XL Episode 9: Best Videogame Levels Vol. 1
In this month’s Patreon-exclusive XL episode, Matthew and Samuel each pick some of their favourite levels from across 10+ categories – including singleplayer FPS level, multiplayer map and a few other treats. Note that if we missed one of your favourites, we plan on revisiting this format again next year so we can tick off some more obvious ones.
Thanks to Liam Richardson for the edits – and to you, for your support!
The first level you remember experiencing as a kid and thinking, ‘fuck yes this rules’
- M: SMB2 beanstalk, Rescue Rangers telephone poles, Sonic 3 Angel Island
- S: I’ll explain why, but it goes: Casino Night Zone in Sonic 2, Facility in GoldenEye, D-Day (Operation Overlord) in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
An immersive sim or stealth game level you love
- M: Desperados 3: A Hell of a Night
- S: Majestic 12 Base/UNATCO headquarters (4th visit).
A single player first-person shooter level you love
- M: Half-Life Alex: Jeff level
- S: The Maw, Halo: Combat Evolved.
A multiplayer first-person shooter map you love
- M: cod mw Block
- S: Facing Worlds in Unreal Tournament.
A platformer level you love
- M: SMG2 Cloudy Court Galaxy
- S: Misty Island in Jak and Daxter.
A location you love in an RPG
- M: xenoblade 3 Aerithia Sea
- S: Zanarkand in Final Fantasy X.
A novelty level you love from a game across any genre
- M: Psychonauts 2, Compton’s Cook-Off
- S: Ryan Amusements area, specifically the Rapture Memorial Museum from BioShock 2. 9-irony.
A hidden or secret level you love from any game
- M: Super Smash Bros Melee. F-Zero GP Big Blue
- S: Pitioss Dungeon. Red glowing demonic-feeling spikes, traps, pillars, statues - statues in the dark.
A hub/non-violent location in a game that’s a good hang
- M: Skyhold from Dragon Age
- S: The Hanged Man in Dragon Age 2.
An open world you love
- M: Witcher Blood and Wine, Toussaint
- S: Bullworth Town from Bully. General town area and funfair, posh borough, industrial district, asylum, and the school itself is a massive space.
A good level from a bad game
- M: Climbing the VNC Tower in Dying Light 2
- S: Storming the Death Star at the end of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - sort of parallels Return of the Jedi, Vader loses, so does Starkiller. Landed with me at the time. Weird game but almost felt like it earned its place as canon.