Epilogue’s Best Level Design of 2017

Level design rarely gets enough credit, but something to consider is that even a game with fantastic mechanics won’t get to show them off unless the level allows for it. When choosing our favorite designs of the year, it became a choice over what levels did the most to showcase the game’s mechanics. It’s almost hard to believe that something like Dark Souls and it’s “Ringed City” or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild don’t make the list – especially when both franchises are so well known for their intricate level designs. Ultimately, we made a choice to prioritize titles that had levels that stood out individually. Some games, like Super Mario Odyssey, had ample to choose from. Others, like Wolfenstein II, shine in more specific areas.

Here are our candidates, and ultimately the staff choice, for best level design.

“The Mansion” Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (via Chase Becotte)

It makes all the sense in the world that the one time Resident Evil 7 falters is when you leave the mansion’s premises and end up on a massive ship just chilling in the the middle of a swamp.

The love and care put into crafting a true horror house are on display the moment a corpse pops out at you from a basement that should not exist in Louisiana (hi sea level!) and only adds layers while roaming through the close quarters dodging Jack Baker, playing in Lucas’ funhouse, or enjoying the sweet screams of Marguerite in her quarters. Simply put, an abandoned ship just isn’t going to be able to live up to all the character found in the Baker’s humble abode.

And while elements of the property don’t make sense – the aforementioned basement – the secret tunnels, the sheer size of the house, it’s certainly the first time since the original Resident Evil where the property itself is a character. If anything, the level designers proved that a small space still works best for the Resident Evil franchise.

Games like P.T., Five Nights at Freddy’s, Outlast, Slender, and Amnesia all were part of a trend back towards smaller confines working just fine for horror games, but Resident Evil 7 acts as a sort of proof positive for something on a larger scale that has more of a mainstream focus.

“Venus” Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

It isn’t the ten-minute long showdown with Adolf Hitler that makes “Venus” particularly interesting. Instead, it’s the escape from that confrontation that will be remembered as some of the best of what Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus has to offer.

Short of usable oxygen, Billy Blazkowicz is tasked with traversing the outer walls of Hitler’s lair and escaping at all costs. Wolfenstein II is much less stealth oriented than its predecessor, but the game’s quieter elements shine on “Venus”. Without time to strategize or get caught in a fire fight, you must make your way through the level quietly and efficiently.

Through the use of silenced weapons and throwable hatchets, Blazkowicz can make his escape entirely unnoticed if the player is careful enough. Despite its wonderful narrative, this is one of the few places where Wolfenstein’s gameplay gets a chance to showcase itself.

“Tribalstack Tropics” Yooka-Laylee

Yooka’s best level comes right at the beginning. Everywhere you look, there’s something interesting to interact with and, in true form with the game’s best moments, these interactions all utilize the map’s strengths.

With a wide variety of platforms and iconography loaded into one level, Tribalstacks is the best showcase for the game’s collectathon style. If there is a complaint with Yooka-Laylee as a whole, it’s that its large levels often feel emptier than they should. In Tribalstacks, the game makes the most of its space with lush plant life and colorful architecture. Containing everything from a race with a small (and surprisingly quick) cloud and a shooting range, it’s hard not to feel like Tribalstacks is an example of what Yooka could have been with a little more time and effort.

All the same, if there’s an example of a singular level standing out in comparison to the rest of the game, it’s Tribalstacks Tropics. Well worth a playthrough for any fan of the collectathon genre, and features enough content to warrant a spot on this list.

“The Island” Fortnite

Perhaps the most notable thing about Fortnite’s “Island” is that it’s still changing. Unlike the other levels on this list, “The Island” serves as a dynamic baseline for Epic to build its battle royale map from.

Unlike its competition, Fortnite values color, distinct locations and verticality. With a handful of named locations spread across the significantly sized maps, mountains (large and small) provide a vantage point unavailable in more lucrative, loot-filled areas. Each area comes with advantages and disadvantages, and “The Island” is just small enough that you’re almost always interacting with another player – even if you’re playing solo.

Fortnite uses its ever enclosing circle of poison to force players to new and unfamiliar portions of the map, which is a genius (and very familiar to the genre) way of forcing players out of their comfort zone. It’s not quite frantic, but the forced pace of play and smaller map allow for shorter and more action-packed matches, making it Epilogue’s easy pick for best in the genre.

Staff Choice

“Metro Kingdom” Super Mario Odyssey

In a game filled with interesting levels and dynamic platforming, Metro Kingdom is the best of what Super Mario Odyssey has to offer. With taxis roaming the streets, pedestrians carrying on about their business and mile-high skyscrapers perfectly placed throughout, Metro Kingdom feels alive.

With clear inspiration being drawn from New York City (in name as well as form), Metro does a great job of feeling crowded while still leaving room for Mario to perform some of his best, and most impressive, platforming. Most builders have a way to traverse upward, whether it be an electric zip-line or a  rubber catapult, but it’s not until you reach the top where things get interesting.

Best exemplified in its Koopa Freerun, Metro Kingdom is sandbox to experiment with different ways to get from one place to another. Whether it be a jump, a cap throw, a dive, a bounce, and another dive or a more simple triple-jump to a dive, Metro Kingdom seems perfectly spaced for a game that just about masters movement mechanics.

Of course, Metro Kingdom is filled with other things to do, as well. Most notably is the giant festival celebrating 25 years of Mario, with constant visual flair and the wonderful “Jump Up, Super Star!” playing in the background. Metro Kingdom sticks to what Mario does best, with platforming and exploration at the forefront of everything the level does – including an inexplicably addicting jump rope mini-game.

Metro Kingdom is Mario’s jubilee that can’t be missed.