Level design is much more than just getting from Point A to Point B, it is the overall experience you receive while running down an alley or climbing a mountain. For instance, the levels in a 2D Super Mario game are often chock full of color, contain strategically placed obstacles, and the enemies move in set patterns that force the player to break from a rhythm they form over the course of playing the game. Now take those levels and compare them to something like the Resident Evil series. Sure, you may not have a path completely set in stone in Resident Evil, but the various “levels” are setup to invoke suspense and tension as you proceed through them. For example, if you played the first game, do you remember the first time you ran down a hall and the dogs jumped through the windows?
"Digital board games can be tons of fun, especially when they're cooperative. That's what's in store for Beacon Patrol from Assemble Entertainment. Based on the real-life board game by Torben Ratzlaff, Beacon Patrol has players work together to explore a map and create a network of coastal paths, all by placing tiles. It's a lot like Carcassonne and Kingdomino, but set on the high seas. The upcoming Steam version will support 4-player local co-op, and there's a single-player demo right now," says Co-Optimus.
Thanks to Call of Duty HQ, the early weapons list for Black Ops 7 has been unearthed, and it gives further evidence of wallruning returning.
A hands-on look at this upcoming acrobatic third-person sci-fi shooter.
Portal, and Portal 2 - hands down, my favorite levels ever.
Assassins Creed
God of War
LittleBigPlanet
Enslaved
COD4 - Ghillies in the Midst.
The best level in any game. Period.
Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Human Revolution (judging from leaked beta), Crusader: No Remorse and No Regret, TES4: Oblivion, Quake II, Unreal (the first one, from 1998.)...
These are a few of my favorites.
...Really?
I gotta go with the Assassin's Creed games. Historically accurate settings + complete freedom of movement = nergasm