time on that map with friends at LAN parties trying out stuff like the Killer Quake Pack... memories. Aw, shit yeah, the Quake Start map is so good for deathmatch; I love the item placement, like the secret opening for the red armor in that suspended water thing, and the 100 health and stuff in the entrance to Shub's pit if you take the Nightmare path. My contribution to the thread is wave 64 in Space Giraffe: Shit just gets so crazy at this point, it requires you to have like full spidey sense and an understanding of the game's audio cues. The achievement for making it through on one life really feels like, you know, you've achieved something. SG also has the best achievement design, but that's another discussion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeusthecat Posted July 30, 2015 Block fort in Mario Kart 64. The only level you will ever need to play in battle mode. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cordeos Posted July 30, 2015 Thought of another one:Shattered Skies - Ace Combat 4 Its just a huge air to air battle, probably my favorite level in any air combat sim i have ever played just because of the scale of the dogfight. Side note Ace Combat was the series that convinced me to turn music off in a lot of games, so much awful music. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Patrick R Posted July 30, 2015 PL_Goldrush from TF2. I've probably played 200 hours of this. Hell's Kitchen from Deus Ex for all the reasons said in the linked article. The last stage of Dead Center in Left 4 Dead 2 always felt the most insane and frantic of them all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Twig Posted July 30, 2015 dustbowl avalanche and dust Oh wait those are my least favorite popular levels from those three games hmmm I'm doing this wrong! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shu_13 Posted July 30, 2015 on the multiplayer side - Halo 2 - Lockout - Team SWAT Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
