Barring timed underwater escort missions, snow levels, with all their slippery ice and falling rocks (not to mention the fog), are probably the deadliest.
Yet it’s easy to find enjoyable — or at least memorable — ones, even if we disregard games where the entire setting is snowy (We’re looking at you, Skyrim).
Assault On The Control Room (Halo: Combat Evolved)
Source: Halo Wiki
Sherbert Land (Mario Kart 64)
Source: Mario Wiki
Battle Of Hoth (Shadows Of The Empire)
Source: glennplant’s LP
Ice Cap Zone (Sonic The Hedgehog 3)
Source: Sonic Wiki
Cliffhanger (Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
Source: CoD Wiki
Valak Mountain At Night (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Source: MasterLL’s LP
Cool, Cool Mountain (Super Mario 64)
Source: cloudfangLP
Dun Morogh (World Of Warcraft)
Source: WoWWiki
Heart Of Ice (Uncharted 2: Among Thieves)
Source: official screenshots
Phendrana Drifts (Metroid Prime)
Source: Metroid Wiki
In your opinion, which are the most amazing snow levels?
No mention of Crysis? That is some epic snow visuals especially the alien craft internals.
Yeah - but isn't it generally agreed those levels coincide with the game becoming not very good? It's hard for me to disassociate the two.
The avalanche race in NFS:the run and the snow in Crysis 1
Agreed! Also I think Skyrim deserves a mention considering the game is like 80% snow.. Also DiRT3 has the best snow effects in any racing game yet
I... can you read? Skyrim is mentioned.
BF Bad Company 2 had a great MP snow map with a rolling blizzard would occasionally blind you.
Bad Company 2s downhill snow run between buildings was interesting.
Though not really a level, I loved the snow section of "Journey"....
Xenoblade!
Yes!
I came into this article thinking "Well I better make a comment and mention he forgot Valek Mountain in Xenoblade", but lo and behold it's there! Nice one :)
I think I really need to start playing Xenoblade -.- I got the game and everything it's just so hard to get enthused for a JRPG that isn't The Legend of Zelda.
Last edited February 11, 2013 2:01 pm
The Legend of Zelda isn't a JRPG :P
Play Xeno! Plenty of TAYbies are loving it atm :)
Yeah Crysis. It was such a cool juxtapositionto the tropical island having it blanketed with snow. Looked great and you had to do things like stay warming to avoid freezing. So you couldn't be still too long while fighting your way through battles. Using fires ect.
BC2 as well. One of the biggest complaints with BF3 is the lack of snow levels after how well they worked in that game.
Ice Cap Zone in Sonic 3 is one of my favourite Sonic levels. The music for it is the best! :)
Journey !
Twilight Princess Snowboarding into Snowpeak Ruins
Starfox Adventures snow region
Xenoblade! GREATEST GAME EVA!
And just like that @greenius makes a friend for life
You, I like!
(@tigerion)
...Skyrim?
FF7 - the whole Northern Continent part of the story
Already mentioned but plus one with the snow section of Journey
Journey's finale? That blizzard was so moving and I felt so damn -there-. lol.
Then there's Lost Planet: Extreme Conditions, in particular the battle with the giant alien worm. Wasn't fond of the sequel but the first one's ice-planet had me feeling pretty chilled. :P
Killzone 3, though not perfect, still holds a place in my heart. What of the snows on Helghan there? Beautiful game, as was Crysis when shit went from tropical to ALIENSZXDSKRFNAKSFNKST - the atmosphere was pretty amazing there.
Assassins Creed 3 was a disappointing game, but trudging through the snow (or incidentally, above the snow in the trees) could be pretty satisfying, especially when you dropped a column of redcoats in the process, falling like lumps into the drift.
There's the iconic Shadow Moses facility in the MGS series too. Can't forget that. And of course, Red Dead Redemption, hunting bears in the northern zones. I already mentioned Crysis but if you could actually run those zones on high and above, it was pretty damn magnificent.
going back a fair few years the Hamalayi Mountains from LBA/Relentless/Twinsen's Adventure
also the desolate arctic wasteland of The Thing
and perhaps the assault on the facility in Second Sight
granted though the tech limitations of the time meant that they couldn't quite manage what the ice-scapes of Lost Planet did, or Uncharted 2, or Journey for that matter
Lost Planet.
I'm pretty sure SSX has good snow levels but i can't remember-_-
God I hate ice and snow levels, not as bad as underwater levels but damn.
So glad you included Halo! "Assault on the control room" is one of the all time great chapters of gaming. It's a shame they have not been able to reproduce this in any Halo title since.
FFXIII's snow section was cool.
Minecraft!
...ok I'll leave now.
So...am I the only one who thinks the statue in the U2 image looks like he's squatting for a deuce?
Freezeezy Peak in Banjo Kazooie? :D
What about the snow level in Goldeneye 64 - Severnaya Installation? Or some of the call of duties during ww2. The levels where you had to destroy the secret German missile locations.